So I missed the Flash Friday yesterday due to spending the afternoon golfing (note I am not a golfer so I suppose a more accurate description is that I spent the afternoon hiking in the woods) However the photo prompt really caught my eye so I figured I would attempt it anyway just slightly late. We had 300-500 words to write a story about this:
Abandoned boy. Photo courtesy of Toni Frissell.
Here is my attempt:
“I still remember it like it was yesterday. I was sleeping, dreaming of Christmas and the Chocolate bar I had asked Santa for. I’m sure you’re thinking what a rubbish present, but believe me little one, things were different in those days. I was woken by a bang and a rattle at my door. I had always been afraid of monsters, coming for me in the night. I reached for my comforter, the cuddly toy my Mum had made for me. It had started as a whale, but I cried and cried that a whale couldn’t survive out of water so she turned him into a guard dog instead. His name was Godiva, named after the lady that had protected our fair city many years ago. As I cuddled him the sirens started. I did not panic, I waited patiently for my parents to come and take me to the shelter like they always did. I waited and waited, the bangs got louder and more frequent, but still they did not come. I called out but there was no answer and I was too afraid to leave the safety of my bed. Suddenly there was a bang so loud it shook the dust from the roof and I jumped right out of my bed and slid under it. I wasn’t afraid of the monsters, I had Godiva to protect me. There was so much noise I had to put my hands over my ears whilst the tears ran down my face. I don’t know how long I was under there, it felt like forever, but when I took my hands away the bangs and the sirens had stopped. There was light coming through my window, night time was over and the monsters were all gone. I still clutched Godiva as I opened my bedroom door. Everything was wrong, the hallway was gone, the stairs were missing, there was empty space where my parents bedroom used to be. I couldn’t get down, there was a ten foot drop onto nothing but rubble. I started to cry again and a nice man in a uniform saw me. He found a ladder and came to rescue me. As we reached ground level I looked down the street but didn’t recognise it, half of the houses were missing. A small part of me still expected my parents to run around the corner to scoop me up in their arms. My rescuer looked me in the eyes and told me not to worry, I would be ok, I was a survivor.”
She stares at me with her big blue eyes, “I don’t understand Grandpa, what happened?”
“It was the Blitz sweetheart, the time when our beautiful city was reborn. I’m afraid one day you will be old enough to understand war, but I am glad it’s not today. Now you can understand he is so important to me and why I want you to have him. He will keep you safe from monsters.”
She nods as she hugs Godiva more tightly than ever as I kiss her goodnight.
