Copyright Dale Rogerson
We pass each other on the playing-field most mornings.
I pretend it isn’t you; you pretend it isn’t me.
For different reasons, we’d both rather forget the past. Me because of the pain, the fear, the isolation, the brink you drove me to, right here. On this playing-field.
And you? Hopefully because of the shame, the regret. Who knows?
This morning I found you huddled by the tennis courts, moaning, unable to move, speech slurring.
I did what anyone would. Kept you warm, called an ambulance.
Your eyes asked the question.
My lips silently answered.
I’m pretending it isn’t you.
I was resigned to yet another no-show – the muse having well and truly left the building. Then in the middle of the washing-up, I yanked off the rubber gloves and tried to capture the fleeting idea before rushing out to start the day. No time to refine, but at least it’s ‘a bum on the seat’ this week. 😉 Thanks to Rochelle for being more of a Friday Fictioneer stalwart than I’ve been just recently.
castelsarrasin 
Absolutely engaging, Sandra. You’ve done it again
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Thanks Neil. I appreciate your visit.
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Okay, I am convinced.
Fleeting, perhaps, unrefined, never.
Next week I will try rubber gloves.
But I suspect it is just you, Sandra.
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Thanks for your lovely comment. You should try rubber gloves. Who knows what they might inspire you to write. 😉
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And, no fingerprints!😊
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Said so much with so little. The muse handballed this one and you knocked it out of the park.
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Many thanks, Tanille.
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Dear Sandra,
You underestimate yourself, my friend. You’re certainly more than a ‘bum on the seat’. you may have written on the fly but you’ve managed a brilliant piece nonetheless. So much in a few words and shows the moral fiber of your MC. That’s MY story and I’m sticking to it. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle. I like to think I’d be the better person in such a situation. But my grudge-holding capability is pretty well developed… 🙂
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Excellent story of aftermath. I like how you infer without telling.
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Thanks, Josh.
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Doing what was necessary, promising no more. Superb storytelling Sandra.
Here’s my story.
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Thanks Keith. I loved your story this week.
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This was a good story and well written as always, Sandra. You described deep feeling by showing and not telling. 🙂
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Thanks Suzanne. Always better to leave something unsaid, I think.
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Not everyone could do that…pretend. Very thought provoking story brilliantly written.
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Many thanks. And lovely to see you back again.
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Deep! Liked it. It takes strength to help someone who has hurt you so deeply. It takes courage to do what your character did. Great story!
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Thanks for reading, glad you liked it
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Let me know what happens when your muse is on point… coz this “on the fly” stuff? Absolutely superb!
Beautifully done.
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Aww thanks Dale. I’ll let you know if I ever feel that way again… 🙂
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You do that!
You are such a fabulous writer, yanno that?
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“I’m pretending it isn’t you.” It encapsulates the internal struggle beautifully.
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Thanks Reena, glad you liked it.
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Wow! What an impact. Drives me to prayer and personal evaluation.
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I certainly had to wonder how I would have reacted under similar circumstances. Thanks for visiting.
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I couldn’t see where this was going until you got there–which is excellent writing, by the way 🙂
My muse wasn’t awake either. I had to just walk away and let it come without searching, which is often the way I find an idea. This writing prompt thing has certainly stretched my imagination!
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Sometimes I wonder whether it hasn’t stretched my imagination to its limits, though. Thanks for reading Linda, and for your comment.
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Expertly done, one to ponder and morals to debate.
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Thanks, Iain.
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This definitely feels like it would be something that would really happen.
The closest I’ve come to this is when a housemate I had pushed the landlord to serve notice to needed his car jumpstarting. Difficult to articulate the feeling of helping someone you loathe!
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Even more difficult though to live through the nagging feelings of guilt if you don’t. It’s good to be the better person, though I’m frequently not!
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I half expected a different ending, however I preferred the one you offered,
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Thanks Michael. 🙂 I curbed my natural instincts.
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This was very well done, Sandra. Real and poignant and heartbreaking, all.
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Thank you.
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A piece of a much bigger story, but your humanity shines through, Sandra.
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I wish it would! Thanks for reading.
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it was a good start. hopefully, learning how to forgive would come next.
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Hopefully.
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You are my personal favourite. What fab writing. Loved every inch of this throat lumping story, Sandra.
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Aww that’s nice of you Neel. Thanks so much.
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Engaging read. And it’s truly beautiful how some people remain human no matter their 💔 experiences. Lovely take on the prompt. Came here from Ian Kelly’s who also did Friday Fictioneers.
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Thank you for your comment. Glad you liked it.
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Wow. So much story in 100 words!
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Thanks Liz.
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Brilliant take on the prompt
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Many thanks, Ruby.
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At first I thought this was an estranged lovers piece, and I was satisfied with just the tension. But you took it a step further by injecting a moral dilemma. I hope her resolve holds, at least until the ambulance comes!
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I hope so too. Thanks for reading.
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How do you do it, Sandra? The emotional nuances in your story are superb! I loved it!
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Aww thanks Penny. Loved yours this week.
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You don’t have to like someone to help them out – she sounds a better person than him.
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Still something of a struggle though. 🙂
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It’s amazing how our humanity surfaces even when we’d rather not. You’ve captured it very well here. And isn’t it amazing how you think it’s a dud, and then suddenly a spark flicks and you’re off!
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Thanks Eugenia. I’m grateful for every bit of inspiration I get these days, so had to be quick to encourage the spark into a flame before it was gone for ever.
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Love this. What do you do if someone has harmed you yet they stagger? Do you pick them up? Walk by. A question of humanity answered. A lovely job!
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Thanks Sascha! It’s a hard one, that. Revenge is sweet, but so is being the beter person. Which one is better?
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Lately I’ve heard far too many go for the revenge side. Maybe it fluctuates.
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You say you rushed it, but it turned out to be a very moving story Sandra. Filled with humanity and self discovery. I loved it.
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Many thanks, glad you liked it.
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If this is you without the aid of a muse, I would hate to see what you can do while feasting from the supple teet of a fully fertile muse. That’s an odd image. I would be afraid to post in the same group as you. I already hope people don’t read mine right after they read yours. Your seemingly effortless powerful subtly amazes me every time.
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What a lovely comment. Thanks a lot for reading, I appreciate that.
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There are so many wonderful comments that I agree with here. It seems futile to say more.
Brilliant writing … loved it.
Isadora 😎
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Thanks for reading and commenting, Isadora.
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