The Promise
New to flash fiction? Then have a read of this harrowing story told in just 246 words!
THE PROMISE
Jessica allowed the chime float into the air. She would not be answering her phone here. Not now. Nothing would be allowed to disturb her serenity.
She hadn’t noticed how beautiful the city looked before. Its steel and concrete usually pressed in on her as she roamed its dusty streets. But from up here, the skyline looked unexpectedly breath taking.
The cathedral spire pierced the darkening sky like a sword raised aloft in victory. The tower blocks were lit with a checkerboard of soft lights. Even the glass dome at the top of the shopping centre shimmered like a freshly blown soap bubble.
There was more to this city than she realised. Huh.
The cool autumn breeze that licked her cheeks revived her from her reverie. She felt her body stiffen. She wasn't here to daydream. She wasn't here by chance. She was here to fulfil a promise. A promise she had made many times before, but one that she had failed to deliver.
'I wanted to hear you say it,' she whispered into the air.
'I tried, I really did. More than you'll ever know. But you always wanted something more.
'I wanted to hear you say it. Just once. Just once.
'So this is all I have left. The one thing that will show you what I can really achieve. Maybe now you will finally have something to be proud of.
'Mother.'
Jessica took a step forward and watched the ground swell beneath her.