The Road Home

The Road Home

May 1, 2017 Off By Lisa

“What did he say?” she asked.

“The engine is leaking oil, but the mechanic is gone for the night. We can come back tomorrow. Or, he said if we get a case of oil from the auto parts store next door and keep dumping it in, we’ll make it home.”

They drove in silence for a long while; tears burned the back of her eyes.

“It’s an omen,” she said. “This happening on the way back from our honeymoon? It means our entire marriage is going to be filled with trouble.”

“Let’s keep going,” he said. “We’ll be fine.”

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This post was inspired by the April 27 Flash Fiction Challenge at Carrot Ranch Communications.

In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that includes oil. It can be an oil refinery, the raw product or used as a commodity. How does oil fit into a plot or a genre? Go where the prompt leads.

 

CategoryLife Words
TagsCarrot Ranch fiction flash fiction life marriage microprose writing

About The Author

Lisa A. Listwa is a self-employed writer with experience in education, publishing, and the martial arts. Believing there was more to life than punching someone else’s time clock and inspired by the words of Henry David Thoreau, she traded her life as a high school educator for a life as a writer and hasn’t looked back. She is mother to one glorious handful of a daughter, wife to the nicest guy on the planet, and reluctant but devoted owner of three Rotten Cats. You can find her adventures and thoughts on living life deliberately here on the blog.

10 Comments

  • Josie Two Shoes says:
    May 1, 2017 at 11:08 am

    I like his attitude and if he is able to convince her to start thinking that way, their marriage will also be ok. Very well done, Lisa!

  • D. Avery @shiftnshake says:
    May 1, 2017 at 7:47 pm

    Ya gotta keep an eye on the gauges and tend to the engine; even the marriage machinations.
    A succinctly told tale of hope for the honeymooners.

  • Sageleaf says:
    May 2, 2017 at 10:12 pm

    Well done with those 99 words! I love the possibilities here, too: a bad day could just be a bad day…or it could really spell trouble or…WORSE! haha. I love stories like this! 🙂

  • Deborah Lee says:
    May 3, 2017 at 8:14 am

    It’s not so much the trouble you encounter, it’s your attitude for getting through it! (My husband and I broke down on the way home from our honeymoon, too.)

    • Lisa says:
      May 3, 2017 at 9:51 am

      That’s very true, Deborah. Life throws all kinds of obstacles in our path. How we approach the problem is key.
      I hope your honeymoon breakdown story is a good one! Guessing you made it through… 🙂

  • Charli Mills says:
    May 4, 2017 at 3:09 am

    The honeymoon is over! Actually, this story sets the stage for life’s leaks, stalls and unexpected disappointments. I like the husband’s attitude. A good insight for us all.

    • Lisa says:
      May 4, 2017 at 10:35 am

      A good reminder, I suppose, that it’s not all champagne and romance. Sometimes it’s motor oil and tears.

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