{"id":4014,"date":"2016-08-01T08:41:48","date_gmt":"2016-08-01T13:41:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/faithhopeandfiction.com\/content\/?p=4014"},"modified":"2020-09-05T03:45:04","modified_gmt":"2020-09-05T08:45:04","slug":"the-bus-stop_gary-hewitt_flash-fiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/faithhopeandfiction.com\/content\/the-bus-stop_gary-hewitt_flash-fiction\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bus Stop"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gary Hewitt<\/a><\/h2>\n

Flash Fiction<\/h4>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

H<\/span>e punched the wall. His hand dripped blood, yet the pain did not compare to the maelstrom in his mind.<\/p>\n

Why did she leave? <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He rose, thought about a prayer yet nothing came. Who would listen anyway? He wiped his brow free of rain and inhaled. Death by metal wasn’t so bad.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you do me a favour?\u201d asked a croaky voice from behind.<\/p>\n

He spun to see a spider of a woman scrabbling around on the ground, grasping at several pieces of paper.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m busy,\u201d he snapped.<\/p>\n

The woman sighed. \u201cIt’s my work, I’ve been working so hard on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He got down on all fours and gathered a pile of sheets. The woman thanked him; he returned to the side of the road.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou’ve been so kind, the least I can do is share my work with you. I\u2019m Eleanor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Something about her made him respond. \u201cTony. I haven’t got long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eleanor pointed to the bus shelter. \u201cCome on, humour an old lady.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eleanor held out her arm. Tony led her to the shelter.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you read my poems? I can’t see without my glasses.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He turned the pages over and over. \u201cThey\u2019re blank.\u201d<\/p>\n

She gasped, urged Tony to return the notes to her. \u201cGoodness, you’re right. But that\u2019s my life work.\u201d<\/p>\n

She slumped on the bench. Tony placed his arm around her shoulders.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan’t you write them again?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

She glanced up and wiped away a tear.<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess we can always start again can’t we?\u201d Eleanor looked to the side of the road and then to Tony. \u201cI think you understand what I mean.\u201d<\/p>\n

She handed him one page. \u201cGo on, get about your business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tony said good-bye. He’d be home in ten minutes. When he turned back, Eleanor was no longer there.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n

Gary Hewitt<\/strong> is a U.K.-based raconteur who has had over 90 short stories and poems published and has performed before live audiences. He will bring out his novel Shadowfruit<\/em> in 2016.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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