Eileen's Exhilarating Collection of Extremely Short Fiction

by EileenSaysHi

April 2022: "The Haunting"

Author's Note:

Because I won the March contest, I got to pick the theme for April, which meant I was ineligible to compete. In addition, as a special prize for the fifth anniversary of Flashfic 150, I also got to judge the April contest! Thanks to Loganberry for that special honor!

I submitted this entry out of competition after the deadline, since I was ineligible to compete in my own contest. It's part of my "Conversations-verse" continuity, inspired by a scene described in my story "Shaking Off Bad Memories".

Childhood Remembrances

“…Wally?”

“Go away, Mom.”

“Sweetheart, you’ve been up here crying all night. Can… can we please just talk?”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Wallflower.”

“…”

“How can I help you if I don’t know what’s hurting you?”

“You can’t help me!”

“Why not?!”

“…”

“Honey, please, just say something! I’m trying my best to reconnect—”

“That’s just it, Mom. We shouldn’t have to reconnect. We weren’t apart. We did all kinds of things together, fun things, good things… you just don’t remember them. And it’s my fault.”

“You keep saying stuff like this, and it doesn’t make any sense. Why wouldn’t I remember?”

“…I wish I could make you understand. But if you did, you’d never look at me the same.”

“Wally… of course I’d understand. What could be so terrible?”

Wallflower Blush inspected a shattered piece of rock in her hand. “You have no idea…”

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[The Sleepless Beholder]