THE ROMANTIC

He scrawled the heart on their bench, the tears streaming down his face matching the grey sleet that slashed across the sky. She would know, she would see what she had done to him. This was where they had met, on this bench. This was where she had told him it was over, that she had met someone else. He climbed the fence and looked down into the swirling river below, and jumped.

The municipal worker sighed and took out the paint remover from his van and set to work. These young kids, their graffiti messing up the city.

Twenty minutes later, the black heart was gone.

Copyright RogerBultot

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

In other writing news, I finally made it to the end of another first draft this week, only a month or so behind (my self-imposed) schedule. On to the editing and rewriting for a couple of months, but at somewhere, somehow, there will be another book!

‘The Barra Boy’ is available now. You can find all the information for getting a copy HERE.

68 responses to “THE ROMANTIC”

  1. Impressive also for Valentine. Thanks for sharing, Iain! Have a nice week! xx Michael

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I had forgotten about Valentine’s Day! It does tie in I suppose!

      Like

  2. Oh no! Now she’ll never know

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I wonder if she will realise when she finds out

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Perhaps she will.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Poor guy!
    You got a lot of emotion in for so few words. Nicely done, Iain.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Heart & him both erased…
    Wish he didn’t have to commit suicide.
    Life is for living. Hope all understand this.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. He’ll doubtless get carried downstream and no-one will know where he entered the water. And it doesn’t sound as though she’d care enough to find out either. Well done.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Someone is always cleaning up after vandals. I guess she didn’t see the heart.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Nope, all his effort for nothing

      Liked by 1 person

  7. So much emotion here. The sadness he’s feeling and the drastic action he takes, only to be wiped away by a stranger. I enjoyed this very much, thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Dear Iain,

    So sad. The contrast of his emotion and the lack of the emotion of the other man who removed the heart added to the tragic effect. Well done. I feel you on the edits.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Rochelle, hope your edits are progressing well!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. They are…sometimes it’s two steps forward and six backward. At times it’s emotionally painful. Slaughtering those darlings and telling myself the reader will never miss them. 😉

        Liked by 1 person

  9. Oh golly Iain, this was so beautifully and poignantly written, but absolutely devastating.
    My story was based on a suicide note which was found by a coroner’s assistant. It read: “‘I’m going to walk to the bridge. If one person smiles at me on the way, I will not jump.’” How tragic. Somehow we need to reach out to those around us who are struggling. Yet, at the same time, they’re often not responding or they’re really difficult to deal with. Yet, I’m sure we can each do a little to make someone else’s life a tad more bearable and to feel cared for and maybe even loved.
    Best wishes,
    Rowena

    Like

  10. Our stories are similar, Iain, only mine doesn’t have a cold-hearted municipal worker to take off the heart 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  11. That’s just plain tragic.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Sick at heart after reading this. I’m glad she’ll never know.

    Happy you’re on to another book, Iain.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. You’re very welcome.

        Like

  13. A powerful piece of writing Iain,

    Liked by 1 person

  14. That photo was sure to spawn some broken hearts. Your story has more than just that behind it though. The character wished to inflict pain as his last act but even that was denied him.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. How sad! A huge moment in one person’s life, a mess to clean up for another. Perspective.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. So sad, with so much emotion and two different perspectives. In just 100 words. Well done.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. You’re welcome 😊

        Liked by 1 person

  17. The municipal worker will never know what he actually did. A sorrowful story, Iain.

    Liked by 1 person

  18. What a sad tale, a wasted life as well as a wasted gesture.

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Oh these heartsick fools… All for naught (as they always are). Nicely done, Iain.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. I like how you basically erased this young man by using the clean-up crew.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yep! Thanks Alicia 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Love. What harm could it do?

    Well told and deep, Iain.

    Liked by 1 person

  22. That black heart has brought some sad stories.
    Good one Iain.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It has indeed. Thanks Dawn

      Liked by 1 person

  23. How easily we’re erased. Nothing seems quite as Earth-shattering as a broken heart.

    Congratulations on finishing your draft. It’s odd how it still seems like it’s an accomplishment and just the beginning at the same time.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you.

      Yes, relief to have made it to the end end, despair that it’s time to go back to the start!

      Liked by 1 person

  24. That was intense and packed with emotion. I loved the piece.

    Liked by 1 person

  25. sad story. too bad it ended that way. 😦

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Some stories are just sad. Thank you!

      Liked by 1 person

  26. Oh. This is very tragic. And then the message left behind is scrubbed away. Truly sad. No one will know.

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Poor Guy, he lost his love and his message was erased. So very sad.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. OMG, Iain. So sad. I’m half-shocked, half-heartbroken. Nice one!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  29. So good, so original – and heartbreakingly true. Some romantic gestures are just never seen, known, understood.

    Liked by 1 person

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