photo prompt thank you Ted Strutz
Home. The ferry was more inviting. Jan unwound herself from the bench. “Come on. You can do it.” Almost reluctantly she walked up the hill, guided by the moonlight, to the house she’d left twenty years earlier.
Her parents slept. Jan stood in the doorframe, staring at them, willing them to wake. Aiming the rifle she yelled, “Wake up.” She watched as her parents roused. Her father’s mouth drooped, trying to form words. .
“Is that you Janny?” her mother called. Her unfocussed eyes flickered in all directions.
Jan turned and left. Too late to punish but the torture could continue.
In response to Friday Fictioneer’s.
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About Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
Oooh, Irene, this is quite frightening.
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Thanks Robbie. Sometimes life doles out punishment.
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That was quite unexpected. Well done on the massive twist.
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Thank you.
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Dear Irene,
More torture to let them live, I suppose. Vivid and disturbing piece. Much said in few words. Welcome back!
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you Rochelle. It is good to be back and hopefully I will again make it regularly.
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Jan seems to have had a very disturbing relationship with parents.
https://ideasolsi65.blogspot.in/2017/10/stardust.html
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Yes I wonder myself what it was that caused such hatred and desire for revenge. Sadness all round I feel.
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If she felt the need to do that, there must be quite an awful past…
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Yes, you’ld think so.
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Irene, this is a very powerful story. Jan’s pain is palpable but I sense pain in her mother as well. To suspect that a stranger in her room might be her daughter but not to know if that stranger comes for revenge or to forgive – what pain she also endures.
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I agree Sharon. I’d love to know what went on to cause this level of hatred. Perhaps I will have to examine this one further.
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So much story in 100 words. Makes me wonder about their past, what her parents might have committed to deserve the torture .
Great writing, Irene.
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Yes I’d like to know too. It might be something worth further development. Thank you for reading.
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Twenty years is an awful long time to be holding onto such rage. Jan is a woman who desperately needs to let go of anger; she’s torturing herself even more than her parents.
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You are so right Penny. Funny how anger or hurt blinds you to the fact that the only person you are hurting is yourself.
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What Penny said. This is really frightening. All that rage WILL eventually spill out.
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Yes, not a happy state of affairs.
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