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The man sits at the table glaring at the woman on the other side. Their eyes lock, causing him to scowl. Both of their shoulders tense up. For twenty six years he has been fighting this woman. He clenches the edge of the table, causing his knuckles to turn white. Her hand moves, then she quickly pulls it back. Her tongue clicks, then she growls, “No.” Watching her intently, he waits for her to make a mistake. Disbelief spreads across her face. Maybe, just maybe, he thinks, hope rising. Her lower lip starts quivering. “Pass,” she mutters, weakly, turning her head away. “Finally,” he yells and slaps down his last tile onto the game board. “I not only have the last word, but I have also finally beaten my little sister at Scrabble.” He smiles at her, fondly, realizing that he really does like her. Maybe he always has. |
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Done Fighting by Deborah A. Upton
Filed under Deborah A. Upton
52|250 A Year of Flash 
Well I was sure it was an old married couple who lived in the state of hate, so when you turned the tables here, I was def taken by surprise! Nice story!
Thank goodness you were fooled and then surprised! Mission accomplished!
suspense and great turnaround at the end!
The suspense came through which makes me feel successful because it’s hard to build up suspense in such a short amount of space.
ha! loved this and loved the ending. can so relate, i am a huge scrabble fiend. peace…
It helps to be able to relate to a story. I’m glad I was able to write one you can enjoy.
You turned the tables on me on this one. Nice work.
Wow! Thanks.
You had me too. I was thinking that they were a long-married couple barely able to tolerate one another, and then the surprise that it was a brother and sister. I really liked the sibling rivalry and the resolve – maybe he’d always liked her. Doris
My goal was to set you up, Doris! Just think after all those years, then all at once, relief.
This was wonderful!
Thanks, ganymeder. I’m glad you liked it.
Delightful, loved the twist and it turning out they are siblings. Made me wonder how many sibs end up sounding like old married couples, or vice versa. Interesting.
My son tells me when he was growing up and we played Spades, that I had an “evil” laugh when I beat him, and I was always beating him at the card game. I never realized I had an “evil” laugh until he told me, so now when I play games I try to control my “evil” laugh!
So much tension, and then, wham! it’s over a game. Of course he had always liked her; she repeatedly beat him but he kept coming back for more. Great story, and even a better telling.
Tension–I love that word–then wham! It’s nice to be able to get all of that out there and have it all resolved by the end.
Great, tense tale.
I wonder if she let him win…
Surely not, do you think? I mean, her lower lip was quivering. Hum…
yes, i agree with the group. you set it up nice and then shot us the other way cleverly. nice job.
Thank you. I wish I could do that with other stories I have written, but some stories just seem to naturally happen.
You’ve outfoxed me! Great fun!
It was fun. I enjoyed writing this piece.
Ah, sibling rivalry lives on forever, doesn’t it? Nice.
Sometimes sibling rivalry can last a lifetime and beyond!
rivalry and affection, I liked that – and the tables turning too!
It’s amazing how blinding rivalry can be!
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