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He Took His Melancholy Out The Back Door - @Studio30Plus Writing Prompt



Tears continued to drip from his moist eyes, rolled down his cheeks and fell to the pages below.  He loved to read. He read several books a week. But never had he come across such a text as was currently before him.

It was such a sad tale, about a woman in the last throws of cancer. The funny thing was she was strong while all those around her were so broken-hearted and weak.

Page after page reminded him of her. And his heart ached all over gain. There had been happy days together, sure, but at the news of her fatal disease his sunny skies had clouded over. And she had been the strong one not him. She told him how he'd manage when she was gone. And she was sure he would be just fine. He didn't believe her.

"I've got to get a grip" he thought. "It's been five years now."

Determined to accede to her last wish that he go on living, a wry smile crossed his lips as he chucked the unfinished tome through the passage way. And with that he took his melancholy out the back door from where it would never return.


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Comments

Nicky said…
What a bittersweet story, mon ami. Well done capturing the full range of emotions there.
10 June 2014 at 09:09
Katy B. said…
Good for him! I felt that way reading "The Fault in Our Stars" and didn't have my own melancholy to worry about. I like how you used the prompt.
10 June 2014 at 10:03
Indigo Roth said…
*raises hat* M'sieur.
10 June 2014 at 10:30
nonamedufus said…
Merci, Mlle Nicky.
10 June 2014 at 11:10
nonamedufus said…
I'm afraid to read that book. I'm a sensitive kinda guy after all.
10 June 2014 at 11:11
nonamedufus said…
Many thanks, Indigo.
10 June 2014 at 11:11
Kir said…
oh this is very good. It read easily and there was purpose in the stride of it.


going on after you've lost someone is a hard, painful road. However, I always believe the first real smile leads to another one.


nice job with the prompt.
11 June 2014 at 15:22
nonamedufus said…
Appreciate your comments, Kir. Thank you.
11 June 2014 at 17:50
ReformingGeek said…
I can't imagine losing a spouse or a child. Nice job with the prompt!
11 June 2014 at 21:08
Katherine Murray said…
Holy cow... that was beautiful writing. Brought me back to my Mom losing my Dad... very powerful!
12 June 2014 at 21:13
Tara R. said…
It can be very difficult to move forward after such a devastating loss. You captured the resolve needed so well.
13 June 2014 at 07:19
nonamedufus said…
Thanks Ref. They say time heals all wounds but I'm not so sure.
13 June 2014 at 11:09
nonamedufus said…
Thanks, Katherine. Is it just me or is it usually the Dad that goes first? That's been my experience, anyway.
13 June 2014 at 11:10
nonamedufus said…
Appreciate your comment Tara. It's never easy. The passage of time helps.
13 June 2014 at 11:11
Joe said…
I feel the protagonist's painful inertia, here. Deep down, he probably *knew* that he could go on, but he just wasn't *ready* to do so. The dawning of that readiness is palpable in the final two sentences. Very nice!
14 June 2014 at 12:28
Jayne said…
This is lovely, Dufus. In the first sentence, just change "rolled" to "roll" and "fell" to "fall" so the tense is consistent. Or cut "continued" and change "drip" to "dripped." I'm so happy to see you venturing more into fiction with these short pieces. You have a real knack for it, my friend.
14 June 2014 at 12:34
nonamedufus said…
I di all that? Thanks, Joe.
14 June 2014 at 13:28
nonamedufus said…
Jayne, thanks for the input. I hadn't even noticed. And praise from you is high praise indeed.
14 June 2014 at 13:29
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