Photo: © Al Forbes 2016
I know I’ve done wrong, and for that I’m paying the price. But in those key moments to come, she can’t be by my side – and that’s what really hurts. Okay, we’d had our bumps along the road, but we’d always been together.
Then I went and made one mistake too many.
But as I take that long walk to the Chair, I swear she’s whispering to me – telling me it’ll be alright. And when they ask me to speak, though I fumble on my words, her soft voice gets me through.
I can’t see her face, but I imagine her being in the parking lot, sitting in her old white Ford, until it’s all over. She’ll be staring at the snow, watching it drift down to the ground. Just waiting.
I remember the snow falling, on the night we broke up. When I left her in the car, a strange look on her face and her neck at a weird angle. It was just a little fight – it shouldn’t have ended that way.
At least there was no blood, she would have hated that – messing up her seats. Footprints in the snow led the Police straight to my door. But I didn’t care. Without her, my life was already over. Since then it’s just been the formalities.
As I they settle me into the chair, I smile as I think of joining her. She’ll be waiting for me and I’ll apologise. And then we’ll both be happy again, sitting in her old white Ford.
This story is inspired by the photo supplied by Al Forbes of Sunday Photo Fiction, January 17th 2016. For more details click the logo.
To view other stories written for this challenge, please click here.
Walk the Self-Talk 
Everybody is writing about death, and I do see snow as an excuse to be lazy! I must be slipping up in my old age 🙂 great story, I hope they were reunited and everything was okay.
Thanks for commenting, Angie. The electric chair angle was going to be a misdirection, but it seemed to work better as it was. I’m not sure if she’ll be waiting for him. Depends how forgiving she is!
LOL, I would be waiting for him in order to get revenge 🙂
Great voice and a fresh & plausible perspective. Nicely done!
Thanks, Karen. It’s always nice to get comments like this. 🙂
I hope, for his sake, he ends up in ‘the other place’. If not she is going to give him a real hard time.
Great piece of writing.
Thanks, Mike. Maybe he needs her to put him straight. Or to leave him behind!
A great story. I like the way it flows and was sure at the beginning that it was going in a different direction. I thought she had your back but then you turned it round when I realised what chair you were referring too! Well done!
Thanks, Graham. The humorous twist I was planning to use didn’t seem to work, so I kept the story serious.
You have to go with the flow. I’m looking forward to having the opportunity of writing something a little less dark myself!
I’m more at home with tongue-in-cheek humour, so it made a nice challenge.
Ouch! The Chair! Good story. Kept us guessing.
Glad you like it Jenn. Thanks for the comment.
A morbidly great story.
Thanks Donna. A bit darker than my usual stories.
A sad thing that he killed her and he didn’t mean to; he still loved her a lot. It’s sad that without her he didn’t feel he was much of anyone. He is looking forward to joining her and I guess that gives him peace. Snow and cold seems to have a relationship with death in your story and others. Great job.
Thanks for your insightful comments. If they meet again, I hope they’re able to overcome their differences.
Snow, the car, death — seem to be a common element this week. Each death is different, and yours is excellent!
He will be in more than Hell, I suspect, when his girl friend finds him!
Thank you. It was the building in the photo that made me think of a prison. If they do meet up again, he could be in for a rough ride!
The sudden turn elicited a surprise from my lips. Such a well-written story–embracing the nature of emotions. Thank you!
Thank you for your positive comment Matthew.
This is a very poignant story! I hope his thoughts are right, and they will be together again. It is a great example of how one act of anger can totally ruin a life or lives. .
Thanks. Maybe they can reconcile if they meet again.
At first I thought the “she” was the car. A nice story that reads well.
DJ
Thanks, again DJ. 🙂
Wow, chilling. What is it about snow that brings about sad stories? 🙂 Great story!
Thanks. This week’s prompt has inspired some fascinating stories – many about death. I think the photo just looks so bleak!
It is a very bleak photo! 🙂
Not too much information, just a few of his memories. I like that. Wonder if it was a one off or if the main character was an abusive partner.
Thanks, Al. Originally, I thought of him as being abusive, but most of the comments have shown sympathy towards him. I now prefer to think of it as a tragic one-off, and maybe there’s a way he can gain redemption.
I love the way that comments can change the direction of a story 🙂
Let’s hope he can find redemption
Enjoyed! But I think a bit of a reality check is soon coming.
Thanks Roger. Yes, he’s got a lot to learn!
Good voice in this, I sensed his mania. I doubt his victim will be waiting where he is going.
Thanks Dawn. The comments have generally been more sympathetic to him that I expected. I hope if they meet again it’s on her terms.
Yes, isn’t it odd sometimes where people go in the comment section. I dare say it is one of the most fascinating things about this genre of flash fiction in this forum.