Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields who provides us with a photo prompt. Each week’s challenge is to write a 100-word story inspired by the photo. Click here to play along or just read more stories.
I want you to be alive, I want you to be alive / You don’t gotta die today, you don’t gotta die – Logic
The Signs
I hung up the phone shaking, queasy.
She’s gone. The two words echoing in my head, “dead” and “suicide” buried in the incoherent screaming and sobbing.
Who’s dead? What happened? What could I say? The questions. How? When? Why? What could we have done differently? If it weren’t for COVID, would she have felt so alone? What if I…?
How did we miss the signs? In hindsight, they seem so clear. The irrational behavior, giving things away… It’s all so obvious.
How did we see the signs and think everything would be all right, think she wouldn’t do it?
NobbinBlog 
The retrospectoscope is infallible
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That it is.
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Hindsight is 20/20! 🙂
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Heartbreaking story. The sad fact of suicide is that those left behind are left with a terrible, irrational guilt.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Yeah, I think there’s that cyclical helpless feeling of wishing you could have helped someone who felt helpless. Thank you.
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Sobering story this week, Nobbin. Better always to err on the side of caution. It’s a choice that can’t be taken back.
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It’s also a choice that the maker isn’t around to regret. The regrets are left for those left behind. Thank you, Lisa. Sorry to kill your buzz.
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You didn’t, no worries.
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p.s. re: pic of the pup. She doesn’t look happy in her Santa gear!
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That’s a throwback to when Charlie was an only dog. That was one of many costumes she had to don for photo ops. My roommate has a multitude of costumes. Charlie was as unhappy as she looks.
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That endless spiral of what if? is deadly, just trying to peer into that alternate ending if we had done a bit more, though there’s no way to ever know. Very well written stuff.
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Yet the mind is determined to take us there. Thank you.
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Moving story. The anguish, the numbness, the questions. Beautifully written.
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Thanks, T.
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I hated to like this one… so very tragic as it is. It’s a rough time of year, for sure, made worse by the pandemic and the constant bombardment of death rates. I think I’ve personally lost 1-2 people each day this past week. It’s been that kinda week. Trying to keep spirits from flagging down. Yesterday, we took a drive just to get out of the house, packed sodas and lunch and drove to a park to eat it in the car. didn’t get out, didn’t roll down windows (too cold), just sat there and watched the wildlife enjoying the time without humans. Sigh… I hope you have a Merry Christmas, dear. Shalom, Bear
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I feel fortunate to have only lost a couple of people this year, which shows what a horrific year it’s been. We’re all doing those little things to lift our spirits. I hope you had a good outing and holiday. Thank you, Bear.
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Jings, that was a mood killer!
Powerful tale, Mr N
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I hope it was a bad mood. Thank you, C.E.
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You get an “Oh Nobbin” for this one. Such a tragic and powerful story. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Yay! “Oh Nobbin!” Thank you, Rochelle.
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A powerful and tragic story so well written, Nobbin. I felt the pain of your character. To me, it is a good reminder for us all to reach out through calls, emails, to those we love and might struggle through this time of isolation and despair for some. Great job.
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Yes, too often we get caught up in our lives, routines and forget to reach out. I know I’m horrible at it. Sometimes, a simple “Hi” can brighten someone’s day. Thank you, Brenda.
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I heard somewhere that “every death is a suicide, because it’s the soul that decides to leave the human form when it decides it’s time.” I guess being brought up in Eastern spiritual traditions, this is easy to grasp. But still, for those who are left behind, it’s so difficult to deal with. Right now I am watching my mother fade away due to Alzhiemer’s but a wise voice inside me reminds me that it’s her soul’s decision, the path it has chosen. It gives me comfort.
Your story is very powerful, asking so many questions, saying so much and in so few words. Very well-done!
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Alzhiemer’s is horrible. I’m fortunate in that I can’t relate to your struggle. I hope you find all the comfort you need wherever you can. Thank you, JJ.
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This was a thoughtful use of the prompt.
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Thank you, Michael.
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The “if-only”. questions of life really don’t have any good answers, do they?
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Nope. That’s why they remain the questions of life. Our minds insist on pushing down those roads of thought anyway.
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It’s so easy to see the signs in hindsight. Nice one!
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Thank you.
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