Member-only story
How Do you Grieve?
Under 300 Flash Fiction
“You go out every night painting the town red, white and blue. Is that your idea of mourning?” 22-year-old Annabell cried.
“Oh yes,” Maria responded while powdering her nose.
“You are despicable!” Annabell cursed her stepmother. “My father has been dead for two weeks and this is how you mourn?”
Maria eased around in a 90 degrees angle, bit her lips, stared in Bella’s eyes fighting the inner force that wanted to stop her from revealing the truth. Exhaling years of pain and turning another 90 degrees, she opened the door to her heart and the pain found it’s way out, “I believe the last time you saw my black and blue eye it was on a Thursday. The busted lip, on a Saturday. The broken arm, Monday. The broken tooth, Wednesday. The fractured skull on a Sunday. You do remember all that right?” Maria waited for a response. When none came she continued on her path to self-liberation and long-awaited happiness.
“So, I don’t have to tell you what happened on Friday and Tuesday. I covered it all with lies to you and everyone. I stayed for ten years knowing that one day it will end. Yes, this is my way of mourning. When you get older, and I pray you never experience the things your father has done to me, and the pain that sticks to your skin like hairs on your body. You too will…
