She thought of him often, but today, as she stitched, she realised he’d never loved her. He’d never be able to love her. None of them had. Maybe some of them wanted to, but couldn’t.
The needle followed its smooth path, the black stitches small and neat. Her mother taught her to sew when she was nine, always instilling within her a sense of wonder, and power, whenever she created a new dress, or an apron. Making something useful out of nothing but raw materials was something on which she prided herself.
Her thoughts skipped around the vast meadows of her mind, and she thought of the illicit money changing hands, the large packages delivered in the dead of night. The men asked no questions and she told them no lies.
The last stitch slid into place, and she tied off the thread so that the knot was almost invisible. The stitches wouldn’t hold forever, but she already knew that nothing lasted forever. As long as they held long enough to do their job, that was all she asked for.
As she wheeled the gurney out to the balcony, and arranged the lighting rods to their optimum positions, she realised that for the last ten minutes she hadn’t thought of the men she’d met at all. The past was slowly spiralling out of view, leaving only the future in front of her.
She sniffed the air, and smiled – the air smelled of ozone, and potential. She retreated inside, and watched from behind a screen. Lightning struck the first rod, and then the second. The sheet covering the gurney twitched.
She hadn’t been able to find the perfect man – but maybe now she had made him.
Is her last name Frankenstein by any chance? Very clever, had me guessing right up to the end.
Hehehe, I do love the Frankenstein myth.
from the first sentence I knew this couldn’t end well. Loved the line, the smell of ozone and potential!
I love the smell of lightning 🙂
I love the ozone and potential line as well.
When I saw the image I did actually think of stitching up people, but as I read I grew more confused (was she a nurse? something else?). The last line made it all click together!
I wanted it to be a bit confusing until the ending hit!
They always say you can’t change a man. Clearly, it’s best to start afresh.
Always!
For her sake I hope that the man turns out to be more than the sum of his parts.
Same here.
I love this take on the Frankenstein story, well done, you managed to keep the tension perfectly!
Thanks!
You had me guessing all the way to the last line Icy, terrific story!
(Deanna Schrayer)
Thanks!
Oh, sheer brilliance – so well crafted to reveal key bits precisely on time! This will surely make a BOFF edition!
Thanks!
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, create it! Go, girl.
I have been tempted…
Loved the ending! Never saw it coming.
Thanks!
Ah a modern day Frankenstein – I sort of thought she was stitching a body up in a bag, didn’t guess your twist though ^_^
I do like my twist endings 🙂
I like the play on the Frankenstein story.
The thought of placing the body on her balcony makes me think she must have some apartment. I’ve always wanted a lab in my home so I can “experiment.”
Ozone and potential, gotta love it. And the last line was “killer.” lol
Great story!
I’m cheering for her! I love Frankenstein too, so really appreciated this take.