My Dearest Sonya,
I leave tonight. Father drinks too much. Mother constantly cries. My brothers fight in a war that makes no sense. But you know all this. I can’t say where I’m going and haven’t much money but join me, I beg you. Since it is impossible for us to be seen together, I’ll come to the market at noon. Wear a yellow dress if the answer is yes, blue if the answer is no.
Your Raul
Sonya reads a second letter, feels the threat. Slowly she slips into her black dress to signal Raul’s father that his son intends to flee.
Up From the Ashes 
Oh my… sounds like she has made a choice. Very emotional! Well done! 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Courtney. She really had no choice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my. Sounds like she’s caught between two difficult influences.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep! Love and overbearance. Thanks, James.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Betrayal is such a hard thing to do without practice
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh! I used to be quite good at it. Now I wouldn’t even attempt it. Too much trouble and worry.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Dear Lish,
Oh dear, I have to wonder what Sonya’s thinking. Lots of questions. Well done, nonetheless.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Rochelle! I don’t think she has a choice. Maybe next week I can write the father’s letter if the prompt allows. That’d be kind of fun (if I can figure out what it says.)
LikeLiked by 2 people
I like the way the colours of the dresses are used as messages. Black seems quite right for betrayal.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! I had her in red at first then thought Father would probably choose black. I’m glad you noticed that. Thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You had me scanning the picture to see if I could notice her and what colour of dress she had on! Nicely done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Iain. I enlarged the picture to find something/someone who wasn’t obvious. I was going to have Father require blue but… Black seemed more ominous. Thank you for looking for the lady. Cheers, Lish
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice tension in this piece, Lish.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, a real sting in the tale in this story. Well done!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much for reading and leaving a reply.
LikeLike
You’re welcome!
LikeLike
What could the threat be to make her betray him? Or could he really expect her to run with him? Hmm…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll need to think on that. I’m sure there are many reasons. Thanks.
LikeLike
What if the family isn’t that bad and Raul is the one with issues he needs to work out? Considering Sonya’s betraying him so easily maybe the villains aren’t the villains.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh! A great thought on both ends. Maybe Raul is the bad guy BUT maybe the threat is so scary, Sonya has no choice. MMmmmm. Must think on that. Thanks.
LikeLike
Why is the Tony Orlando song, Knock Three Times (on the ceiling if you want me…) going through my head after reading this story?😊. She is a piece of work, isnt she? Where exactly do her loyalties lie?
LikeLike
Interesting. The more comments I read, the more I wonder. Straying away from what I thought I wrote! Thanks.
LikeLike
I don’t know if I’m happy or sad that she went with his father’s request… unless she felt that this would help Raul.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Therefore “The Threat.” I’m enjoying the questions this story is bringing up. You know how you write something and it’s pretty clear in your mind then people make comments and you wonder exactly where the piece is headed? Thanks for reading and commenting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I actually love it when that happens… then I think… man… I am smarter than I think 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know! Sometimes in my writing group, someone will say, “I love how this was foreshadowed. It really worked well.” And my mind says WHAT? as my lips say, “Thanks. That was a difficult scene to work through.” 😉
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh no, betrayal! Poor Raul.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And poor Sonya, I believe. Thanks for reading, Ali.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s quite some hold the father has over Sonya. I see you’ve got people thinking with this one – never a bad thing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Who knew? Thanks, Sandra.
LikeLike
Smart move.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perhaps!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You have certainly got us wondering – you too by the sound of it! Kudos for that Alicia.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s kind of fun. You have one thought in your mind, then the FF village steps in and makes your mind start spinning. Thanks, Keith.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the way you’ve structured this, and told us so much by not telling us anything (about the nature of the threat and why it was so powerful).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Penny! Your insight is much appreciated. Lish
LikeLiked by 1 person
‘Coded’ attire… I love it! Interesting twist… Sonya the double-agent between father and son… good one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s kind of like “I Spy”. Thanks for reading and commenting, Jelli.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Caught between, the devil and the deep blue sea.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is! What a fun thing to say. My mom used that term often. Thanks for the reminder.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m 71, almost. Old enough to be your mother? 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
If you gave birth to me when you were 9. The picture of me on my blog is eighteen years old. (Wow!) I hate getting my picture taken so that one is stuck in limbo until I change my mind 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nope. Don’t think so. I just thought, it’s kind of an old-fashioned saying 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is. My mom was 92 when she died. She also said wonderful things like Gilding the lily and Fine as frog fuzz. I still use them because they say a lot in a short amount of time.
LikeLike
Evidently she Crayola wardrobe. Whatever happened to paisley, gingham, and plaid?
Is this the same girl who once wore an itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka-dot bikini? But obviously that would have only clouded the situation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Or made it more exciting! Thanks, Russell, maybe next time a bikini will be involved. Lish
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah! I can hardly wait.
LikeLike
That’s so tragic – that choice she has to make feels so awful, so painful, that threat so dangerous to her and to her Raul – I just can’t imagine what it might be. So enigmatic, so beautifully and sparely written. A lovely mystery
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much for seeing my intention. Raul will be broken, Sonya will feel guilty for a very long time and Father, well, Father is another story. Cheers! Lynn.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure, though a sad ending for them all – except father perhaps?
LikeLike
i didn’t expect that ending. what a twist.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, goody. I’m glad. Thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That was a great twist Alicia. Didn’t see it coming at all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks. I’m pleased it caught you off-guard.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Most definitely! Great job.
LikeLike
Oh no! I wonder what hold the father has over her for her to betray her love like that. Loved it Alicia!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for wondering (Psstttt don’t tell anyone, I have no idea either.) Thanks for reading.
LikeLike
I like an unpredictable story, Lish, and I really like how you used the different coloured dresses as a signal and the ending to me seems quite ominous. Well done.
Best wishes,
Rowena
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Rowena. It’s sad the hold other people have over one another. Worse, it’s sad when they use. So glad you stopped by.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There is sadness and happiness here I feel. With hints of betrayal for one and all. These kinds of complicated women I find interesting and am torn between wanting to know more and wary of my mothy wings touching the flame. Nice one, Lish 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, mothy wings, I love that term. I know exactly what you’re saying and have never heard it put that way. Thanks, Kelvin.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Poor Sonya. To be pulled by two sides in this way must be hard. There’s so much unsaid and yet so many thoughts generated.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Sarah Ann. I’m glad you can see Sonya’s point of view. Personally, I don’t think she’s evil. Cheers!
LikeLike
Wow, very sinister and threatening. I love the code of the dresses
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Michael.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A little cloak and dagger in this little vignette, Alicia. It would be great to see where this goes.
Many, many questions popped up once I finished reading it. Oh, I do hope a new photo next week will give us answers. You naughty gal writing something that leaves us wondering.
Enjoy your weekend …
Isadora 😎
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll see if I can make it work. Thanks, Izzie. You have a grand weekend as well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh! That sounds a bit traitorous…or else it’s for his own good?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your choice! Thanks, Sascha
LikeLike
Oh no. What a choice. That last line!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Caught between a rock and a hard place for sure. Thanks for reading, Laurie.
LikeLike
He would just leave again, some other day, without Sonya. And excellent piece!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I sure hope so, Dahlia.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh…I wonder what the father wrote. She had a terrible choice to make. The story is full of urgency and tension.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Me too,” she whispered. 😉 Thank you, Brenda
LikeLiked by 1 person
This has so much suspense and intrigue in so few words. The colours of the dresses do well to ‘colour’ the mood. I wonder why she was left with no choice, and did she think she was helping Raul in some way or was it self-preservation?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Fatima.
LikeLike
Like the wonderfully concise story telling, the drama heightens steadily. Good story.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much for your kind words.
LikeLike