No Way Back
What everyone must learn, sometime
"Out or in, Gabe," I called from the kitchen.
He stood astride the threshold to the front yard, grubby little hand swinging the screen door in an arc of indecision. A fluffy golden streak shot by his legs.
"You let Kip out!" I scolded, drying my hands and heading to the entryway. Gabe pouted and let the screen door bang behind him.
A screech. A thump, a yelp.
A wail.
Running, I snatched Gabe before he reached the street, turning his horrified face away from the bloody tangle of fur and bone.
A young woman stepped from the car, wide-eyed, cell phone still in her shaking hand. An apology was welling. I carried Gabe inside and shut our front door.
He clutched at my shirt as he hid his face in my neck. “Can you fix him?” His muffled voice was desperately hopeful. “Take him to the doctor?”
I hesitated before letting out the words. "Kip's gone, honey." I stroked his curls. “No one can fix him.”
The force of this shocked Gabe out of my embrace. His face twisted in his struggle against the crush of immutability.
My son looked at the screen door in anguish. His sobbing pleas arrowed mercilessly.
"Make time go back, Mommy! Make time go back!"
About the Creator
Sonia Heidi Unruh
I love: my husband and children; all who claim me as family or friend; the first bite of chocolate; the last blue before sunset; solving puzzles; stroking cats; finding myself by writing; losing myself in reading; the Creator who is love.
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Comments (8)
A very intriguing story...
If only we could, what would we change?
Oh my heart!😭❤️ this is so good!
I loved this the first time I read it, and I love it more now, with a few lines changed (if memory serves). "A young woman stepped from the car, wide-eyed, cell phone still in her shaking hand. An apology was welling." I love that, "an apology was welling." The way you broke your paragraphs is very impactful. You keep the flow perfect, grounded, and emotionally strong. "The force of this shocked Gabe out of my embrace. His face twisted as he grappled with the crushing impact of immutability." -- Damn. You don't make his reaction seem forced in any way, all the more realistic to me. And a fantastic ending, to boot. Did you enter this? It's absolutely incredible, Sonia. Heart-wrenching in multiple ways.
ayayay hard lesson learned! this was written with a brilliant subtlety that made the scene feel everyday right until the fatal moment! well done!
Heartbreaking, but a lesson we all learn in some way... the fragility of life💙Anneliese
Cool 👍 📝😉
Fantastic! Great work! 💙❤️💜