A picture prompt, a 100-word story that links dozens of awesome writer bloggers! Thank you, Rochelle Wishoff-Fields!
Nero is gone. His absence is a tangible thing, messing with my insides. It feels like a death of a person—debilitating pain then numbing hollowness. A rusty coin flipping around at will.
I look around frantically. What now? He’s nowhere? Nothing?
Suddenly, I become restless. I rush into the shed and put the box of hodgepodge, on-the-way-out stuff on the working bench. A moment ago they were nothing, too. I will change that.
That I can do.
75 words
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Only yesterday, I read a heart-wrenching story/tribute to a pet gone by my writer friend Effrosyni Moschoudi (here’s her blog post). I read that after an uplifting visit to another writer friend, Nicholas Rossis, whose own dog stole my heart. I’m not really a dog person, but this week’s story had to be about person’s best friend. (Had to politically rectify the term.) Here are my friends with their beloved pets. Nerina is a living memory, Meli is a sweet physical presence. My story is about creating something from (visibly) nothing.
For more great flash fiction, click on the linky.
MM Jaye's HEAs 
Loved your little story and thank you for mentioning Nerina and yesterday’s post. Excuse me now, I have to go open my diary and look up ‘hodgepodge’ – LOL 😀
A double thank-you, Fros, for inspiring this week’s story!
Your explanation made me reread your story which then brought a lump to my throat. Nicely done.
Thank you, Louise! I loved your story as well!
That’s sweet – both the story and the exposition 🙂
Thanks for including Meli, I’m flattered! 🙂
Building a tribute for your lost dog.. what a sweet thing to do.
This is a grand tribute to a lost pet. Sadly we have lost many kitties and there’s always a tiny hole left in the heart. What a perfect take on the prompt.
If you every lost a good pet, you feel like your story. Nicely written.
Dear Maria,
Losing a pet is as painful as losing any loved one. You’ve written a fitting tribute to pet lovers. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
A moving little tale.
What a nice idea to try to reverse the feeling of annihilation. A wonderful story.
Very touching and so close to home.