Image courtesy of Lucy Fridkin
I am twisting, turning, falling through clouds. Stretching out my hand for you, but you’re not there. You’re never there.
In my dream I was crying and when I wake my cheeks are wet, my tongue tasting tears and despair.
The floorboards are cold against my feet as I pad into the kitchen. I sit at the table, picking at the breakfast my grieving stomach can’t eat, my eyes drawn to your empty chair.
Outside the window the sky turns from mauve, to amber, to its usual self-conscious blue as the sun burns as hot and bright as the hole you left.
A rather more reflective piece this week, as the world excitedly gets ready for Christmas some of us aren’t quite ready to celebrate….
Falling through clouds was written for Friday Fictioneers. A 100 word story inspired by a photo prompt. You can read the other entries on host Rochelle’s blog, here.
fabricating fiction 
I loved the sun burning hot and bright as the hole you left
Thank you Neil.
Dear Louise,
This burned a hole in my heart. So much emotion packed into a small space. Good one.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks Rochelle x
Such a feeling of loss, Louise, a crater sized hole smashed in your character’s world. Very moving
Thanks very much Lynn
My pleasure 🙂
This felt to be written with real feeling. You remind me / us that for some people the festivities of Christmas time can be so hard.
Thanks for reading Michael.
Great story and imagery, but very sad.
Thanks Ali.
Heart wrenching lament.
☹️
Beautifully tragic. I can imagine a lot of people in reflective mood at this time of year. Great writing.
Thanks Iain.
This describes loss so well without going down the rabbit hole of self-pity. This is one of my favorites so far.
P.S. How did things go in Good Reads? I looked for your book to see how it did but couldn’t find the right category.
Thanks Alicia! A young adult book won but I was very happy to be nominated.
Thanks Alicia.
Oh! Can imagine nomination would be VERY exciting and if your book wasn’t good, it wouldn’t have gone that far. Big smile for you.
❤️
Such pain. So well told that it hurts.
Thanks Laurie.
Were you in my kitchen this last week? You captured most of my mornings perfectly. Great write.
Hugs to you ❤️
This is grief. You captured that strange transition between dreams and reality. The reality in daylight was always worse for me. A well done.
Tracey
Thanks Tracey x
beautiful sadness if there’s such thing.
Thanks.
Grief doesn’t stop because “Santa Claus is coming to town,” and you captured that feeling to perfection.
Thanks Lorraine.
The last line was beautiful.
Thanks.
Love lost can leave an aching hole in the heart which reopens during joyous times like these holidays.
Love lost can come from where including children, friends, family or lovers. I could identify with the hole.
Touchingly told.
Isadora 😎
Thanks Isadora x
Beautifully written. The empty chair and the hole you left pierced my heart.
Thank you.
I can feel the cold and the emptiness. This is what loss feels like, like an amputation. Great writing.
It does – thanks.
Wow! So sad, Louise. I like how the words rhyme at the end of the first three paragraphs. Sure, it’s not a fun time of year for someone who’s lost a loved one and you captured the feelings wonderfully.
May you receive those “good tidings of great joy” in your life this year.
Merry Christmas! 🙂
Much appreciated- thanks.
I did a piece for Huff Po last year, about how Christmas isn’t happy for everyone… it’s a time when we miss people in a very personal and poignant way. So many memories. Nicely done, Louise!
That’s great Dawn. I think it must be hard for a lot of people, but nobody seems to talk about it.
I especially like the title.
Thanks Dawn.
Sorrow is to meet the dawn alone… love how you captured that.
Beautifully put Bjorn.
I’ve always heard the holidays are the worst times for many. Lovely metaphors. Good writing, as usual, Louise. —- Suzanne
Yes Suzanne. Thank you.