The Boy on the Bridge

The second challenge of the fourth platform building campaign is multi-faceted. There are several options. I chose to write about the picture to the left here, and I've chosen to write a 200 word story about this little boy in the red coat.

It appears I am too late to enter the contest, but I hope some people stop by anyway to read my little story!

"The Boy on the Bridge" by Claire L. Fishback (c) 2012

They called him Henry. He lost his left hand in an accident in the woods before they moved to the city by the water. They said it was an accident, anyway.

They said Henry was born on Friday the thirteenth. He was cursed with bad luck, they said. They said a lot of things like that. Blaming these accidents on his bad luck. I call it bad parenting, but who am I to judge? We share the same parents, after all.

Before the hand, he usually only suffered minor scrapes and bruises. A black eye. A bloody nose was the least of his worries. Sometimes there were burns. Once or twice he broke a finger or two.

I often wondered when Child Protective Services would come take us away from our neglectful parents. Parents who disregarded our tattered clothes and dirty faces. Parents who hardly gave us a pat on the head, let alone a hug. Parents who didn’t even notice the blood soaked bandage on Henry’s stump.

We were on the bridge now. Henry kicked a ball in the street.

The car coming up the lane swerved too late.

Now will they come? Now will they save us?

Please?

Word Count: 200