Writing Challenge ~ December 2011 ~ Prompt Four

[Britwitch]

WRITING CHALLENGE ~ DECEMBER 2011 ~ PROMPT FOUR​

A little late but as people seem to have far better things to do than write, and rightly so, I don't think anyone will mind! So here's the final challenge image for December. In the style of Advent, we have had four prompts, each running for one week! I have opened one comment thread for the whole of December and please don’t forget to leave a comment if you enjoy something you read in any of the prompt threads this month!
So, here’s prompt number four…

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w62/Britwitch/wc_December2011_4.jpg​

You can involve the prompt itself in your piece and make your link to the prompt as obvious or as subtle as you like or use it simply as inspiration for something else. You can use part of the prompt, just one aspect of the image, or use it in its entirety.

The word limit for this challenge is 2,500 words and your submission can take whatever form you desire – poetry or prose, complete story or a vignette. Erotic or not, serious or light hearted, it’s whatever you want it to be!!

Post only your submissions in this thread, constructive comments and reviews are to be posted in the appropriately named – Writing Challenge Review Thread

The deadline for this month’s challenge is Friday 30th December 2011, with January’s prompt ‘going live’ on Monday 2nd January 2012!

Previous challenges and reviews can be found here.

Happy writing!

 

[fddb410]

Reunion...

They’d been friends first. It had been very casual at first with a bit of flirtatious play online on a favorite site they’d both found without knowing each other. They’d written some romantic scenes together in roleplaying which touched them more than they’d expected. They shared in their roles a bit of passion that they missed in their ‘real’ lives. Somewhere along in their six months online together they’d become closer friends offsite through emails and chatting.

They learned about each other’s ‘real’ lives. They were halfway around the world from each other it turned out. They’d supported each other through some tough periods in their private lives of loss of extended family members and problems at their work. Through it all they’d fallen in love. He’d been the first to put it in writing using ‘love you’ as a salutation instead of the customary ‘luv you.’ She’d timidly asked him about it and he told her that he meant it for real. She was quiet for long enough that he’d become worried that he’d gone too far by saying it. He’d asked her if she was okay and she’d blown him away with her response.

“Oh honey . . . I wanted to say it to you but was afraid to . . . and that you said to me has me here in blubbering tears . . . I’m so happy.”

Their love had grown deeper over time with exchanged phone numbers and lengthy conversations on the phone when it could be managed but always with daily online conversations at least. They never intended any infidelity. Their families and spouses were always their first consideration and priority. So when it became apparent that their private lives might be in jeopardy if they didn’t curtail their relationship, they decided to split . . . to end their lovely friendship and say good-bye to their love for each other.

It had hurt him to be apart from her. She was his best friend aside from his wife. In the years that followed she’d never been far from him in his thoughts though she was no longer part of his reality. Life moved on . . . most of it was good . . . but some of it was painful. His wife took suddenly ill and passed away before anything could be done to save her. It was another very dark time for him. Sarah’s death was another huge loss. She was the most important figure in his life and now she was gone too. He was despondent for sometime feeling very alone in the world. He’d managed to work his way out of it some how and a few years after his wife’s unexpected death he’d felt the urge to travel. On the trip he decided to visit a place that his friend had frequently mentioned in their chats.

He’d found the garden at the castle and saw right away why she’d loved going there. Even in the cold of winter it was beautifully maintained as a national historic site with manicured grounds and a maze of lovely seasonally decorated gardens. He’d found a dry bench in one and was sitting basking in the warm sun when he heard a familiar voice from his past. He looked in the direction it seemed to be coming from and saw her. She was apparently guiding a tour group through the gardens. She was beautiful . . . older but every bit as lovely as the photos she’d send him so many years before. He stood and quietly joined the group she was leading. He stayed to the back of the group until her bit was finished and she returned the group to the welcome center. Her back was to him as she was apparently logging off on the computer at the visitor’s welcome desk.

He nervously walked up behind her and asked quietly, “Is it possible to have a private tour?”

She turned to face him instantly. Her eyes were big and wide and almost instantly full of tears.

“Oh my god . . . it’s you . . . it’s really you . . . ”

They hugged each other tightly and then as if no time had been spent apart from each other they kissed. All at once she broke the kiss and stepped back and fussed with her clothing.

“Oh we shouldn’t . . . You mustn’t. Your wife? You remember what we promised each other.”

He answered as he wiped a couple tears from his cheek.

“I remember honey. Sadly she passed. But what about you and that promise?”

Her expression darkened and her eyes filled with tears. “Bobby was killed in a car accident five years ago on the road to visit his sick aunt. I’m so sorry about Sarah. I didn’t know. Oh baby . . . I’ve felt so lost without you or Bobby.”

“I know the feeling it’s been like that for me too. I’m not sure why I’m even here to be honest . . . I didn’t want to intrude into your family life . . . I guess this was a way to be closer to you without messing things up. I never really expected to find you here nor had I given it much thought if you did happen to be here. God I’ve missed you so much . . . even after all this time.”

They moved toward each other and hugged tightly again and then kissed like there was no tomorrow.