Copyright Nathan Sowers
His face looms over her; he’s breathing heavily in concentration.
Safely behind the mirror, she examines him with detachment, something she could never do when she was alive.
He’s aging. Bright red capillaries lace across his cheeks, the tip of his nose is oddly blue, and he hasn’t shaved in weeks.
He keeps calling her back. Scrying for her, time and time again.
She can’t stop him, but takes consolation in his frustration at her untouchability, her silence, her inscrutability.
“Why choose death over me?” he sobs.
If he needs to ask the question, then he already has the answer.
What a terrific photo! Well done, Nathan. Back after two weeks of family time, and in the unique position of having three efforts to choose from for this week’s Friday Fictioneers. This was the least depressing of them. 🙂 Good news that our leader, Rochelle Wisoff Fields has embarked upon another book – sounds like a winner.
castelsarrasin 
Dear Sandra,
Scry is a new word for me. And I love learning new words. Love the description of his face. An intriguing view from the other side. As always, well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
PS Thanks for the book shout out. I’ve high hopes for this one.
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Reading the comments, I’ve been surprised how little known the word is, Rochelle. Thanks for reading, and good luck with the new book.
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Fantastic and descriptive writing, Sandra. Right from his physical descriptions to their relationship or lack of it. Great job indeed.
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Thank you! 🙂
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Which begs the question of what she is escaping from exactly. Very well written as always Sandra.
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Thanks, Iain.
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Oh, my…..
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🙂 Thanks for reading, Sue.
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I always find your words a good read, Sandra!
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Sad, but true. Everyone has to go. Who will explain this to one who lost his loved one?
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Thanks for reading.
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I love the ending of this piece. Great atmosphere
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Many thanks.
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Wow! You’ve told that story with great strength. And what a killer last line! I love, too, your delight in words; any story containing both ‘scrying’ and ‘inscrutability’ deserves a round of applause for the language alone.
Kudos!
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It’s funny how the lack of word availability hones the process of word selection. I’ve always found really short fiction to be an exellent training ground.
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Had she committed suicide?
He has realized her worth. Alas! It’s too late…
The Haunted House – Anita
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Indeed she has, Anita.
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Perhaps she fake her death, and views him from behind a two-way mirror. She must have been desperate. And he seems more wrapped up in his pain then in the fact she ‘chose death’.
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Thanks for reading Fatima.
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Brilliant, Madam. Love how you described this in wonderful detail…
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Thank you, Dale. 🙂
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really feel his desperation and lostness and the details of his looks were so vivid
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Thank you for visiting.
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🙂
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Lovely word “scrying” and a fascinating multi-layered story. One of your best, Sandra
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Thanks Neil. After struggling with two other attempts, I was surprised at the ease with which this one dropped off the keyboard.
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The answer is in the question. Is there just a mirror between us and those who’ve passed? Why not?
Tracey
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That’s a thought for the day, Tracey.
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Oh the details you can see when you can watch someone with detachment only death can bring… love those, and the way he probably knows he’s the reason for her leaving.
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They say love is blind. I think perhaps he doesn’t want to admit it.
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This is a great story, you leave so much unsaid for the reader to decided, I liked it a lot
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Thank you, Michael.
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Nothing like a dollop of witchcraft to make things interesting 🙂 Loved that last line.
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Thanks for reading. 🙂
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What has come has to go… Brilliant story. And as for scry for a moment I thought it was a typo but then I went to the dictionary. Wow.. That goes into my use now.
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I wondered, as I wrote, how many people would be familiar with the word. Thanks for reading Anshu.
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Instead of a photograph trapping a person’s soul, the scrying mirror did the deed. A suicides life force is not a tranquil one.
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It’s not, indeed. No peace to be found in death even.
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Awesome ending.
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Thank you!
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The emotions have been so aptly described.
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Thank you!
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I have to admit that I feel like I’m missing something here that everyone else is getting. From the broken capillaries, I presume that he’s alcoholic and maybe abusive. He’s scrying for her, which must mean that he knows something of fortune telling or witchcraft. And the last line, choosing death over me…does that definitely mean he’s been abusive? (Sorry, my mind continues to be a sieve.)
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There’s no conclusive answer, Sascha. I’ve left it open as to why she felt she had to be free of him, the point rather being that his lack of sensitivity/perception to her feelings/emotions about whatever he represents – that’s essentially the reason why. He would never change, if he never saw the reason why he had to.
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Thanks, Sandra. I have a feeling I shouldn’t be reading so late at night when meanings are lost on me. I’ve reread and can see that, can see the futility. 🙂
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Ooh, this works so well. That driving need of his to see her, and yet he still doesn’t – never will? – understand why she chose death. Her revenge seems apt and utterly satisfying. Welcome back Sandra
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Thanks Lynn. Glad you liked it.
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My pleasure, Sandra 🙂
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One wonders what occurred before her death. An intriguing and thought-provoking piece.
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Thanks Keith.
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She doesn’t answer back cos we all know that big girls don’t scry (sorry Sandra).
Intriguing story.
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🙂 I’ll let you off this time.
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What an awesome take! loved it. I liked how she was observing him. Gave me goosebumps.
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Thanks for reading.
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“… already has the answer.” Indeed! Love this line. The story scrys of regrets. well done.
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Thanks Jelli.
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I am intrigued to know how this situation came about but I also think he knows exactly why it did. Brilliant take.
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Many thanks.
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Ditto to all that’s been said before me.
Always a winning story, Sandra. Thanks for the new word: scry.
Isadora 😎
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I’m surprised so many people were unfamiliar with ‘scrying’. But that’s probably a good thing. 🙂
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Scry? I’ll google it and use it presently, great take on the prompt by the way!
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Thank you!
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Loved this!
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Thank you!
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This is really thought-provoking & well detailed. A great job.
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Thank you!
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Crumbs. He must have been really nasty to her for her to have taken this course. I love how she takes a certain delight (to my read-through) in how he’s getting older and more haggard, and of course unsuccessful in his scrying.
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Thanks for reading. 🙂
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Firstly, Sandra, this is a brilliant piece of writing and psychology, which has got me thinking into what happened between them and who is the ultimate villain.She seems to take delight in his grief and torment and very unfeeling. Yet, those emotions don’t exist in a vacuum. What was his role? She could well have had serious mental health issues, which twisted her perceptions of him. He could well have been an alcoholic, violent and yet it remains a mystery.
I also hadn’t heard of the word scry and suspected a type but as no one else had pointed it out, checked Google out instead. What a great word. Thanks very much.
Best wishes,
Rowena
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Thanks for reading Rowena. And for thinking about it.
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You’re welcome, Sandra.
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It’s always interesting to guess what the dead think about the living. After this post, I will surely never look at a mirror the same way again!
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An intriguing tale, so wonderfully worded. I love your unique take on the photo. Well-done!
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Thanks Brenda.
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Wonderful perspective!
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I see what you did there! 🙂
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I love the way you have described his face. And ‘scrying’ is a new word that I learnt today.
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I always heard people could haunt you from the other side. I sense he is feeling guilty, and the last line confirms it.
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I googled scry and am glad I learnt a new word.
It is difficult to say who the tormentor is .
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Unique and great story, Sandra (and not predictable at all 🙂 ). I think she has her revenge for whatever it is he did to her. He’ll never find peace.
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You give us a glimmer of what your character might have had to put up with in life. I imagine her behind the mirror rearing back as he approaches, then possibly reaching out a finger to poke him on his spreading red nose. Wonderfully done – the hints at her pain while alive and his now she is gone.
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Awesome telling of what must have been a miserable life- and it continues! Relationships sure can be complex.
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what a sad state of affairs. both of them should learn to move on.
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Scrying – that’s new to me. Thank you.
See above: can they both move on? Interesting challenge for the author.
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