The End - December 04, 2011

[note: this was written during a writing exercise: we had 20 minutes to write something inspired by the phrase "The End". This is the result, unedited, exactly as it appeared when time ran out]

The End - Squiddy Geiger - December 04, 2011

Jason folded the shirt carefully, and then the pants, tidying them, and placed them carefully in the basket. His shoes joined them, along with the socks.

The clothes were followed by a child's toys: a well-loved teddy bear, a baseball and glove; a small windup car, and a broken GI Joe.

Melody sniffed quietly, and dabbed at her eyes, watching the process. She made him do it; she couldn't. Finally, the basket was prepared. They moved off down the garden to where a pyre had been prepared.

As Jason placed the basket on the carefully stacked and prepared wood of the pyre, Melody cried quietly. He lit the wood, made sure it had caught, and moved over to stand behind his wife. He pulled her close as her soft cries became sobs, wracking her body, tears flowing freely now.

Jason said nothing, also crying. The two watched as the pyred burned furiously. As they said quiet goodbyes to the son they had lost. The symbolic fire replaced the funeral they could not have.

As the pyre burned itself out, they stood, turned and walked slowly up to the house, the cleansing of their souls finished.

Posted by Squiddy at December 4, 2011 08:30 PM | TrackBack