Ficlets

Kelly sits on the swings softly pushing herself back and letting herself go. Her mother sits on a bench behind her watching, about 300 feet between them.

She sits there thinking about what she would be going home to… a worthless man who constantly demeans her. She sits watching her daughter thinking how having Kelly had ruined her life, she never would have married that man if not for that one night.

Kelly continues swinging, unaware that her mother has walked away from the park and out of her life. Unaware that her mother has left her alone there to care for herself and find her own way home. Unaware she is on her own.

Kelly jumps off the swing and comes running to the bench where her mother sat to find only the magazine her mother had been reading.

She wanders through the park looking for her mother but after several hours gives up and goes to sit on the bench.

Her father finds her there crying all alone several more hours later. He grabs her roughly by the wrist and drags her home.