Julia clasped the oval turquoise stone in her hand. She took a deep breath and made her way to the living room, where her father was nestled in his favorite chair with a cup of coffee in one hand and a newspaper spread before him like a map.
“Father,” she said gripping the turquoise.
He barely looked up.
“I don’t want to marry Tomas, I don’t love him.”
“It’s been decided. There’s nothing to discuss.”
“You mean YOU decided.”
Father continued to study the paper.
He barely noticed Julia leave the room. Tears swelled.
He never saw her again.
This flash fiction piece was written for the Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge.
March 4, 2015 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) color your story turquoise. Color evokes emotion; turquoise blue evokes trust and strength. How can you play with that idea? How can color define a character or add to a plot? Saturate your story or add a drop. Follow the vein of turquoise to see where it leads your imagination.
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Lovely photo. She has the perfect expression and lines for a damsel in distress in a Regency or Victorian Romance (the ones I love to read and write!), but she’s not letting anyone decide for her. Good for her! She’ll make a challenging heroine 🙂
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Thank you. Even though it’s a stock photo, I found it fitting for the story.
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It’s a sad story, but you tell is with such grace. The detail of the distracted, unyielding father looking at “a newspaper spread before him like a map” speaks to his decision of mapping out his daughter’s future. And her, holding onto the strength of the stone to find her own courage to walk away. You packed a lot into 99 words!
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Thank you, Charli. You have such a beautiful way of summing it all up. Honestly, I didn’t even think of the map in such a way, but you are completely right.
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I love all the multi-layers that occur between writing and reading!
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Lovely sad flash and the photo went with it so well – the haunted girl looking back at what she was leaving. The stiff unrelenting father that was going to lose his daughter. Sad for both of them. Beautifully told.
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Thank you. I may have to return to this story.
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