Short Story #1

Jack was sitting alone in his favourite arm chair sipping a steaming mug of cocoa. The room was in partial darkness, the only source of illumination coming from a string of Christmas lights draped over the wall behind him.1

Sadly he thought of the previous Christmas' with Jill and the amount of effort that he would have made, with Jill supervising of course, to ensure a really festive effect. The tree in its barrel festooned with shining baubles and glittering strands of silver and gold. Paper chains suspended across the room from corner to corner and the lights all around the window frames so, even with closed curtains, passers by could share in their seasonal celebrations.2

Now these few lights were all that he could be bothered with.3

His eyes wandered to the sideboard, drawn by the portrait of Jill in its silver frame. Oh, the problems he'd had persuading her to go to the photographers and pose for it and the delight they had both felt when they saw the finished product. Oh how he missed her.4

As if in a trance he reached out to open the music box on the coffee table in front of him. To listen to their favourite tune for one last time. 5

Slowly his eyes closed and his dead hands relaxed, releasing the empty bottle of sleeping pills.6