Fire Works

· by · in flashfiction, Friday Fictioneers. ·

Once so happy. They, a family, a future. gone …
Sean caressed Milla’s soft hair. She was their daughter, not just hers.
He had rights too.

He closed her bedroom door.

A single match; he watched the curtains blaze and stayed until he choked from heat.

Mobile phone in hand he pressed send, and shut off his iPhone.

—-

“Fire works, bitch”

Marie stared at her phone. What did he mean? She kept calling back.

“Pick up your phone, bastard”, she shouted into the inert handset.

Suddenly, the doorbell: “Rrrrrrrrr”

Brief relief, but she collapsed when she saw the uniforms.

This week I have gone darkly with my story. It is based on an actual event here in Sweden where a father killed two of his children as revenge against his ex-wife. He also send an SMS after he had set the house on fire.

Friday Fictioneers is a group of bloggers writing 100 word fiction to the same picture every week under the supervision of Rochelle, who attract some of the best published and unpublished writers each week.
—


—-
August 31, 2016

74 responses to “Fire Works”

  3. Dear Björn,

    I’ve heard stories like this more than once. How can a human do that to his own child? Searingly good story that fills me with anger.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

  5. So fearfully chilling. And it happens. I often wonder, when I read similar stories in the papers, just how much hate simmers within a person who could kill the ones they love to hurt the ones they love, or used to. Well done.

  6. Oh the horrifying truth always far worse than fiction! I cannot imagine doing something like this, but your words bring the emotion to light so poignantly. Scarily too! It sent shivers!

  10. I so wish a story like that would only be fiction and it could never happen in real. Sadly it does and it saddens me.

    However, great writing. Another chilling, cold-blooded murder in the name of love.

  12. Dark as a story, but the fact that happened is even more messed up.
    You described the story in all its key components so succinctly…and a shocking case similar to infanticide. Such twisted logic.

  13. Some people’s minds do snap, but in this seemed more like pure evil. A somber tale. Mike

  21. I gotta say, Bjorn, this was great. Especially taking the story from real-life events (which I have done a lot of) is really great, too.

    Excellent!

  26. I have no words. To know this is based on something real breaks my heart for our world. Well-written though.

  27. A really strong story, Bjorn – tragic, terrifying and well constructed. A great build up.
    Sadly, no this is not rare – we’ve had quite a few of these instances here in the UK. It does seem to be largely men that commit these crimes, perhaps because at least here, custody laws still favour mothers to a large extent.
    I can’t understand the selfishness. Yes, it’s tragic when a family breaks up, but for someone’s pride to be so wounded they murder their own children rather than work through the issue. I don’t get it. I’d rather never see my son again than take his life.
    A heartbreaking tale and very well told

      • Yes, you’re right, Medea did murder her own children to wreak revenge on Jason. I remember reading the play at university years ago and absolutely understanding why she would do that. That was before I had my son, of course. Now … well, my ideas have changed. There are certainly more men convicted of murder, though I guess that doesn’t mean we don’t think about it just as often 🙂

  28. I think there are no words to describe someone who could do such a thing. Evil? Sick? What? Perhaps we’ll never know what triggers someone to do such a thing. Horrifying, but well told.

  33. Such a horrifying scenario. And yet it happens. I could hardly keep reading when I realised what was happening. Gripping storytelling, Bjorn.

  34. So sad, Bjorn. I choose to think it’s temporary insanity when a parent does that to their children. I read that a family courtroom where cases involving family disputes are resolved is a dangerous place to be. Even judges have been shot and killed. Good writing. —- Suzanne

  35. How grim and sad. But important to explore these perspectives and see what we learn from them. I wonder what this father was like leading up to this act of horrible desperation and anger. You told with a lot of power.

  36. Björn, this is absolutely terrifying. The fact that it’s real makes me shiver. Such a sad and brutal story, and chillingly narrated!

    (Sorry about my late response to your story! My computer is kaput, and I’m borrowing my husband’s. The Apple Store Genius Bar will be happy with my upcoming expenses!)

Leave a reply to Björn Rudberg (brudberg) Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.