“This is awesome, Dad,” Chris said. His thin arm snaked around my shoulder and pulled me close. “Thank you.”
Chris loved history, especially gladiators. Ever since he was little, no firefighter, cop, or superhero for him. Every year his wooden short-sword and gladiator costume came out.
His mother snapped a picture of our hug on the amphitheater stage. We had pulled Chris out of school to travel to Europe. The type of trip people plan for all their lives, but wait until it’s too late.
Not us.
The leukemia took him six months later.
Goodbye, my gladiator. Te meruit requiescite.
Word Count: 100
This is for the Friday Fictioneers photo prompt challenge. The challenge is to write a story using only 100 words. If you would like to participate, please follow the link.
Writing To Be Noticed 
I’m glad they didn’t wait.
Memories are what we hold on to after tragedy. I wanted a family to proactively create good memories and enjoy the time they had left with their son. Thank you so much for reading and commenting.
Oh my, what a heartbreaking piece, beautifully written
Thank you very much! I appreciate your kind words.
Very touching. I have a history junky. I hope this is indeed fiction.
It is. I don’t think I would have the strength to write about it if it were true. I can only guess at the feelings based on how I think I would feel if it happened to either of my boys. Thank you for reading and commenting.
I can understand that… I write about a lot of very personal things, and imagine there might come a time that I could write about anything. But, that said, I wont even entertain THAT thought. Well done.
Hey, I wondered if you could do a favor for me and give a link or I could guest blog. I’m trying to attract more followers and I would love to guest blog on your blog to show people my blog. Please get back to me whenever you can!
HeftyJournie.wordpress.com
I sent an invitation for you to guest post. I’m not exactly sure what the process is as I’m new to this, but I’m willing to help out!
oh okay. Im gonna write up a guest post! Basically my blog is fiction and I will find a way to make it a good one! Also, once I paste it into this box, you can post it on a new post and put the link of my blog on the post! Heftyjournie.wordpress.com
Thank you, Taylor
Ok, the post is now up. Thank you for contributing your post!
Thank you so much. I love how you presented it!
Thank you for doing this,
Taylor
I lay down in the prison which contained me from the freedom which should’ve been for me by now. Never did I know that this jail term was to be so long.
I’ve tried not to be so hot headed but the other day had been the day in which someone set me off before my big day had arrived.
The release from prison I wanted so badly but things go wrong all the time; what is life, anyways, if we don’t have a downturn every once and a while.
I lay there in bed thinking of what went wrong and I knew the guy above me on my bunk kept bouncing the ball off his ceiling with his left handed perks.
One bounce, two, three bounces took place and even more made me mad and out of it.
I was not going to tolerate the noise any more. I take the bed above me, in my hands, and I shake it furiously;- back and forth, even in reverse motion; his bed being chained to the wall is what I thought would make him notice the annoyance I had with him.
I shook it hard, Harder but then what happened changed the sentence I had forever.
I lifted his bed with my muscle thrusting it above my head and tip it on its side which made him fall out of the bed.
He falls out of the bed, like I wanted him to, but I did not expect what happened next. He falls to the floor in slow motion and his head hits the cement floor first creating unconsciousness within him in seconds.
I looked down in shock and my eyes study his body which lay there in a heap; helpless to himself and for anybody else.
My eyes went left to right and studied him while I jumped out of bed but then the door slams open while two jail guards grab me by the arms and the others examine the guy which lay on the floor.
He piled up like of lifelessness in a dead person but the question that bolted me up the most. Did he die a painful death?
Later on, while I sit in a jail cell full of mist, from the sweat I withheld, until, everything registered in my thick skull of my small jail cell.
Will the person survive and will I be damned for the man slaughter of this guy?
Time will only tell us and I what happens next.
SIGNED OUT
ROBERT
A unique take on this week’s prompt and a very touching story. You made it real enough to seem true, but I’m glad to know it is not.
Thank you for your kind words. It is always great to hear from other writers.
Very sad, very sweet story. Well done!
Thank you very much for reading and commenting! I’m glad you liked it.
Dear Jeremy,
You have earned my tears.
(Add a ‘to’ before Europe — second sentence, third paragraph.)
Aloha,
Doug
Thank you! I’ve added the “to” and adjusted my word count. I appreciate your reading and commenting.
Dear Jeremy,
I am having a hard time writing this comment because my screen keeps blurring. You painted such a happy picture and then slapped me in the face with the ending. Incredibly touching. I could go on but I would just end up sobbing and blathering. Suffice it to say I truly loved your tender take on the prompt.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thank you so much! It is always great to hear that something I’ve written has touched someone. I appreciate your kind words.
Never delay.
Never.
Absolutely. Many tend to wait and wait, then end up with a lifetime’s worth of regrets for things left undone. While the family endured tragedy, they can at least hold on to the fact that that particular regret will not haunt them. Thank you for reading and commenting!
Sometimes it only takes a few words to feel like you’ve been punched in the guts. This was well written, darling, and moving.
Thank you for reading and for your kind words!
Jeremy, what a wonderful story (in such a sad way)! The “thin arm” made me think something might be wrong with Chris. What a joy that they had that special memory once he was gone!!
In the second paragraph, “ever since he was little”, should probably go with one of the other two sentences, whichever sentence you prefer. On its own, it’s really just a phrase and it stops the flow of your writing and our reading.
janet
Thank you very much for reading, commenting, and your suggestion! I incorporated it and updated the story. I appreciate the feedback!
Thank you for reading, commenting, and giving me feedback on how to improve it! I’ve incorporated your suggestion and updated.
a very sad story. i’m glad Chris got his wish. great story.
Thank you very much! 🙂
That’s very moving and more so because of the way it’s written. Bravo.
Thank you for reading and commenting! I appreciate your kind words.
Oh! I actually got a little teary-eyed reading this. So much so I read it twice. Well done.
Thank you for reading and commenting! It is always great to hear how someone reacts to something I’ve written.
You’re welcome! I agree. There’s no feeling quite like it, hearing about someone’s reaction to something you’ve written. 🙂
So true, vacations often are taken before the kids are old enough to appreciate, or they don’t happen. Sad ending to a nice story. I pictured my grandson as I read your description. He’d probably like to be a gladiator.
Thank you for reading and commenting! 🙂
I suspected what was coming with the ‘skinny arm’ bit. Good story with the moral that we need to learn that later might not come and to ‘do’ our life now. Ann
Thank you very much for reading and commenting! I wanted to foreshadow a little, but not enough to lessen the impact at the end. I’m glad you liked the story.
Ouch!
Terrific piece of writing.
Thank you so much for reading and commenting!