Stories For 30 Day Image Prompt Contest

Day 17 - A Promise Kept

Cindy promised she would never leave her friend, Sarah. Sure, they were only ten years old, but a promise is a promise at any age. Sarah had known that Cindy had leukemia, but she hadn't really understood what the disease entailed. Now, Cindy was gone, and Sarah couldn't decide whether to mourn or be angry, so she was doing both.

Sarah went to bed that night wishing for Cindy's return. It was an innocent wish; she just wanted her friend back. She knew it wouldn't do any good, but, after crying until her head hurt, she couldn't think of anything else to do. Sarah went to sleep thinking about Cindy and all the fun the two had had.

Several hours later, in the field behind Sarah's house, something was out of place. It was a calm night, but the wind howled. All of the animals were frightened away. A lone girl was walking through the field. But something was off about her. Her skin was transparent, and her eyes glowed red. She was carrying a doll, but it had been torn to shreds. And she was headed for Sarah's house.

A few hours later, Sarah learned the hard way not to try to hold people to promises they couldn't keep, right before she took her last breath.