My home is on the top floor of the British Bank Building taking care of my elderly mother. After father died she needed someone to care for her so I moved back home. She has manipulated and controlled my life ever since.
She was diagnosed with COPD and early stage of dementia ten years ago. Ten years later, she is still in early stage of dementia and COPD. The only way the dementia has gotten worse is that she has become meaner, more controlling and more manipulating. She constantly degrades me and tells me what a disappointment I am to her. Nothing I do for her pleases her; it is never good enough for her.
My brother, Christopher, left home as soon as possible and has not looked back since. He is now married, has two children and is an officer in the Royal Navy. I envy him. I am trapped, like a fly caught in a web and mother is the black widow.
I have some arsenic and I will use it. Keep pushing me mother and I will damn sure use it.
I moved back home twelve miserable years ago. I have been in this prison ever since.
200 Words
Sunday Fiction hosts a Weekly Flash Fiction called, “Sunday Photo Fiction.” We are given a photo prompt and are challenged to write a fictional story based on the photo, using 200 words or less. If you are interesting in jumping in to this fun flash fiction challenge with some very amazing writers, please click on the link below:
BEAUTIFUL WORDS 
I’ve already lived thru this for seven+ years. But I made it out alive. 😉 Great piece! 🙂 Living on the top floor of a bank building … heavenly architecture! 🙂
Thank you so very much! (I’m glad you made it out alive) 🙂
This is a beautiful sentence
” I am trapped, like a fly caught in a web and mother is the black widow.”
This is beautifully written:)
Thank you so much! I am pleased you read it and like it. 🙂
Powerful story of someone caught in a very difficult situation, and pushed to the edge.
Thank you. I wasn’t sure if it would go over very well because of the “content.” So… hopefully they won’t kick me out of Sunday Photo Fiction. 🙂 (just kidding). And, this is purely fiction.
The frustration feels very real.
It is purely fiction but thank you for the compliment!!
You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family. Great story Joy
Thank you Al!! That is true about not being able to pick our family. This story is purely fiction. 🙂
Yep, although I can see my family in it in years to come 😉
I understand completely what you mean. 🙂
I am really enjoying your writing. So glad you joined our merry band. Not to worry, we often “bump” people off lol
Oh my gosh I had to laugh! Well, hopefully not the “mother” of the story like my protagonist did! hahaha!!
But then… I guess a mother like that and you would. 😀 Thank you for your warm welcome.
Painful stuff. I am in a similar situation to a certain extent. My question is: Who is the arsenic going to be used on? Nice post!
Haha! Well, I was planning on the protagonist knocking off his mother if she kept pushing him. 😀
I read it as a threat to either knock her off or knock himself off! Ambiguous, but in a very clever (read: good) way!
Thank you Ryan!
Wow! Such intense anger!
Yes! That is what I hoped anyway.
Well done! Bravo! Sounds like the poor entrapped person is willing to trade one prison for another…..
Hey, you are right! I hadn’t thought of that. Well, I will make sure he doesn’t use it. Haha!
I could feel the anger coming off the screen! It must be horrible if you feel trapped or bound by an obligation.
I really liked this bit too: “I have some arsenic and I will use it. Keep pushing me mother and I will damn sure use it”.
Can’t you imagine yourself doing everything you can to help your mother and to please her and she continues to treat you like dirt. I think I would feel outraged. That’s how I think I would feel (however, I would NOT use arsenic). LOL!!
I would not be happy about that either. It would be cruel and, in my opinion, the equivalent to a repeated slap in the face.
Yes, it would be. You are right.
I loved the little humor you added about the arsenic to sort of ease the emotions 🙂 . Haha, and with a mother like that, I’m sure anyone would need all the humor they could gather to survive it
For short stories like this, I love trying to put in surprise twists and if possible, add humor in a tense situation. But that isn’t always possible. LOL!
Seriously, arsenic? Get some insulin 🙂 Dementia is hard enough to live with without the other factors 😦
LOL! I didn’t know about insulin. I will have to remember that for my next bump off. 😀 😀
Handy to know. 🙂 it’s produced with in the body and is therefore quickly broken down. 😉 Arsenic would be switching one prison for another
I don’t think my protagonist would have wanted that. 😀 Thanks for the tip!! 🙂
Very realistic story, Joy. Poor woman. That sounds like a terrible position to be in. It sounds like she’s losing her mind. Well done with great tension. — Suzanne
Thank you Suzanne! I hope I didn’t put it on too thick, but yes, it does sorta sound like she is losing her mind. Best wishes!