Under the able leader of the pack, Rochelle, an imaginative group of hikers strap on their writing gear for a new Friday Fictioneers adventure. The idea is to write a story of 100 words more or less prompted by the photo below. That’s it.
Emmy tightens her lines to 100 words.
The Broken Shoelace
He came into her store looking a bit confused.
Could she replace the broken shoelace of his hiking boot?
She found what he needed.
She noticed the sweetness in his smile and the kindness in his eyes.
He was funny and attentive.
She had not laughed or felt that good since before her divorce years ago.
She cooked dinner.
For three nights and two days of sunshine and daisies she felt like a woman again.
He left a note: “Mercy Darling. I’ll never forget you.”
But he did. Like the broken shoe lace she keeps in her pocket.
unbuttoned or undone 
Think I’d enjoy a 1000 of those words…. 🙂
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What a nice thing to say! Thank you. I am glad you enjoyed that .
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Just the truth, nice read.
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Awww I was hoping he would stay, or at least return. Such is love…..it can creep up and disappear just the same. Beautiful story.
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May be he was run over by a truck and she has no way of knowing..
I had to tie in ( pun intended) the broken shoe lace.
Thanks Anja, I am glad you enjoyed the tale.
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Hahaha sounds like my luck. You are welcome. 🙂
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Tu apprends rapidement!
Tres impressionnant.
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Merci UnElephant. J’apprends vite quand on m’explique longuement 🙂
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Was she better off for the three nights and two days of sunshine and daisies, or worse? I’m sure there could be a different answer on any given day.
Beautiful, Emm.
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You are right. It depends on the point of view of the reader.Do we want to experience love or avoid the pain and grief that usually goes with it eventually?
Pain avoidance is safe but unrewarding don’t you think?
I am glad you liked the little story.
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I always do!
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bittersweet tale. a great read 🙂
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Thank you KZ , I am glad you liked it.
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Nicely done, Emmy. Did you mean her name was Mercy or was he saying thanks in French (merci?) I really liked this line: “For three nights and two days of sunshine and daisies she felt like a woman again” and of course, the ending. 🙂 I also like the symbolism of the broken shoelace.
janet
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Thank you Janet. Just for the fun of it I left it ambiguous so the reader can stretch the tale and add dimensions to the caracters if he/she wants to. it could have been her name, a hidden plea, a thank you or something else. You get to pick .:-) Thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it.
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Really a nice well-told romantic story. I wasn’t expecting that over a shoe lace. However, let me say for the record, I think he’s a bastard! Just my opinion; she seems very nice and deserving.
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Thanks Perry. The greta thing about flashfiction is that there is just enough info to sketch something ad let the reader see/imagine the rest… May be she was really scary up close and personal…:-)
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Dear Emmy,
A lovely story that left an ache in my heart. Good use of the prompt, love the broken shoelace.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I am so glad the story moved you. That’s quite a compliment, thank you.
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sunshine and daisies – what a poetic description of happiness. I liked the romance and sadness in this tale.
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Thank you I am so glad you liked the tale and thank you for taking the time to comment.
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A passing fancy-for him and a lifetime of heart ache for her-ah love,why are you so cruel!A wonderfully warm story about a romance that never was-sigh!Loved it though it broke my heart..
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Awww. Don’t feel bad, it’s just a story! Could he have felt undeserving? Better to leave without a trace than disappoint her? May be he was run over by a truck… May be she was a mental case and scared him silly! Possibilities are endless… 😉
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Ha!ha!So true 😉
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What’s all this chatter about bittersweet, sadness and heartache ??? Two people had a sweet romantic interlude and parted. Who is to say that he won’t return? Really nice, Emm. Next time I guess you’ll have to give everyone a happy ending ! I liked it a lot.
Paul
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I am glad you like it Paul. Sweet interlude is a good word for this story. And yes, anything can happen if the reader makes it up, because I am done with the story 🙂
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Sunshine and daisies.. such a great descriptions.. to bad it all withered.
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Thank you for taking the time to read the tale and commenting. May be it lived its intended time, like ephemeroptora who live their life cycle in one of our days, or close to it. 🙂
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Hard as they might be for some (does she save the broken lace because of regret?), these brief interludes can add sparkle to life. Love the way you executed this. The laces, the sunshine and daisies… the pace: it’s a wonderful story! I did 2 this week. For some reason, these boots are intriguing! Nice job!
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Love indeed is what makes life exciting. Thank you for reading and commenting. I am glad you enjoyed the tale.
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My pleasure!
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Oh dear – but he obviously wasn’t a ‘keeper’! I’m enjoying this, my first week on FF.
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Glad you enjoyed and welcome to FF
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Sometimes it’s all they are good for, a time or two.
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🙂
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Very sad. Rather poetic. Lovely read.
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I am pleased that you saw the poetry side of this story. Thank you for taking the time to read it and comment..
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