PASS THE PARCEL - a story in 100 words

PASS THE PARCEL

When the social worker put Josie into my arms she was a silent, smelly little bundle – a two-year-old weighing less than our Christmas turkey. A life of being passed like a parcel between a drug-addict mother and a series of careless minders had almost killed her.

She slept in my bed that night and for months afterwards, gradually emerging from her shell, shrinking back when her feckless mother dropped in, but we fought off the woman’s attempts to reclaim her.

Now she's about to marry Martin – if he doesn’t treat her right he’ll have me to answer to.

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You don't have to be a birth mother to be fiercely protective, as I learned in my earlier life a a foster mother. Even some of my own children's friends became very dear to me.
Thanks to Rochelle for hosting Friday Fictioneers on her blog   https://rochellewisoff.com/  and to Jean L Hays for the photograph.

MEMORIAL - a story in one hundred words

MEMORIAL

I was fourteen, running away from my stepfather, ducked in here out of the rain and practically fell over Mike. He gave me one of his coats.

It was our home for months till they caught me shoplifting and put me in care, but then the social worker tried it on so I came back to Mike.

Five years we had before his cough turned worse. I got us into a shelter but it was too late.

The Social cremated him and gave me his ashes. That’s his grave there – the only dad I ever had worth the name.

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This week's prompt photograph was taken by our leader personally - Rochelle - who you will find on her blog at  https://rochellewisoff.com/  From there you can follow the link to read other stories by dozens more writers like me, all of whom hope you will leave a comment and want to read more.

With Christmas coming up, I trust your shopping list includes lots of books? You can buy my latest book, Helter-Skelter, an historical novel, by clicking on the cover image on this page. Or if you like prehistoric adventure, the first in my Living Rock series, A Volcanic Race, is available on Amazon. Read it now before the next one comes out - I will be publishing Wolf Pack very soon.