Copyright Ronda del Boccio
The search party lights flicker away eastwards, trailing the barking dogs.
Silver spears of rain slant into my eyes; I taste them on my lips. Their rhythmic patter stirs the surrounding grasses, releasing the familiar aroma of arid ground succumbing to moisture. Burning up now, I shuck off my nightdress to complete the sensory overload.
By some bitter irony, I have become re-acquainted with lucidity in these final hours. No more bewildering sing-songs or deafening tea-trolleys; no more “and how are we today, Elizabeth?”
No more anything, if my luck holds out.
I hope they find me…
… just not yet.
Friday Fictioneers, under the leadership of Rochelle Wisoff-Fields, advances into April. Yay! Thanks again, Rochelle.
J-j-jings! That led me blindly down a very dark hole.
Wonderfully done, as ever.
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Thanks CE, glad you liked it.
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Skillful and taut writing as always, Sandra
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Thanks, Neil.
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Dear Sandra,
Elizabeth will have it her way in the end. I had a cousin you suffered from dementia. He was amazingly lucid at the end. Descriptive and well told.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Is that a good thing or a bad thing, I wonder, reverting to lucidity at the end. Thanks for reading Rochelle.
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One last blaze of glory. A powerful image of refusing to go quietly. Well done Sandra.
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Thanks Iain.
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What happens at the end?
Hope all is well for Elizabeth.
They should be able to find her.
Have a great week!
The New Bride – Anita
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Well, I rather suspect things end as Elizabeth wished them to. Thanks for reading.
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This was absolutely brilliant, Sandra.
To go out on her terms, totally lucid, one with nature. Would that we all could!
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Thanks Dale. Yes, it would be nice to think so. 🙂
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We are not all so lucky, malheureusement.
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Stellar. Really outstanding. Elizabeth is a wonderful character.
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Thank you, Linda. 🙂
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You’ve managed to convey so much in so few words, Sandra. Powerfully done!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thanks you, Susan.
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Taut and chilling vignette, Sandra. Well done.
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Thanks, Josh.
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A great moment of freedom. Reminds me of the 100yr old man – book.
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A final one too. thanks for reading.
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She’s doing a runner! I hope she finds peace wherever or whatever that may be
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Well maybe not a runner, maybe more of a hobbler.
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So much conveyed in so few words, great writing Sandra
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Thanks Michael.
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it looks like she has escaped from an institution. does she want them to find her after she has passed over the other side? i wonder
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I think so. Thanks for reading.
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Such a powerful story you have told here. I like the sensory immersion of it.
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Thank you!
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Her final journey, I guess she wants to go out on her own terms. Beautifully written.
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Thank you. 🙂
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I can sympathise with Elizabeth in a way, and not just because we share a name. To choose one’s time and manner of death would be a privilege.
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You want your body to be found, not you. Who are you running from, for good?
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Wow. Great story!
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Reading this we can feel her lucidity increasing. Wonderulf descriptions for a sad ending. Or maybe for her it’s a happy ending.
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Elizabeth wanted her final moments her own way. Brilliantly written, Sandra!
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Ah ha, that taste of freedom.
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Aww this is so moving Sandra (and you had me fooled!)
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I can imagine that’s how people in the institutions feel.I hope she is found, but only when she’s ready.
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What a brilliant ending, so real and poignant.
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Wow, you’ve done it again, Sandra. I love this piece from beginning to end because of the vivid imagery and emotion it evokes. Great job!
-David
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Hmmmmmm.
You left so much to conjecture!👌
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So much story in these few words. The part of the irony of her lucidity in these final hours, the trays conveyed years of Alzheimer’s or similar and nursing homes.
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One last moment, when she can feel truly alive! Such a powerful story, Sandra.
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Love this, especially the deafening tea-trolleys!
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The sensory details bring this tale to life. What a bittersweet ending.
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She’s choosing her own way and her own time to go, as your title says. I love how you’ve described the setting and Elizabeth’s experience of it all. A disturbing story.
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When propriety has become just too much, eh Sandra. very nicely told.
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This is wonderful. Empowering and sad.
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Beautifully written. I got so lost in the language I had to re-read it for the content. (lol)
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I’ve been thinking a lot about aging these days, and how the elderly are treated. I want to avoid the tea trollies and patronizing courtesies, and frankly, can see myself following in Elizabeth’s steps, IF I ever end up in that place. Wonderful and thought provoking writing, Sandra.
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Definitely not going away quietly! Excellent story. Thank you for sharing.
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Elizabeth is going out her way. Beautifully written as always.
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