Hi, everyone! I’m super excited to participate in another Flash Fiction Challenge using a prompt provided by Suzanne Burke!
I honestly didn’t see any way I could possibly find time to write, but my muse wouldn’t leave me alone. So here I sit, late at night, posting the story I saw in my head in response to the prompt.
AN EMPTY PROMISE
Emily poured a fresh cup of coffee and strolled to the end of the rickety wooden dock for the hundredth time. Where was he?
She sipped the hot coffee and stared across the tranquil lake, searching intently for any sign of a boat.
A twinge of guilt crawled up her spine. Leaving a note was a piss-poor way of saying goodbye. But the thought of a confrontation and one more fight with Malcolm was more than she could handle. When he’d left for work that morning, she’d packed her suitcase, left her keys, checkbook and a note by the door.
It hadn’t been hard to walk away from a twenty-year marriage. In fact, it had been one of the easiest things she’d ever done.
She’d skipped and twirled like a giddy school girl when she’d arrived at Levi’s cabin, where she’d visited many times over the past few months.
Lying in the circle of his strong, tanned arms, Emily found her center. He made her feel like a beautiful goddess, and when they made love, the earth tilted on its axis.
She sighed deeply and tugged her soft sweater closer. Despite the warmth it provided, she shivered.
“Where are you, Levi?” She paced the length of the dock. He should have been here hours ago.
She checked her cell phone for the umpteenth time.
Malcolm would be home by now. How would he react to the note? She could picture him sinking into his favorite chair and dropping his head in his hands. Well, she’d set them both free, and he should thank her.
“Levi will be here,” she said to no one. “He just got hung up somewhere.”
She thought about the first time she saw him. Desire stronger than anything she’d ever felt swept the length of her body, leaving her knees weak and the sweet spot between her legs moist.
It had been a girl’s night out. The crowded club was the perfect backdrop for Levi to saunter onto the stage and serenade the ladies.
He was a gorgeous specimen of a man. Long legs, tapered waist, bulging biceps, and the most striking blue eyes she’d ever seen. And when a lock of his wavy brown hair fell over those mystifying eyes, women swooned.
She wanted him.
That had been three months ago.
Now she’d walked away from her stable life. The home she’d built with Malcolm meant nothing anymore. She’d traded it all to be with this tanned god who made her feel alive.
The sun began to drop below the horizon, and she turned back toward the cabin.
“Surely, he’ll be here soon,” she told the birds. “He promised.”
Minutes ticked by, turning into hours.
Emily wrapped a soft blanket around her shoulders and lay on the sofa. Her eyes took in every detail of the love nest where she’d spent many blissful hours.
A lump of dread formed in the pit of her stomach.
Something had happened.
Maybe he’d gotten cold feet. Or, perhaps he’d met someone else younger, prettier and richer.
Emily thought back over every conversation, searching for a clue.
She tried for the thousandth time to call him. It went straight to voice mail.
What to do now? She couldn’t go back home to Malcolm.
Bitter bile rose in her throat. What a fool she’d been to believe she’d found true love.
While her life crumbled around her, she squared her shoulders and walked the length of the dock one last time.
A plunge into the icy waters would end it all.
Her cell phone buzzed, and she grabbed it.
―Sorry.
The text lit up the screen.
That was all she got? What a piece of shit! She sprinted down the dock, grabbed her suitcase, and tossed it in the car.
She stared hard at the cabin. A can of gasoline on one corner of the porch caught her eye. Without hesitation, she doused the dried wood, lit a match, and drove away.
Never again would she believe an empty promise.
***
Thanks for reading! Please visit Suzanne’s blog site and read all the responses to the prompt. Join in the fun!
And if you’re not already doing so, please follow Suzanne!
Suzanne’s author page on AMAZON.
Whoa. Her life is headed into trouble! Great story, Jan. I’d like to know what happens next!
I totally agree, Diana. She just created a lot of karma to have to work through! Thanks for stopping by!
Whoa, that’s pretty severe! Don’t mess with Emily!
Lol, John. Well, I couldn’t let her kill herself over being spurned, so the next best thing was revenge. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Wow! That piece was amazing. So many emotional shifts – I loved it! I could feel everything Emily felt, but in the end, I feel she got was she deserved. Poor Malcolm! Lol!
Right, Yvette. Malcolm was the real victim in this story. Thank you for stopping by!
Great story with plenty of drama!
Thanks, Mark! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Jan, this is a great story and well-written. I enjoyed it and liked the ending.
Thank you, Karen! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Wow! A lot of story in a few words. Very good.
Thank you, sister! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Powerful piece of writing, Jan. I liked the way she turned things around in the end.
Thank you, Joan! I did too. I simply couldn’t let her walk off the end of that pier or just drive away into the sunset. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Jan, I’m so pleased you were able to join in again this week.❤ I love this story! A woman reclaiming her life and moving forward is always such a wonderful affirmation of just how strong and resilient we woman are. Emily decided to stop being a passenger and drive that Karma bus! Whoo-hoo! I’ll be featuring your post early Friday, July 31st.
I love that, Soooz – Driving the Karma Bus!! 🙂 Thank you for your support and I appreciate you sharing!
My pleasure, Jan. I’ve been meaning to buy one of those buses. 😁
Attached is a short Flash Fiction piece.
Frank W. Kresen proof positive frankkresen@hotmail.com
________________________________
Thank you for sharing, Frank! It’s great to see you pop up!
This is a powerful story, Jan. I felt so many emotions as I learned of her situation. The gas can summed it all up nicely.
Thank you Denise. I don’t know why cheating stories come so easily to me. 🙂 I appreciate your comment!
Great storytelling, Jan. And I’m so glad she ditched her despair and let Levi know exactly how she felt. That was an unexpected but empowering ending!
Thank you, Mae. I couldn’t let her go off the end of that pier. 🙂 I appreciate you stopping by!
Wow! She’s not someone to mess with.
And, she really didn’t even know it! Thanks, Craig!
Oh, the fury that is unleashed with an empty promise! Great writing, Jan. 🙂
Thank you, Gwen, for leaving a comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the short piece!
Fantastic piece of flash fiction, Jan. You made me want Levi, lols. And the way you turned the despair of anger turned inward to anger turned outward right at the critical moment was perfect. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Wow, Harmony! Thank you so much for your comment and observation. I really put myself in Emily’s shoes and NO man would be worth taking your life for. 🙂 And, yes, Levi was a hottie. Hugs!
A great piece of writing, Jan.
Thank you, Robbie! I’m glad you stopped by!