"My life is spent in one long effort to escape from the commonplaces of existence." – Doyle
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June 05, 2026

Fiction: Gone

This week's optional prompt at Poets and Storytellers United is: a time you surprised yourself. The ending may be a sort of a surprise. I don't know why I went that direction, it just happened. Visit other participants over here.


Fiction: Gone
One hundred feet from the ground, Julia peered down below and then at the man-child beside her. For about half an hour, Ted played games on his phone. 
    Thirteen years ago, Julia was introduced to Ted by common friends at this carnival. Ted thought it was a good idea to ride the rollercoaster to celebrate their engagement but a mechanical failure had stranded them.
    Growing up, Julia had foolishly rebelled on the wrong things and had thought marrying Ted will make up for her mistakes. But ten years of waiting for an engagement had altered her but Ted, he was the same expect the thirty extra pounds.
    It was too late to turn back. Due to his many generosities of lending money to his friends, he earned himself and Julia many debts. When she asked him to get his friends to pay him back, he struck her face, twice. That was the moment she felt like an insect who had been squashed one too many times but still stood in the same place to be squash again and again.
    Slowly, Ted turned away from his phone screen and looked up at her, eyes blinking slowly. He began to hunker down and the phone slipped from his hands and struck against her feet. When she glanced up, Ted was gone but there was a fat fly squatting on the leather seat and it seemed to be gazing at her. Haphazardly, it flew up and away into the dull afternoon sky.
    A sudden drop and the rollercoaster started turning. On the ground, Julia stumbled out of her seat. Clementine, Julia's friend, rushed toward her and said, "I'm glad you're alright. Wasn't Ted with you?"
    Julia shook her head and shrugged. What could she say that didn't sound mad?     
    About nine minutes on the way home with Clementine driving, she exclaimed, "What the heck! That is one chubby fly."
    On the windshield was a fat fly and it seemed to be staring at Julia. Clementine turned on the wipers but the fly didn't move quick enough. A short smear of red was left on the windshield but another swipe and it was gone.

19 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Christine: Thanks. And thank you for stopping by. Have a lovely day.

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  2. It's so good to read your short fiction - so beautifully crafted and with a lasting feeling - Jae

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    1. Jae Rose: Thank you for reading. And thanks for dropping by. Have a lovely day.

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  3. Great story and I love how the fat fly kept turning up

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    Replies
    1. Marja: Well, it was only once but it's enough.

      Thank you for dropping by. Have a lovely day.

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  4. Oh dear! You sucked me into the story so much that I LAUGHED at the end when the fly was so hideously disposed of.

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    1. Rosemary Nissen-Wade: That's one way to get rid of someone. I'm glad you enjoy my story.

      Thank you for dropping by. Have a lovely day.

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  5. Tough life if you are a fly!

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    1. J Cosmo Newbery: Yes, very tough.

      Thank you for dropping by. Have a lovely day.

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  6. I think Ted got what he deserved.

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    Replies
    1. River: Absolutely.

      Thank you for dropping by. Have a lovely day.

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  7. Wonderful story Lissa. A creative mind can always garner great rewards!

    Hank

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    Replies
    1. Hank: I guess my great reward is having people read this. Thanks for reading.

      Thank you for dropping by. Have a lovely day.

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  8. LOL, I can think of several nominees for the Ted treatment. :D

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    Replies
    1. Rommy: So many people who deserves the Ted treatment, yep.

      Thank you for dropping by. Have a lovely day.

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  9. Perfect ending with the fly getting squashed.

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    Replies
    1. Live and Learn: I think so too.

      Thank you for dropping by. Have a lovely day.

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  10. Good story! I liked your ending.

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- Kurt Vonnegut