Friday Fictioneers is hosted by the wonderful Rochelle, the undisputed master of what I call Sound Bite Fiction.
She sets the weekly challenge, and the standard.
And the prompt photo, which this week is provided courtesy of my favourite Fictioneer, Sandra Crook.
The idea, as always, is to write a story of around 100 words based on this picture, below.
© Sandra Crook
Click here to hear the writer read his words:
Decision
Turbulent.
That is probably the best word to describe our romance.
We have had wonderful times together.
We still do, sometimes.
Other times we don’t.
Somehow we irritate each other.
Quite often, we aggravate each other.
I am beginning to think that quite often is becoming too often.
I know you do too.
So where do we go from here?
Do we try again, knowing that we will be back here soon?
Do we just give up, and walk away?
I don’t have a good answer.
But I do know this.
Without you, my life would be in ruins.
Sound Bite Fiction 
Didn’t know where this was going. Great write.
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Thank you, Lisa
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Great story. I especially liked the line: “…quite often is becoming too often.” I feel for him.
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Thank you.
Sometimes a relationship just disintegrates slowly about us…
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Quite often becoming too often – a chilling phrase. Yet the writer is in for the long haul and knows it. Brilliant writing.
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I just love this comment!
Thank you, Jilly, very much.
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A great description of a turbulent romance, C.E. Well done. I’m glad both ended up alive. 🙂 — Suzanne
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THank you, Suzanne
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Taking the good with the bad – that’s what it’s all about. Some are better at it than others. Your story captures the feelings perfectly, and I love the ending line.
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Thanks, Margaret, sometimes it’s not the taking that’s the problem, it’s the giving.
Glad you enjoyed.
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If it involves humans it is going to get messy…
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Ain’t that the truth!
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That is true love and you are going nowhere.
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Ah, but is she?
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We never fought. He simply walked out and when he came back I apologized. Not the ideal solution. After 23 years we called it quits when another someone came along and took him away because I couldn’t bring myself to ask for a divorce. They’ve been together 20 years now and I don’t envy him one bit. She’s a real peach and not sweet, but tart.
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I think every relationship is different, Tessa.
Thanks for sharing
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Yes I do believe so too. People were always jealous of me and thought we had this perfect relationship and everyone was shocked at the divorce.
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The most familiar is easy, and where yearning for a change fails, the familiar will do.
A phase in life and every relationship, perhaps.
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Thanks, James.
As you say, these things happen.
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Love the feel of the internal monologue. Lovely
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Thank you, Jo, I’m happy it worked for you
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That eternal dilemma! I take it you have been/are married?
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It is indeed.
Yes.
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I think you’ve captured well the inner dialogue of many in relationships.
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Thank you, they can be pretty fraught sometimes…
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Sounds like marriage. Great write this week. Personally, when we start getting on each other’s nerves, one or the other of us takes off for the weekend…usually me as I’m not so addicted to technology. Like they say, sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder.
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Some couples resolve the issues, others don’t.
Out of sight, out of mind?
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Yup..knowing the author I didn’t expect her to live without him. (lol)
You’ve described so many moments in so many relationships.
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It’s life, Dawn, just as we know it
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There are very few relationships where one or the other party doesn’t wish to throw in the towel at one time or another. I love the last line!
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Thank you, Brenda.
Sadly, life is littered with towels…
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I was also waiting for him to knock her off! This very realistic of relationships. We notice what’s not working more often than what is working. Hats off to him for acknowledging she contributed to who he is today. Does it mean they need to stay together? I don’t think so.
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And sometimes the two notice opposite things.
Thank you
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A situation many find themselves in, I think. Nice one!
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Sadly true, sir.
Thank you
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Awww, that was brilliantly melancholic and sentimental Sir…even though, like Iain, I kept waiting for him to bump her off.
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Thank you, sir, glad you enjoyed.
No more killing on here
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That is the worst phase of a relationship that is not going according to plan… needing to have whatever is left…
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…before it leaves?
Thanks, Dale
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… indeed.
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I had to read this through twice because I didn’t want to miss any nuance of this lovely, sad piece of writing. Wonderful piece.
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You are too kind, Linda, your comment has made my day!
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Your story feels deeply personal. It’s all the more powerful in that nothing happens, and the situation remains unresolved. Clever writing, CE!
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Thank you, Penny, sometimes things are never resolved.
And isn’t all writing personal, to some level?
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For some couples, the fun is in the fighting. Very romantic closing line.
Perhaps there’s a murder/suicide in their near future.
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No deaths, Russell, except of love.
Thank you
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relationships are a rich ground and you did not disappoint.
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Very kind of you to say so, Michael
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A contemplative piece, I was waiting for him to bump her off. Not this week. Expertly done.
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Thanks, Iain, I have hung up my killing tools
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Surely only temporarily?
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The despair of that stage in a relationship, when there seems no way back, no way forward and no way out. Been there, done that on more than a few occasions. Concisely captured in an almost plaintive manner.
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Thank you, Sandra, you read exactly what I tried to write
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Dear CE,
Can’t live with em can’t live without em. Quite the dilemma.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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For some of us, m’lady, life is like that
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There is Othello and Desdemona in all of us. Nicely capured
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Interesting that you saw it that way, Neil.
Thank you
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So sweet and a reminder that relationships need constant work.
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And sometimes fail, regardless?
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