Red bougainvillea made a splash against a white wall as Tom wondered where he was.
When his mind wandered he’d sometimes get lost in imagined disasters he could do nothing about. Fortunately, although they seemed determined to mess with him to the extent they still could, he had enough sense to reject dark demonic misdirection.
Then Tom saw Phyllis wave to him in the distance. He hadn’t seen her in a decade, not since the funeral. Her smile and the joyful brilliance of the bougainvillea told him his journey was finally over and a new, better one had just begun.
______
Denise offers the prompt word “mess” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.
Poetry, Short Prose and Walking 
What an interesting six! Well done
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Paula!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting and intriguing story Frank.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Sadje!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome Frank
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have such great memories of bougainvillea. What a beautiful plant. Glad Tom is on a new journey.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is a beautiful plant. Thank you, Michael!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Powerful. Entering into eternal life
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Jim!
LikeLiked by 1 person
YW FH!
LikeLike
So Frank, what is Heaven really like?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know yet, but I am glad you noticed that was where Tom met Phyllis again. Thank you!
LikeLike
Getting lost in imagined disasters can mess up life like no other.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Those imagined disasters are the worst. Thank you, Reena!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are welcome.
LikeLike
A story that ends, then begins anew.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Keith!
LikeLike
Paper flower is such a fitting center piece of your Six, Frank.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Nick!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Enjoyed employing the lesser-used meaning of mess. (Tried to find a story using ‘mess’ as in ‘attempting to trick or misdirect a person or their thoughts… no luck.
Good Six
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Clark!
LikeLike
Oh, man! Is Tom dead, Frank? Somehow that is the sense I felt reading your story.
Would that our “transition” (popular term for dying these days) as experienced by Tom, be how it really is – a peaceful journey begun with the knowledge the next leg of the trip would be a whole lot better.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Yes, that was my intent, although one could read it differently. Thank you, Denise!
LikeLike
I’m glad he was able to keep enough wits about him to resist evil until the end. May we all have a beautiful transition when the time comes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
May we all have such wits about us to the end. Blessings to you and thank you, Mimi!
LikeLike
This brings memories back of this six.
I really love finding your blog .let’s follow each other. Anita
LikeLike
Nicely done, as it could be read either as a road trip to finding a new life, or the everlasting peace we seek when we die.
LikeLike
I love the opening line which sets up what’s to follow wonderfully. A real “splash,” a real change.
LikeLike