F.R.E.D.

Forgiveness isn't always EASY

Quick story idea for a 48 hour challenge. This is not perfect but comments are welcome! Here it is:


Jackie sat on the edge of her bed, crying. Her eyes burned and her vision blurred. Though the room was well lit, darkness seemed to hang in the room. She could sense this darkness as if something unclean snuck in and filled every crack and crevice within her room with its evil and it changed her. It wasn’t just a kiss, it was an unwanted kiss, and her lips burned because of it. Her memory of the moment burned through her body until her toes curled and she couldn’t stop shaking.

Jackie screamed, but no one was there to hear her. She got up, went to the bathroom and felt like puking, but didn’t. In the shower she scrubbed herself raw. She scrubbed until a bit of the weight lifted from her shoulders and she began to relax. Knowing this wouldn’t be enough, she began to clean. This dark thing that dwelled within her house had to go.

The vacuum was just the start of the cleaning process. The sheets went in the wash along with the curtains and everything else that could get thrown in. Her arms hurt. Her back ached. No amount of cleaning seemed to lessen the evil she sensed in the room and her tears ran uselessly down her cheek.

Finally, after hours of cleaning, it dawned on her that she needed her best friend back. The same best friend who had kissed her gently, not forced. The stuff in her room was suddenly unimportant as she rose up with a purpose. Something settled in her mind and it seemed as if a voice whispered to her. First, it said, forgive yourself. Don’t spread bad feelings. Forgive your friend.

But, fear gripped Jackie’s heart and it was the fear of rejection. She dropped the phone with suddenly numb fingers. A deep breath. She counted to ten. Another deep breath and she was ready. She picked up the phone, called her friend and it went right to voice mail. Leaving a message was the hardest thing she had done, ever. Harder than her recent effort her aching muscles could attest to. Scolding her friend for kissing her, to the point of in the moment hate, she needed to say she was sorry, before it was too late. Unless it was too late already? Worry caused her to cramp up.

She wouldn’t lie to herself any more. The kiss did feel good, just not right. It was late and tiredness caused her to sit down on her couch. She longed for a drink but she had been there before and didn’t want to go down that road again. She closed her eyes and without meaning to, slept until she heard a sight knocking on the door. Jumping up, suddenly awake, she ran to the door and flung it open. Annie stood there, tear streaked. Jackie couldn’t wait any longer, she flung herself roughly into a giant hug, squeezing Annie until Annie complained she couldn’t breathe.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you and saying those mean things to you. I can’t lose my best friend!” Tears ran down Jackie’s face once again.

         “I won’t apologize for the kiss.” Annie said. “It’s how I feel…”

“I’m not gay.” Jackie blurted out. “I choose not to be, but we can still be friends, right?” Her pleading look caused Annie to crack a smile.

         “Yes. We will always be friends…"