Image courtesy of Dale Rogerson
There are grey spaces in my mind where my memories used to be. Even now, I can’t quite remember the events of that night.
That’s what I tell them anyway. Regret stings yellow and sour at the back of my throat as I swallow down my lies.
It was an accident. It must have been.
Except it wasn’t.
My shame burns red.
Green was the colour of the carpet I loosened at the top the stairs. Blue was your language as you tumbled to the floor.
White are the lilies I lay on your grave.
My soul is black and weeping.
A huge thank you to everyone in the US who has bought, reviewed and recommended The Gift. I am delighted it has, this week, joined The Sister on the USA Today Bestsellers List.
‘A Rainbow of Regret,’ was written for Friday Fictioneers. A weekly 100 word story challenge inspired by a photo prompt. Hop over to host Rochelle’s blog and read the other entries here, or join in!
fabricating fiction 
A clever use of colour
Thanks Neil!
Wow, great story. The loved the blue language! Very clever throughout.
Thanks Jessie 😃
Love the use of colours that blend the story so agreeably.
Thanks Graham.
A wonderful use of colour. Well done.
Thanks Sandra – it’s a grey day here!
Wow.. flashes of color as memories.. well put.
Thank you!
Dear Louise,
Colorful prose. Well done.
Congratulations on your success
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks very much Rochelle.
Oh, this is a bleak one.
I guess it is!
The first line had me going down the dementure road. Lovely proses or should that be poetry.
Thanks Michael – I did consider it.
Loved the interweaving of colour throughout, especially in contrast to the dark subject. Well done.
Thank you Iain.
Love the use of color in this… very good, and very chilling. The use of second person makes it even stronger.
Thanks – I’m getting more comfortable with second person I think.
Oh, my, I love the use of color in this story. Interesting that you took that route – maybe as an antidote to all the white?
Thanks Alicia – it was the grey tiles that drew my eye instantly in this photo and I thought of walking a very bleak path where you’ve done something so terrible you can never admit to it.
I have read three responses so far in this week’s Fictioneers stable and I feel so inadequate when laying mine beside yours as well as the others. This prompt seems to have triggered master level writing this week.
We should never feel inadequate as writers – we all have our own style and FF is such a lovely, safe, environment to experiment and gain feedback. I’ve just hopped over to your blog but can see you haven’t posted yours yet Joe, please do.
It is there on the Fiction Playground. It is also number 19 on Rochelle’s link-up.
I’ll have a look on my laptop. Can’t seem to see it on my phone.
How sad but beautiful.
Thank you!
What a beautiful contrast to the white rainbow in the picture. Loved your descriptions to colour the feelings and words.
Thanks Dale.
Stunning response to the prompt!
Thanks Clare 😃
Great idea. Liked it a lot.
Thanks Paul.
Such a clever use of colour throughout – each one perfectly chosen for the corresponding emotion. Perfect construction, too, unrolling the events one hue at a time. Wonderful
Ah thanks Lynn. Really glad you liked it.
Fantastic, as always Louise 🙂
So fitting. I can’t add anything more than the what has already been said. Really enjoyed reading this.
Thanks so much for reading.
Bravo, bravo, bravo, Louise! Tickled pink to read about your red hot book, and your colorful flash fiction has driven off any blues. Orange you glad you shared it? 😉
Haha – brilliantly commented on Dawn!
I’ll be reading The Sister en route to DC… my flight is delayed and I will be staying overnight in Toronto. Lots of time for suspense… to squelch my disappointment, sadness and exhaustion! :-p
Hope you got there safely 😃
I did. And almost done with The Sisters. Edge of my seat!
Fabulous!
Very nice, cleverly done with the colours.
Thanks!
The colours tell the tale in a such vivid . And congrats on the success of your second book, the Gift — that is wonderful — a colourful array for sure.
Thanks on both counts Lorraine 😃
Nothing new to say here, I too loved the use of color. You had me with the first line. So creative!
Thanks 😃
Vivid writing. Congratulations on your books’ successes.
Thank you Tracey!
I loved how you used the color to tie everything together. Very nicely done!
Thanks Sascha 😃
wow! i think this is one of your best.
Thanks! I think it’s one of my favourites.
This is fantastically done. Captivating, colorful, superb.
Thank you!
Congratulations on The Gift. I’m reading The Sister right now–quite intriguing so far! Love your story this week and its color associations. Clever and elegant.
Thanks Jan. Do hope you enjoy The Sister.
A perfect title and great story. It’s not only the colours though. Taste and feelings are strong even without the colours.
Thanks 😃
Brilliantly written … a walk through a palette of words.
Powerful story even with some descriptive colors being bright.
I adored this very much.
Congratulations on your success with your books. Well deserved …
Isadora 😎
Much appreciated Isadora – thanks.
You transformed the prompt into a vivid vision.
Thanks Honie!
Never have so many colors made me so dismal!
They didn’t help cheer the story up did they?!
All the colours of the rainbow but still so dark. Nice one
Like a monochromatic rainbow? 😉
Powerful use of color to describe the guilt and result of planning the death, Louise. Congratulations again on the successes of your books. 🙂 — Suzanne
Thanks Suzanne – much appreciated.
I love the use of colour and also the conflict of why the narrator felt compelled to cause the death and yet suffered such remorse as a result
Thanks Siobhan – spur of the moment decision that went wrong I think.
how sad! We all live with regrets. I pray that they aren’t all so final! Great job!
Thanks so much Lisa 😃