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Thursday, June 25, 2015

RUNAWAY


RUNAWAY

I've relocated before. Disowned at sixteen, I showed them and graduated college, then graduate school. I more than survived, I excelled.

The second time I was running for my life. Hidden bruises would never compare to the emotional baggage his terror produced.

The third time I went in search of opportunity because a manager refused to recognize my skills, after all, I'm merely a woman.

Today, as I walk that lonely road and explore my new cities crowded streets alone, I have to wonder, especially after thirty years together; maybe running is just an excuse for not trying harder.

99 Words
Yolanda Renée © 2015
*****



Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff Fields. She's provided the following PHOTO PROMPT via Kent Bonham -- the copyright belongs to Kent. Tell us where it takes you in a hundred words or less. 

What does this photograph provoke in you? Join the fun -- share your story HERE!


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35 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 25, 2015 at 9:07 AM

    Injustice is difficult to deal with, whether you run or you don't.
    Good piece.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yolanda RenéeJune 25, 2015 at 7:23 PM

      Thanks micklively, we do have to deal, because the personal scars can't be left behind.

      Delete
  2. Pat HattJune 25, 2015 at 9:11 AM

    Sometimes we have to try and other times running is a good option

    ReplyDelete
  3. Michelle WallaceJune 25, 2015 at 10:24 AM

    Love your take on the prompt.
    Great FF!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yolanda RenéeJune 25, 2015 at 7:21 PM

      Thanks Michelle, if I'd noticed the garlic earlier it might have gone differently, but I saw dark lonely streets lit by neon instead.

      Delete
  4. Chrys FeyJune 25, 2015 at 11:51 AM

    After graduating college and graduate school after being disowned, I wouldn't say she wasn't trying.

    Nice piece!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yolanda RenéeJune 25, 2015 at 7:20 PM

      Thanks Chrys, I think by the fourth move, she's questioning the thirty year marriage, and if running became too easy. She a survivor for sure, but being alone is the hardest part.

      Delete
  5. AnonymousJune 25, 2015 at 2:17 PM

    We have to pick what battles we fight.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yolanda RenéeJune 25, 2015 at 7:18 PM

      Yes, creatingahomeng we do, some battles require a loss of comfort for survival.

      Delete
  6. The Happy WhiskJune 25, 2015 at 3:49 PM

    Wow, that's pretty darn good stuff.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yolanda RenéeJune 25, 2015 at 7:17 PM

      Hey Ivy, thanks. Hope all is well at your house!

      Delete
  7. brudbergJune 25, 2015 at 4:47 PM

    I think for some life means being doomed to run.. especially for women.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yolanda RenéeJune 25, 2015 at 7:16 PM

      I agree brudberg. Sometimes there is no other choice. Thanks!

      Delete
  8. Perry BlockJune 25, 2015 at 4:52 PM

    Not sure her running wasn't a necessity given her circumstances. She achieved brilliantly against all odds, left an abusive husband (it seems), and continued to look for an opportunity where she could succeed on her own terms. If that's avoiding your life, I'd like to know what isn't. Very provocative story.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yolanda RenéeJune 25, 2015 at 7:15 PM

      Hi Perry, Thanks. I saw her questioning the loss of a thirty year marriage. The first three moves were necessary, but she's wondering if running became too easy, too familiar.

      Delete
  9. klahanieJune 25, 2015 at 9:02 PM

    Hey Yolanda,

    Yes and sorry, I know you've been twiddling your thumbs waiting for a comment from shy and humble me! :)

    Nicely done. A thoughtful piece of writing, Yolanda. You can try to distance yourself from what was but you can't run away from yourself.

    Gary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yolanda RenéeJune 26, 2015 at 5:07 PM

      I always wait with baited breath, your comment! :)
      True, self always follows, no matter how fast you run!

      Be well, Gary or is it Bond?

      Delete
  10. UnknownJune 25, 2015 at 9:30 PM

    This is very thoughtful indeed.
    I think, facing up to one's fear shows courage, but sometimes we have to choose our battles wisely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yolanda RenéeJune 26, 2015 at 5:08 PM

      Thank you Francesca, courage and doubts combined!

      Delete
  11. dralimanJune 26, 2015 at 2:58 AM

    Sometimes run (like the "second time"), sometimes try harder - it's all about picking your battles.

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousJune 26, 2015 at 5:37 AM

    I think that running is the same as trying harder, depending on the perspective. You have set up a nice tension, as we learn why she ran before. But not specifically why she ran after the 30 year marriage. Her other runnings were well justified.
    Great take on the prompt. I wish her well.
    In case I remain anonymous, it's Phylor commenting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yolanda RenéeJune 26, 2015 at 5:14 PM

      Hey phylor, your name shows up every time. Thanks for the thoughtful comment, there should be more, but for 100 words, I usually write and finish and never go back. I admire the stories that continue each week.

      Delete
  13. JoJune 26, 2015 at 8:26 AM

    Never had to run, lucky I guess.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Maurice MitchellJune 26, 2015 at 8:17 PM

    That last line is haunting Yolanda. Chillingly good

    ReplyDelete
  15. margireneJune 27, 2015 at 8:11 PM

    I like how you've built this character. Her early experiences have made her the person she now is, and she's developed skills of survival. Her self-doubt at the end is poignant - has she taken the wrong path this time?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Denise Covey June 28, 2015 at 1:13 AM

    Second try to comment Yolanda. You're a master of ff now. Haunting. I wonder if she thinks about trying to stay instead of run.

    Thanks for the sidebar teasers for WEP. Exciting!

    Greetings from Noumea!

    Denise :-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Rochelle Wisoff-FieldsJune 28, 2015 at 6:40 AM

    Dear Yolanda,

    Pity she still feels she has to run after all she's achieved. Well written story of a driven woman.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    ReplyDelete
  18. Tiffany M.June 28, 2015 at 11:46 AM

    Wow - after all she's done, it's a pity she has to continue running. I hope one day she finds a place where she can stop. Nicely done.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Alice AudreyJune 29, 2015 at 1:15 AM

    All three sound to me like excellent reasons to move on. If the result is loneliness - well, that can happen even without making a change.

    ReplyDelete
  20. P.S. JoshiJuly 1, 2015 at 2:34 AM

    Well written. You've managed to get part of a woman's life into a few words. I admire someone like her as she's a fighter, not a quitter. She just needs to find a place where she can excel. Good story, Yolanda. :) --- Suzanne

    ReplyDelete

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