Woken in the night

This week’s flash fiction isn’t fiction. Just a 100 words to describe a memory. Picture prompt hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

campsite-jwf

Jan Wayne Fields

The blue flashing lights bounced off the canvas, waking me up.

“Mum, what’s happening?” I shouted in the darkness.

“Nothing, go to sleep.”

The morning brought a stillness, empty pitches, abandoned vacations.

By lunchtime, there was a collection in the local pub. The coins rattled inside the jam jar, labelled, “For the victims.”

Nobody knew their names, the newspapers waited to print them.

Returning to camp-site,  I watched the men remove the charred remains of the tent poles and stove. The scorched grass outlining a square.

Three little lives lost. Grandparents broken hearted.

Fragmented memories that haunt me to this day.

 

(Overloaded car battery caused an electrical spark and fire.)

Advertisement

14 comments

  1. This I hope was an excellent take on the prompt? A truly sad but well concocted story… if so well done take a bow🎉🎊🎭
    If it was a recollection… I am sorry it was awful and i didn’t mean to make light of a tradgedy.

    Like

    1. It was a tragedy and to this day, I don’t know what happen. To lose all your children in one night is horrible. It’s hard not to forget those fractured memories.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. And I was hoping it was a tale… how awful it doesn’t bear thinking about. 😕

        Like

  2. Great writing, horrible tragedy.

    Like

    1. It was a terrible tragedy and I can only remember these fragments.
      thank you for commenting.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. jellico84 · · Reply

    What a horrible tragedy. Words fail me…understand loss all too well, both sides….

    Like

    1. Now that I’m a parent it takes on a whole new level of horrific.
      Thank you for commenting.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. michael1148humphris · · Reply

    So sad, camping seems such a gentle way to holiday, but danger is alway sadly close by

    Like

    1. We carried on camping for a few more years, but I’m very wary of electrics and tents.
      thank you for commenting.

      Like

  5. A terrible tragedy. Camping is not without its dangers.

    Like

    1. I hope modern tents are less combustible than when I was a child. It must have gone up very quickly.

      Like

  6. Dear Sandra,

    Sad story. Well done.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Like

    1. I don’t think I could have written anything else. The memories came back and stayed.

      Like

      1. Dear Rae,

        Not sure why I called you Sandra. Sorry about that. I do know about memories that surface and stay. Hugs and Shalom,

        Rochelle

        Like

Comments are always welcome.

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s

The Bridgehunter's Chronicles

Bridging our past with the future by preserving our heritage in the present.

lynnelives

random, eclectic, see how my mind works

The Old Shelter

Dieselpunk author - Historical Fantasy Set in the 1920s

Shravmusings

Kiddie Talkies - Have a look at this World through a kid's eyes with the help of his Mom's expressions

Rebekah Loper, Author

Character-driven epic fantasy. Resilient women. A touch of romance.

Wolf of Words

Stories, Reviews and Opinions!

Iain Kelly

Fiction Writing

thewirralgirl

it wouldn't be thewirralgirl without you.

Rachel Walkley

Telling Tales, Revealing Secrets

Author Erika Jayne

Where stories come to life

Living the Dream

Susanne Matthews

Stories I Found in the Closet

The musings of writer, mother, musician and whatever else takes my fancy

Planet Pailly

Where Science Meets Fiction

True North Bricks

Canadian LEGO® Fan Media

Tossing It Out

The musings of writer, mother, musician and whatever else takes my fancy

Sorchia's Universe

Magic, Mystery, a little Whisky, and a Cat

%d bloggers like this: