Last month Charlie Mills of the CarrotRanch ran a month long Flash Fiction Rodeo Contest. Each weekly contest consisted of a subject to compose our 99 word entries for. Today I’m sharing my entry for the Memoir Flash Fiction Challenge. The subject for the story was “She Did It”. Although I didn’t win, it was a fun challenge and I wish a hardy congratulations to those who won.

 

 

The Narcissist

 

Mother broke hearts with her beauty. Her heart was impenetrable. Her razor-sharp tongue peppered with acidic words, seared holes through my self-esteem, perplexing my childhood and self-worth. I envied her beauty, despite not desiring to emulate.

Cutting words, her specialty. Brainwashed by lies, I thought I needed help. It was my mother requiring analysis. Desperation loomed, anticipating escaping her twisted manipulation and projecting unto others of what festered in her soul.

I escaped. The wounds didn’t. Words embedded, stifled with guilt, my spirit shattered from her black, troubled soul.

Fifty years later, the shackles released. “I banish you Mother.”

 

If you’d like to see some of the entries and the list of winners please visit the CarrotRanch.