Photo Prompt © J Hardy Carroll

The day John finished his 15 year sentence, he made his way to the old neighborhood. His eyes paused at the run down building. With its corrugated iron roof, frayed walls and intact windows – it tug at his heart-strings.

This is where he grew up. This is where he made memories.

Dropping by the tannery after school and watching his father run the leather business was his favorite pasttime.

But now, 15 years later, he had disappointed his family, and himself.


The next morning, he was found hanging from the ceiling, feet dangling inches off his fathers old wooden desk.

 

Word count: 100

This post was written as part of the Friday Fictioneers Challenge hosted by the wonderful Rochelle. The idea is to write a short story (100 words), based on the photo prompt provided.

To read more interesting stories, hop on over to froggy island.

18 responses to “Returning Home”

  1. A really powerful tragedy. Well written.

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  2. What a sad story, Nadia. Truly a pity he couldn’t give himself a second chance.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

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  3. Oh my gosh, the pre-ending was already so sad; but you made it so much worse! 😦

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  4. I was not prepared for that ending! The heart breaks at such hopelessness.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. He was heart broken as well. It’s unfortunate he had to go down that route.
      Thanks for reading!

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Such a sad ending. He needed help to make that transition. Thank God for those organizations that work to prevent scenes like this.

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    1. Absolutely. Transitioning back to life is tough.
      Thanks for stopping by!

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  6. What a sad story. The son felt unworthy of his father, and couldn’t live with that. Even just a little love could have saved him.

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    1. Everyone could use a little more love in this world – right?
      Thanks for reading!

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  7. Couldn’t face his family after 15 years. Convicts find it difficult to adapt to life outside the prison. Things change so much in a decade and they no longer fit into the free world. I can imagine many choosing this route.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s true! It is a process to adapt back to life. Things have changed, people have moved on.
      Thanks for reading!

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  8. What a tragic story. Fresh out of prison and all John wants to do do / all he can do is go home. Home to nothing. Why didn’t his parents, his family tell him they’d moved? Suicidal thoughts and actions are so sad.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s just the way it transpired for him. Very unfortunate. Perhaps his family couldn’t forgive him for his crime that put him in prison in the first place?

      Liked by 1 person

  9. So sad. What a pity that after completing his sentence he couldn’t find the strength to move forward and start again…

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Regrets. He’s had a few. Well done in telling the story!

    Liked by 1 person

I look forward to your comments!

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