Since that morning, when ice filled her veins with the absence of her child, she remembered their last parting.
Shared custody meant that Junior would be picked up from school by her good-for-nothing ex-husband.
It was only for the weekend and she smiled and waved to her young boy already making plans for weeks to come.
But that smile was the last smile.
To come upon her face was the persistent grimace of pain of Saturday morning when she received a text from her ex:
“Now you have nothing, just like me”
The cowardly man would never face any other justice than that of his own shotgun he had used when killing her boy.
But she would go on for the sake of her mother-in-law fading in dementia.
Two mothers joined by loss of their sons, still never discussing the cause of their grief.
Lisa hosts the prosery today at dVerse where we use part of a poem to write a piece of fiction/prose.
Since today is Martin Luther King Day Lisa have chosen a line from “Ballad of Birmingham,” by Dudley Randall written in memory of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963 when four girls were murdered by a group of Ku-Klux Klan terrorists.
My choice was to use the same theme but in another sad context of another case of toxic maskulinity.
January 15, 2024
Björn Rudbergs writings 
A chilling tale, all too real for some.
Alas… it is way to common with domestic violence and men using violence to control.
Such a grim story, Björn, but the indomitable spirit of the boy’s mother is to be admired. Her heart will go on, as the song has it.
It is very admirable to not drown in hatred for such a violent man.
A tragic story, Björn. I can’t imagine what it must be like to lose a child, but I think the metaphor of ice filling veins must come close. What a horrible thing for an ex-husband to do!
It does happen, we had a case here in Sweden when a father murdered his son to revenge the mother from leaving him… but he never killed himself.
I’ve heard of mothers doing it too.
Such a sad tale.
Best Wishes for the New Year
Much♡love
Sad indeed, best wishes back
“in another sad context of another case of toxic masculinity” — and boy did you succeed in this short story. Domestic violence, especially when wrought upon a child, is despicable. Very tough to read….illustration chosen for it is excellent.
Thank you… the illustration is created by AI, and once you learn how to prompt it, the pictures just come out.
A tragic story, reality for some, sadly.
It happens too often… but we are still not numbed not shed tears.
Some children are doomed from their birth by the parents that gave them life.
Yike, I thought I went dark! A tragic story that I know happens too often.
I think to some extent yours were darker, at least this one was a bit like a crime of misled passion. Yours were with cruel intent.
Perhaps–but I also think it’s people who feel they have those rights who make the events in mine possible.
A very dark story for blue Monday, Bjorn!
dark-blue
Bjorn, there are those who have done just that. Your having the two mothers of lost sons joining together in grief is an unexpected twist. The wreckage left behind after these cowards do what they do may be the worst part of all 😦
Perceived victimhood is way to dangerous to have a room in society.
Dark and sad yet too real, and repeats too many times ( 0 being the acceptable number of times).
It happens too often… I agree on the zero principle.
This rings of such truth, so much cruelty and unprosecuted violence in this world. I liked how you split the prompted line to segue from ‘smile’ to ‘grimace.’
Yes smile to grimace is really what I wanted to show as a transition.
Tragic, and happens too often. It’s such a heinous act. Poignant story.
It is, and alas it happens.
So sad, Bjorn. Poignantly written.
Sad indeed.
Brutal story. Senseless tragedy terrifies me.
Yes it is terrifying… I feel that victimhood is the most scary.
You write this genre well, Bjorn.. I remember the other one about burying the man under the porch… !!!!
I think I will write some book of fiction someday.
You really should…and bring out the book of librarian poems..!!!
Grim but not quite uncommon.
way too common
Björn, your narrative vividly portrays tragedy, and the interplay of characters, from coping with loss to the connection with the mother-in-law, creates a rich, layered story.
~David
I wanted to bring in the human element in all this.
👏🏻
Such a tragic story Björn and great use of the line 🙌
It is sad.
A macabre tale, a relationship born of unbearable tragedy … you outdid yourself with this prose, Bjorn.
I wonder what such a relationship could be… probably a lot of silence together
I disagree with some of the commenters. It was a bit overly melodramatic, I found. It just “happened” — there was no natural build-up. Ah well.
Thanks for the feedback. There are some limits to what you can do with 144 words.
A bone-chilling story for a winter’s day, Bjorn. Made all the more tragic by how reminiscent it is of real-life stories.
Indeed… but the familiarity was what made it possible to capture in few fords.
Oh wow, Björn. I love how you split the line, changing its direction. A tragic tail too often told.
I have learned that with these prompts, the correct splitting of lines is the best way to bend a strange line into something new.
Yes. When we can think of a way to do it – and make it come out right! You did it wonderfully here.