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Dreams, by Angela Carlton

21/10/2022

 
Sometimes I dreamed of you. I paced the floor when I couldn’t sleep and wondered why you left me. I wrote poetry and cried in the dark. Occasionally, I visited my mother who now lived peacefully on the family farm. Mostly, she sat on the balcony and looked out to the koi pond. She liked to watch the fish swim around after her daily walk.

“Why are you sad?” she says, when she sees me.

“I'm alright Mama, just not sleeping well.” She begins to hum the Elvis tune she used to sing to me as a child while I sat with her on the swing and watched the fireflies flutter and rise all over the yard.
“You know, as a child, the first story you wrote was called, The Super Fish,” my mother says. My eyes follow the bluegills in the pond, as she whispers, '' I always think of you and your magic. Hold on to it, my dear”

Later, as I laid my head down on a soft pillow, I was finally able to sleep. I dreamt I could fly. I flew all over and around with the ability to see you. I found you in the meadow gazing at the lazy wildflowers, you, my man who had vanished. There were track marks covering your arms. And your eyes were as black as the evening sky, before you mouthed the words, “I’m sorry.”
​
Jim Bartlett link
21/10/2022 07:22:48 pm

This is so atmospheric, melancholic. And then the last lines wallop us with the punch.
Very well done
Jim

Angela Carlton link
21/10/2022 07:28:48 pm

Thank you, Jim. I always look forward to your deep review.

Ashley Smallwood
22/10/2022 01:55:10 am

Good story! You can feel the emotions of the the character.

Sandra James
22/10/2022 08:59:55 am

Such anguish, and so well described; I paced with you. Then a mother's comfort, reminding me of all the times I unburdened my emotions on my Mum! Then a sad but satisfying ending. Closure? I hope so. Well done!

Natalie
22/10/2022 02:13:45 pm

What a captivating story. Love the peaceful imagery and nature’s way of healing her through this darkness.

Sue Clayton
23/10/2022 04:43:30 am

Never underestimate the power of dreams. They often contain the answers we seek.

Brook link
23/10/2022 10:55:11 pm

I never thought of wildflowers being lazy but you have the greatest description of all things. Black eyes is another one I would never have thought of either. These descriptions are what set a mood and make the reader get inside the story. What a great place to be. Great story!

Cindy Patrick
26/10/2022 03:45:44 am

This enveloped me in a beautiful sadness...


Comments are closed.

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    Friday Flash Fiction is primarily a site for stories of 100 words or fewer, and our authors are expected to take on that challenge if they possibly can. Most stories of under 150 words can be trimmed and we do not accept submissions of 101-150 words.


    However, in response to demand, the FFF team constructed this forum for significantly longer stories of 151-500 words. Please send submissions for these using the Submissions Page.

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    One little further note. Posting and publishing 500-word stories takes a little time if they need to be formatted, too.
    ​Please note that we tend to post longer flash fiction exactly as we find it – wrong spacing, everything.

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