ARMISTICE DAY, 1918

~ Iain Kelly

‘The decoration’s are a bit much, those candles’ll set the place on fire.’

‘You hush. We can’t have him coming home to a dull house without some sort of celebration.’

‘He won’t be back for days yet.’

‘But we’ll be ready for him when he does come home.’

She stepped down and looked at the room. He stood and put his arm round her. They smiled and he kissed her gently on the cheek.

Outside, the delivery boy found the number of the house he was looking for. He nervously fingered the telegram from the British War Office.

‘We deeply regret to inform you…’

Copyright Dale Rogerson

Written for Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above).

To read stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.

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Published by Iain Kelly

39 year old writer, avid film viewer and book reader, employed in the media industry as a television editor.

88 thoughts on “ARMISTICE DAY, 1918”

  5. There was this perversity that the respective commands ordered assaults to take place even when they knew the armistice would happen shortly. I find that difficult to comprehend but we know far more about warfare now.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. I know we can be critical of the media, but this is the area where I think we benefitted the most, just that we are so much better informed. Not just war itself, but especially WW1, the causes were so unclear. To imagine a politician crying “we are at war” and a country just falling in behind them,,, I don’t think it would happen now.

        Liked by 1 person

  16. The painful irony was real. Many soldiers died after the war was declared over. It took a while for the news to reach everywhere. So sad, such heartbreak. Well written, Iain.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  22. My Uncle who I never met, word was recieved of his death on Christmas Eve 1944, his body returned to the US on my birthday, Dec 22, 1947. My grandparents did not celebrate Christmas.
    I felt the story in my soul.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. Yeah, after the first time she refused to believe it until she saw his body. Apparently, it wasn’t uncommon to receive a telegram in error such was the chaos of the fighting. Men would go missing and simply assumed dead.

        Liked by 1 person

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