Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet. -Job 18:11
When it gets dark I begin to worry in earnest.
A quick trip to the shopping center usually takes all of two hours, but it’s now closer to six.
For the tenth time I check to see my ringer is on.
I have called her a dozen times.
She never empties out her voicemail so the inbox is full and I can’t leave a message.
I see this a small act of rebellion.
Fine.
I roll over and plug my chair into the charger, positioned so I can look out the window.
I watch the cars go by, none hers.
Dear Josh,
The feeling of abandonment is tangible in this piece. Well done in a hundred words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks! I was thinking of the stairs as impenetrable barrier for a wheelchair-bound person.
Ah. That makes perfect sense. Funny. I never questioned your link to the photo. If a story works it works. ;)
You captured the growing terror well. The title quote gives it a whole other dimension
His fear is tangible. You brought us right into his world.
A terrifying situation to be left in, with the unknown element of what has happened to her as well as his fate. Good take.
Beautifully crafted story – I could feel his fear.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Thanks, Susan!
I picture her as his caregiver or love interest. Either way, his inability to contact her is terribly frightening. It makes me wonder if she is intentionally ignoring his calls to further agravate his angst, or if something bad happened to her. Well done, Josh.
Thanks!
“Oh Ruby, don’t take your love to town.”
This is impressive. The absolute frustration of being bound to a wheelchair, unable to leave the house without help; the thoughtlessness–or deliberate choice–of his wife to leave him dangling, or perhaps leaving permanently? The story could go in several directions. Good writing.
Thanks! I left it ambiguous
Beautifully crafted, sir.
Thanks
Oh, I wouldn’t want to be this man….
There comes a point when waiting turns from annoyance to fear/worry. Good story.
We are left in the dark as is your subject. A skillfully writen piece.
Here’s mine!
Nicely crafted. I wonder whether the “small act of rebellion” is against fate for having left the one she loves wheelchair-bound, or whether he’s a control freak, dominating her despite his physical helplessness.
Clever, really well done
Sense of anxiety is full on, well done
I like how I got the impression how slowly time passes when you are missing someone.
I didn’t catch the wheelchair, until I read the comments. Then it wondered how on earth did I miss his rolling movement. It must be scary when your caregiver goes missing. You portrayed his vulnerability and fear well.