Here is my entry to the competition. It weighs in at 300 words exactly, although it was originally quite a bit more. Apologies if there are now bits which don't make sense, though I think I've made it so there are not.
Love
Brian, across the road, lives alone. His wife’s dead, and
his son moved out long before we moved here. He doesn’t see him, or even speak
to him. Hasn’t for years, apparently.
Like most lonely old people, Brian loves a chat. He doesn’t
need much of an opening to tell you about his army days, or the many years he
spent with his wife. The one thing he doesn’t often talk about is his son. The
one time he did, he described him as “a little shit”, but didn’t say why.
There’s a sadness in Brian’s face, a permanent feature,
sitting beneath the white beard and deep within the wrinkles. I wonder whether
it was one specific thing which put the sadness there, or many. I don’t suppose
I’ll ever find out.
Most evenings I watch the news. Tonight, the headline story
is a violent armed robbery in the city, the CCTV footage grainy but dramatic;
the perpetrator remains armed, unidentified and uncaught. Police advise nearby
residents to keep their homes secure. Don’t allow entry to anyone you don’t
know. I’m not worried, but I check the house just in case, it’s only sensible.
Later, as I’m going to bed, a car comes into the road at
speed, its tyres barely maintaining traction as the driver hits the brakes.
Peering out of my window I see a man emerge. He doesn’t look grainy now, even
in the poor light. It’s the fugitive, and he’s approaching Brian’s house.
The old man comes to the door, and I’m terrified for him.
Why open it? But the two men embrace, before Brian furtively ushers the man inside.
He looks up, sees me. I drop the curtain quickly, but not before I’ve seen that
the sadness is gone from his face. Brian is smiling.
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I would love to receive feedback, good or bad, on the story in the comments area below. Go on.
Very cool. Loved the depth of story you got from the tiny word count. Loved it. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks man, 300 words really isn't a lot to play with, but it was good fun trying! Glad you liked it, it means a lot :-)
ReplyDeleteA bold, sharp take on parenting. A challenge to turn 300 words into a story that could explode into something else. How quick we are to forgive. How quick we are to judge.
ReplyDeleteLoved it. Go and write more, and more, and more.
That's a really good story - cheers! :)
ReplyDelete