“Mis?”
Wood floors creaked under his feet. Bart peered into the empty guest room. Missy stood facing the window, her hands pummeling the sides of the antique diving helmet.
He raced across the room and yanked it off her shoulders. A tortured wail pierced the air.
The scream died on her lips and she stared at him. Her whole body trembled.
He set the heavy metal helmet on the floor and took her face in his hands. “What happened?”
Fresh tears streaked her red face. She crumpled against his chest. “I miss her. It’s like something’s missing.”
Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Photo prompts post Wednesdays and the link-up opens for writers to share their 100-word (or less) stories. Follow the blue frog to more stories, and to share your own! This week my story is a bit of realistic fiction…life expressing itself through my writing. Comments and critiques are welcome, but this week please be extra gentle…we suffered a big loss.
Thanks for reading and happy trails!
Featured image credit: Douglas M. MacIlroy
The Mom Who Runs: 
Well written. My mind took the missing person to be the mother, but the story does not specify. Great take.
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Thanks, athling, for your read and comment! In my mind, too, it was the mother…but I left it open to resonate with each reader as they read it. Each person has a different “her” in their life that might cause such grief if she passed on. Happy trails.
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Dear Sara,
I also lost the connection between who she was missing and the diving helmet. Although your explanation to Neil makes sense. I’ve been known to get in my car and drive around the block a few times to let out a primal scream. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thx, Rochelle!
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I read this a couple of times, but I just couldn’t work out who was missing or what her connection was to the diving helmet. A dead daughter who was a diver?
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Hi, Neil! Thanks for reading and your comment. I left the who intentionally vague. Someone of importance to Missy, whose death left her feeling a piece of herself was missing. The helmet simply allowed her a space she could scream without disrupting the household or neighbors because of its ability to muffle the sound. Thanks for pointing out where you had trouble with it!
Happy trails! 😃
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