Play – Six Sentence Story

John loved to play the game of making faces when posing for family photos like crossing his eyes or pursing his lips. He was at the age when children found funny faces funny and even his father and mother thought he was cute.

None of that would have mattered except for the strife dividing his family over the next decades which opened doors for the demonic to flow agitating any form of weakness it could find. Nor would he have remembered any of it had he not inherited his mother’s photo album. The photos reminded him where he came from shoving in his face a demand for repentance for his part, large or small, in the mess they were now in.

John wished he gave his mother a beautiful smile when he had the chance and not some goofy expression, but when he looked at the other photos in the album a childlike smile of release appeared on his now aging face as he realized that most of the time, indeed nearly all of the time, he had.

______

Denise offers the prompt word “play” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.

For more on the demonic see Frank and Ida Mae Hammond’s Pigs in the Parlor.

Ancient Roman Tile Uncovered At Beit She’an

Author: Frank Hubeny

I enjoy walking, poetry and short prose as well as taking pictures with my phone.

41 thoughts on “Play – Six Sentence Story”

  1. My mother always said that I should be careful about making silly faces because if the wind changed my face would be stuck like that. I learned that lesson well and only pulled faces on still days. 😉

    Liked by 4 people

  6. Whatever face a child pulls is only distorted by the connotation of an adult mind…that is until his or her mind stop being childlike (different from childish).
    Lovely ending, Frank.

    Liked by 2 people

  16. It’s good to pass on a smile however it’s done, Frank… things we’ve done in our past may remove our smiles, but it’s always worth remembering the smiles around us. Nice post.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. fave phrase/concept: “…demonic to flow agitating any form of weakness it could find.”

    a whole bunch of useful is that description!

    (imo) Those who seek (the Truth/the Secret of the Universe/Redemption/fill-in-the-blank) sense in other’s words and phrases a capacity to hold a certain energy, word tools is one phrase for them. the cool thing these can be helpful no matter what one’s concept of the thing being sought.

    aka Good Six

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Man sweet short story; reminds me of my youngest daughter she makes all kinds of silly funny faces but over the years I notice pictures of her regular smile; such a good short story!

    Liked by 1 person

  20. ‘…a childlike smile of release appeared on his now aging face…’ I love these words.
    Funny how we often remember only the negative. It’s good to be reminded that ‘nearly all of the time, he had’ had a beautiful smile in the photos.

    Liked by 1 person

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