The Countdown

Five.

The minute hand moved into place with a heavy click. Someone shifted in their seat. Someone else coughed. Papers rustled. Carrie stared at the clock, watching the second hand sweep the face.

Four.

She started as her attorney passed her a pile of papers. Her frozen fingers picked up the pen. She signed next to a vibrant yellow tab, the black ink scrawling across the line. She flipped the pages, signing and initialling, her breath becoming more shallow with every scratch of the pen.

Three.

She passed the papers back to her attorney and watched as Todd began signing. His pen moved quickly across the pages until he looked up.

Their eyes met.

Two.

Thousands of memories flashed before her eyes: their bodies dancing, banana pancakes, breakfast in bed, holding hands while driving, flicking each other with kitchen towels, feeding him cupcakes with her fingers, laying entwined on the bed, his smiling face when he presented her with a bouquet of whisks, laughing in the theatre, holding each other when the test showed two lines.

His face blurred.

One.

"Congratulations," her attorney's wry voice penetrated her numb brain. "You're no longer husband and wife."

Todd shoved his chair back and stalked out of the room, the door closing silently behind him. His face was a mask of anger and something else. Carrie stared after him, trying identify the alien emotion in his eyes.

"Ms. Granger?"

She looked up. It felt familiar but still so odd after years of going by another name.

"It's over."


This is a piece of fiction inspired by the Write on Edge prompt "Countdown". This is a little more of the Hidden Hollow series. You might remember Todd and Carrie. For those of you who are new, I have a few storylines going with this series. Check out Fictional Mandyland to read more.