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The Last Task, by Deborah Shrimplin

18/2/2022

 
Sheila slung her backpack over her shoulder, locked her SUV and passed through the back gate into the Horticultural Research Center grounds. Working at the center had been a dream job come true and the place where she met the love of her life, Robert. After today, she knew she would never return.

As she walked the gravel path leading to the work shed, she let her dark mood overcome her reason. She had gone over her plight dozens of times. There was only one solution to the rage boiling inside of her and today she would complete the final event in her plan.

Robert and she had worked together on plant genetics and married after a two year courtship. For the past three years they had worked together on a research paper. When Robert presented their research at a science symposium, something snapped in Sheila's mind.

"How could he have done that? There is no excuse for it." she thought as she walked past the fern grotto. "I did most of the work on that research project and he never gave me credit. That's unforgivable. His name should be wiped off the paper not mine. What a disgrace."

As she continued down the path through the fuschia garden, she replayed the moment she read his death certificate. The cause of death was an accidental fall while hiking a trail up Mt. Rainier.

"Accidental, ha! I remember his scream and look of horror when I pushed him." she thought.

Sheila came to the work shed and walked around to the back. She placed her backpack on the ground near the water drainpipe. She lifted the cover off the drain, pulled out Robert's urn from her backpack and poured his ashes down the drain.
Sue Clayton
19/2/2022 01:27:47 am

She certainly knew how to reap revenge.

Jim Bartlett link
19/2/2022 04:07:19 pm

Sounds like there was more than just the magna burning deep within while on that hike up Rainier.
Nice
Jim


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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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    ​Please note that we tend to post longer flash fiction exactly as we find it – wrong spacing, everything.

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