Flash Fiction – The Sheep Effect

sheep-and-car

Image courtesy of Sandra Crook

Pureed vegetables seep out of your mouth, dribble down your chin. The muslin tucked into your t-shirt is soaked with drool. My darling boy. Your hand swipes for the plastic spoon but your movements aren’t quite coordinated enough.

‘Let Mummy do it.’ I chide, kissing the tip of your nose.

The love I feel for you swells but it isn’t enough. Was never enough. Why did you feel such a desperate need to follow the crowd? To party so hard?

‘Chill out. Everyone takes stuff,’ you’d say but now you’re nineteen years old and back to wearing nappies.

My heart breaks for you, and for me.

 

What an amazing few days! The Sister was published on Thursday. I had a fabulous publication day, and then a launch party at the weekend. I’m thrilled my book shot into the Top 5 in the UK, US and Canada, in the Amazon charts. BIG thanks to everyone who has supported me ❤️

The Sheep Effect was written for Friday Fictioneers. A 100 word story inspired by a photo prompt. Hop over to host Rochelle’s blog and check out the other entries here.

72 thoughts on “Flash Fiction – The Sheep Effect”

  5. This could be a story to read in school, a story on the negative effects of peer pressure and drugs. Well written

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  10. Sometimes I wonder how so many of us can survive their youth. A painful and powerful message. And congrats for the book launch and everything. 😀

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  12. A mother’s pain at her inability to prevent her son’s pain!
    A sad story repeated all over the world – the universal price of thoughtful parenthood and thoughtless youth!

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  13. My 17-year-old son has severe autism. The surprise at the end of this reminded me a little bit of him. He’s helpless in a lot of ways but I love him.

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  15. Gotta be honest and say I was thinking an older person who was ill from the first few words. Once you’ve been on FF long enough you can smell a twist from two paragraphs away…lol. That said I still enjoyed reading your words as they were expertly written. Great news on your book. I’m very jealous!

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  16. Heartbreaking and in so few words too, Louise. You’ve portrayed the mother’s feelings so well – that aching love that’s so wonderful and so painful. Brilliant news about your launch – well done you 🙂

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  22. I wasn’t inspired to write about sheep this week but I was inspired to tell you that “The Sisters” was first on my list of books that Amazon. USA thinks that I would enjoy reading. Well done you. Congratulations on a successful launch.
    Tracey

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  27. What a heartbreaking moment for any parent. I think your mind would travel back to happier, gentler times when they were babes. So heavy. Well told story. Congrats on your success, Louise! So happy for you. x

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  31. Sad story, Louise. A guy in college almost sped right through a barricade on an unfinished highway. I reached over and pulled the steering wheel so we went onto the off ramp. I’ve often wondered what happened to him as that was our first and last date. We didn’t see so much of that then in the city where I went to college. Good writing. Congratulations on the success of your book. 🙂 — Suzanne

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Thanks so much for reading!