Jump to content
    Valkyrie
    • Signature Author
  • 765 Words
  • 1,876 Views
  • 14 Comments
Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Promptings from Valhalla - 14. Homecoming

This is another prompt from "The Writer's Toolbox". I selected three cards with items designed to evoke a sensory response. The goal of the prompt was to engage the five senses and describe the items on the cards using the sense that went with the card. This is also a timed exercise, so we wrote for six minutes per card. Please check out Cole Matthews' companion piece in "Dinner is Promptly at Eight".

Homecoming

 

Erik closed the door behind him with a heavy shove, swearing under his breath about the fact that Harry hadn’t bothered to fix it while he was gone. It was on the list, along with several other neglected repairs. His arms ached with the fatigue of travel and the strain of holding his suitcase, satchel, and carry-on bag. He let them fall to the kitchen floor with a loud thud. The house was conspicuously silent. He figured Harry must be asleep. Erik’s delayed flight had frazzled his nerves, but he was happy to finally be home.

He wondered why the noise hadn’t brought his husband out of their bedroom. He was a notoriously light sleeper. Then the stench hit his nostrils. He waved his hand in front of his nose as he moved through the dining room to determine the source of the acrid stench. He found it on the dining room table. The bowl of fruit he kept full for his health conscious hubby now contained moldy, wilted puddles of former oranges and apples. A cloud of small insects buzzed around the earthy, citrusy goo.

What the fuck? Erik’s heart thudded in his chest, echoing throughout his head as his pulse beat in time with his throbbing headache. Where was Harry? He ran to their bedroom, dreading what he might find. Or not find. Harry had been acting strangely for a few months. Erik wondered if he was cheating on him, but couldn’t fathom his straight-laced hubby doing so. Maybe he was unhappy in their marriage and didn’t know how to express it? Erik couldn’t imagine losing Harry, despite their issues.

Sweat coalesced on Erik’s brow when he stopped before their bed. It was as pristine as the day he left on his business trip two weeks ago. Harry was horrible at making the bed. He left wrinkles and the blankets and sheets crooked. It offended Erik’s sense of order, so one of his chores was making the bed every morning. Harry had not slept in this bed for two weeks.

Erik wiped the cold moisture from his forehead and rubbed his clammy hands on his blue jeans. Fuck. He grabbed his hot pink iPhone with shaky hands and pressed Harry’s number. He jumped when the phone buzzed on the dresser behind him. “Dammit, Harry! How could you do this to me!” he yelled. In the ensuing silence, an out-of-place noise drew his attention. Someone was running their garden hose. The sound of running water and the splash it made as it hit their bedroom window was unmistakable. Plus the hook up was right under their window.

Erik decided he wanted some protection before he went outside to confront whoever was using their hose. He was a prudent man and assuming that it was Harry using the hose outside could get him killed if it wasn’t. He opened their closet door to grab one of Harry golf clubs and flinched and shielded his eyes when the bedroom light glared off the sea of aluminum foil draped over hangers, filling their walk-in closet. He abandoned the golf club idea and sprinted to the back sliding door of their house, throwing it open and rushing outside. He tripped over Harry’s favorite garden ornament—a white concrete chubby little cherub with outstretched wings, pitted with gray dots from the weather—and landed face first in a mud puddle. He stood, sputtering brown liquid, and attempted to wipe the watery earth from his face and clothes, but only succeeded in smearing it further.

He looked toward the area of the hose-hook up and froze. It felt as if time stood still as he took in the sight of his naked husband sitting in the middle of a large puddle of water. Harry was muttering to himself as he smeared mud on his body with one hand and hosed it off with the other, causing the splashing noise Erik had heard in their bedroom.

“Harry? Honey? It’s me… please stop,” Erik stated as he approached his distraught husband. Flashes of Harry’s family history echoed through his mind, chilling him. His husband had a significant family history of schizophrenia, and Harry was at the age where symptoms first manifested. He gently reached for the hose, only to be greeted with a loud scream from Harry, and ice-cold water blasted his face, taking his breath away. Erik backed off, allowing the poor man some peace. He reached into his pocket and took out his phone. Tears fell on the screen as he tapped the numbers 9-1-1.

Thank you to Cole for another fun morning writing prompts. I hope you all enjoy them as much we did writing them.  :D 
Copyright © 2018 Valkyrie; All Rights Reserved.
  • Like 6
  • Love 3
  • Wow 1
  • Sad 6
Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 
You are not currently following this author. Be sure to follow to keep up to date with new stories they post.

Recommended Comments

Chapter Comments

I feel like I just got walloped. My jaw is quivering and my eyes are burning. So, so sad. Powerful, and beautifully done, Val :hug:  Cheers... Gary....

  • Like 2
Link to comment
  • Site Administrator
On 10/7/2017 at 9:02 PM, dughlas said:

Wow!

From this response, I would say the prompt worked exactly as intended :) 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • Site Administrator
On 10/7/2017 at 10:22 PM, BlindAmbition said:

I know you used cards... Just wow. Well written, and slightly depressing.

Thanks :) Not all stories have happy endings.  I appreciate the comments.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • Site Administrator
On 10/8/2017 at 12:05 AM, deville said:

Beautifully written , but incredibly sad.

Thank you so much :hug: 

Link to comment
  • Site Administrator
On 10/8/2017 at 11:42 AM, Headstall said:

I feel like I just got walloped. My jaw is quivering and my eyes are burning. So, so sad. Powerful, and beautifully done, Val :hug:  Cheers... Gary....

Thanks, Gary.  I appreciate you reading and taking the time to comment.  :hug: 

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Oh wow, to come home to something like that... So sad. I really hope Harry get help. REally amazing to get to that in such a short period of time for writing. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • Site Administrator
1 minute ago, Puppilull said:

Oh wow, to come home to something like that... So sad. I really hope Harry get help. REally amazing to get to that in such a short period of time for writing. 

Thanks :) 

Link to comment
  • Site Administrator
4 minutes ago, LilDaddy98 said:

Sad yet poignant. Another job well done.

Thank you :) 

Link to comment
  • Site Administrator
7 hours ago, Sherye said:

Not sure what to say about this sad tale!

That's ok.  Thank you for reading :hug:  

  • Love 1
Link to comment
View Guidelines

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Newsletter

    Sign Up and get an occasional Newsletter.  Fill out your profile with favorite genres and say yes to genre news to get the monthly update for your favorite genres.

    Sign Up
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Our Privacy Policy can be found here: Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue..