A last goodnight – Room 101

These things tend to be short pieces that may or may not be the beginning of something else.  Originally they were 101 words only.  I’m less strict about that now.  They dont always finish, I just like to try and evoke a certain feeling or scene.

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The old porch swing creaked as Cal pushed slowly back and forth, the evening breeze cool against his skin and the smell of bougainvillea thick in the air.  Sam sat with him, saying nothing, simply staring up into the sky where the huge fireball seemed to hang like a balloon on the wind.  After a while he shifted in his seat and spoke.

“How long until it get’s here dad?” He asked.

Cal placed his hand on Sam’s arm.  He was a great kid with so much of his life still to be lived.  He deserved better than this.

“They say tomorrow will be our last.” Cal answered calmly.  He thought to himself that he probably should have lied but Sam wasn’t stupid.  He knew what was coming, he’d seen the news.

“So why couldn’t they stop it?” He asked.

“We did everything we could son” he answered putting his arm around his shoulder and pulling him close.  “But it was too big, too fast, and we just saw it too late.”

Sam pointed at the sky.  “It looks like another sun doesn’t it” he said quite calmly.

“Uh huh.  I guess so” Cal answered.

Sam lowered his arm and sat up straight on the edge of the bench.  He shuffled where he sat, looking uncomfortable.

“Did we deserve to die?” He asked “because Jenny Wilkes at the store said this was happening because we’re all evil.”

“Sam no, god no” Cal answered sitting upright next to him.  “We’re just in it’s path son, it’s nothing we’ve done.”

Sam seemed happy with the answer.  “I’m not scared you know” he said turning to look at his father.  “I’ve had a good life.”

Cal choked up.  He didn’t know what to say.  Here he was wanting to scream and shout about how unfair it all was and his son goes and says that.

“Do you think I would have had a wife one day?” Sam continued.

“Oh Sam” Cal exclaimed fighting back tears.  “I’m quite sure you would have yes.  Definitely yes.”

“Do you think she would have been like mum?”

“I’m sure she would have been just as wonderful as your mum son, without a doubt.” Cal answered, tears streaming down his face.  Sam wasn’t really old enough to remember her but every night he would ask and Cal would tell him all about her. “She would have been so proud of you, you know that right.”

Sam stood from the bench and turned to face his father.

“I know dad” he said smiling and reached out a hand.  “Let’s go watch a movie, I think that would be a good way to spend the night.  Then tomorrow we will see mum again.”