For Mikeydred's June Challenge
June is a month of rest and escape. The idea of escape also calls for some introspection..is it the answer? Or a point of regret?
πͺπ«π§π»π§Ήβ‘οΈβπ£βππ£οΈ"εζ" (regret)ππ³οΈβπ·πͺ
No one saw Mr. Chee leave the Assisted Living Community--there was just his crossword, half-completed, a half-eaten boiled egg and a cup of half-drunk coffee.
Ching, the night-orderly, grumbled. Stuck in a rut. The money wasn't enough--she had to support her three sons, now that her half-baked husband had taken off.
She bumped into the new door while sweeping. It was never there. Brass frame, freshly varnished.
She rapped gingerly. No response.
She opened it-- and entered.
Never returned.
The neighbors mentioned grumbling, in Mandarin: "Ho hui (regret)."
The staff now avoid that door. Escape wasn't freedom, but another blocked exit.
πͺπ«π§π»π§Ήβ‘οΈβπ£βππ£οΈ"εζ" (regret)ππ³οΈβπ·πͺ
Original drabble by Michelle Liew. AI tags are coincidental.
About the Creator
Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin
Hi, i am an English Language teacher cum freelance writer with a taste for pets, prose and poetry. When I'm not writing my heart out, I'm playing with my three dogs, Zorra, Cloudy and Snowball.
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Comments (7)
I do believe we need to know more about this here door
Well writtenβ¦ seriously unsettling!π³π₯Ή
A place of no returnβ¦crazy. Great story.
Well-wrought! Your stories, especially the shorts, have that air of magical realism I most love about the work of Gene Wolfe. We are left wondering where this door may actually lead. It fires the imagination in the best way!
This is a great story and I love that you can find so many facets of the prompt/ challenge
Now that's scaryyyy! Loved your story!
That door will haunt me for a while.