Flash! Friday "My Dresden"

by Michael Seese

Another three-hankie effort for Flash! Friday. Since this is Rebekah's "Flashversary," it's a special two-step process. You can read all the details here. The quick and dirty: from yesterday's (and today's) entries, the top 25 will be chosen. Those authors will write another story. The top ten will be picked and voted on by the folks at Flash Fiction Online, with the winners announced December 16.

Here is the photo:

 





















Here is "My Dresden."

The war is almost over.

I stand among the ashes that once were my future, and ask the questions that don’t want to be answered.

Why?

Why me?

Iron vultures circle overhead, ogling their target. The bombardment leaves me blind, deaf, and tasting steel. Wave after wave have made me weak, numb, tired.

So tired.

There is no pain greater than watching, helpless, as your childhood crumbles. But I no longer possess the strength for depression. Anger bled from me long ago. I’ve come to accept that the world has given up on me. It’s moved on. I should do the same.

My parents call me their “brave little soldier.” They don’t understand how the chemotherapy turns my insides to mush, and the radiation treatments set my brain on fire. So I say I’m doing fine. For their sake.

The war is almost over. I look forward to the surrender.

The contest is open until 11:59 tonight (Saturday). So if you have an inkling to write, now is the time.