March 29, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about fingers that fly. Think about the different ways we use our fingers and what happens when we add speed. Go where the prompt leads.
Innocence of a Child
“Am I a princess, mommy?” Emma looked up at her mother with big innocent eyes.
“Of course you are.”
Emma twirled with glee in her new glittery dress. Her hands soared through the air as if she could fly away. She imagined she was a magical princess who could fly.
As she felt the air move through her fingers, her father entered the room. Emma was so excited that she didn’t notice the smell on daddy’s breathe or the scary look in his eyes. She never noticed the way he touched mommy. Instead, she was a princess flying away.
Writing In The Deep 
18 responses to “Flash Fiction: Innocence of a Child”
Sad. The ending was a shock that turned a lovely story of childhood into one of menace.
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Unfortunately, many children have to deal with watching domestic violence. I wish it weren’t a reality.
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Your flash captures that innocence of childhood, of not realizing what danger lurks. Children dream, they don’t look for monsters in their living room. You juxtapose the dreaming with the reality and it foreshadows the shattering we know will come. Well written.
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Thank you. I may have had a relatively innocent childhood but when I was a teacher, I saw first hand what some children have to deal with. It is heart breaking.
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That must be difficult, as a teacher, to witness such suffering. Yet for many children, school can be a safe and even motivating place.
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Yikes. I am glad she has the glittery dress and the mother who affirms her royal standing. May it protect her and prolong her innocence.
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At least the mother is spending money on prolonging her daughter’s innocence. As a former Head Start teacher, I saw parents spend their money on them selves and their kids were left in old, torn clothes.
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This one patched a punch. I love the images of a little girl twirling, but oh how scary and unpredictable life can be. Great flash.
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Powerful stuff that, a heart-wrenching juxtaposition of the daughter’s dreams with her other’s nightmare!
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Thank you. I like to write powerful stories with a twist. You focus on the sweet innocence of the child but then the harsh reality of domestic violence seeps through the sweet moment by the end. It is sad that moments like that are real for some children.
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Oh, so sad, but what is even sadder is it’s true for too many children and their mothers. Unfortunately, the children’s innocence is shattered before too long. Your flash packs a powerful punch, from frivolity to menace.
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Thank you. Fortunately, I did not have that type of childhood. I saw the effects of abuse on children when I was a teacher. It is damaging and long lasting. It also manifests in many different ways that many people don’t even realize. If only we could stop the cycle.
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I’m pleased that childhood wasn’t yours. I wish it wasn’t for any child. The effects can be hidden and long-lasting. I agree: if only we could stop the cycle.
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[…] Innocence of a Child by Heather Gonzalez […]
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That was beautifully written. It made us feel as if we were flying in the dreamland, and then, all of a sudden, we came crushing down.
Sad and painful. But at least she still had her childhood innocence. The world is such a cruel place, that I advocate for kids being kids for as long as they can.
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Well said. Thank you.
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I think this is really an excellent piece of flash fiction. You took us from an emotional high to an emotional low with a beginning and an end.
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Thank you so much for your kind words.
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