Photo Prompt by Barbara Beacham.
The Escapist
Not knowing what to expect, he made his way into the dark of the forest. But I feel this was nothing unusual and very much aligned with his childhood escape pattern.
As a child his escape cocoons were weirder. If some sibling got a wonderful birthday present, then locking himself inside his cupboard was a sure way to compel his parents to buy him a better gift. Hiding under the bed for hours was also his favorite; leaving his pampering mom with no choice but to cook the food he loved. Once he deliberately got lost in a big supermarket till his anxious parents reported to the police, only to find their teenager just around the corner.
The family escaped the tantrums when he got married. Let his wife bear the brunt! Since he could no more fit under his bed, if offended, he would vanish into his garage tool-room or sports club for hours and hours.
The couple’s new house is close to a forest so after their latest tiff, he went to the forest, threatening to never come back.
Possibly it was only a threat and due to fear of wild animals he returned back soon. Possibly he never returned. I’m not sure.
~~~~
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This was my flash fiction/short story for ‘Mondays Finish the Story’ challenge by Barbara Beacham. We are provided with a photo prompt as well as the first sentence to begin the story, after which we finish it.
Are you an escapist?
Dangerous trait. Holding others to ransom.
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More of self-centered immaturity. Kids with greater need for love and attention resort to all sorts of means to get what they want. This is often carried forward to their youth till even older age.
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He needs some serious help!
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Yes. But only if he comes back from the forest
Actually there would not be many such characters.
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Haha! I like how it ended, “Possibly he never returned. I don’t know.” He was such a brat growing up that the narrator doesn’t seem to care if he came back from the forest or not. Maybe the narrator is his wife. LOL!
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Thanks Joy, I too laughed while writing the story. A wayward brat sure he is. If narrator is to be his wife, readers will assume she should know he came back or not 🙂 It’s another thing that this wife may not care too much.
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The last line “I don’t know…” really got me! Thank you for participating in the Mondays Finish the Story challenge. I appreciate your contribution. Be well… ^..^ And, I hope that you return for the next one too!
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Thank you! A line as ambiguous as this man entering the dark forest.
Thanks for the inspiring challenge. I will try if inspiration continues to strike.
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I hope that it does!
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Hi Alka,
I wouldn’t laugh off the ending…this man needs help. Since he could never get over his childhood pranks shows the seriousness of this behavior. Somehow I have always detested escapism. It is a very negative way of looking at life and the challenges it presents. I am sure you can write more about this topic or another story, like they say…we want more!
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Hi Balroop,
Exactly. The character I portrayed has traces of attention-seeking childhood and himself doesn’t know how to deal with the situations he creates. So escapism becomes the best resort or control mechanism.
Not a bad idea to continue writing on this topic. I will do so and I’m thinking of giving this story a proper end 🙂 a lengthy one at that.
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