his is the 81st in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing. You can find out more about the challenge here.
The Fairy Godmother, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 20th February 2013
Word count: 669
The story:
“You can’t do this,” Lucy complained.
“I can and have, now get your things and go,” her manager Craig Roberts said indignantly, looking at her as if she were nothing more than a strain.
Lucy was determined not to cry, though it hurt. After eight months working here at Tyre Corp, to be fired so unjustly was almost soul destroying. She didn’t bother asking, begging or pleading, it wouldn’t help.
In a numb daze she gathered her things with all eyes on her she did the walk of shame when security approached. She sat numb on the bus ride into town, but even aware when someone took a seat beside her.
“Penny for your thoughts,” a smallish but deep voice said, breaking her depressing reverie.
“Sorry?” she asked.
“You seemed so troubled and far away,” the old woman that had lowered herself into the seat beside her said.
“Oh,” Lucy said, feeling disarmed, “I just lost my job.”
“Lot of that going around dear,” the old woman said, “Want to tell me what happened?”
Without taking time to consider, she decided she did, and so for the next ten minutes between sobs she related her tale.
Her sales numbers had been dropping off of late, a lot of people’s had, and she was still achieving the department average, yet she was summoned into Craig’s office.
She was given an ultimatum have sex with him, or she would lose her job. She argued, pleaded and threatened for over fifteen minutes, but in the end he decided she was playing hard to get and accosted her, that’s when she slapped him. He made it clear that was it, she was fired.
“Oh dear, that’s awful, no one deserves that,” the old woman offered. “What are you going to do?”
“Look for a new job,” Lucy said sombrely.
“Right,” the old woman said, “That’s the last we hear from the defeatist in you. You need to fight back.”
“How? It’s just my word against his,” Lucy argued.
“Nonsense, I’ve seen these modern offices, they have cameras everywhere don’t they?”
Lucy thought, “There’s one just outside Craig’s office.”
“There you go,” the old woman said. “So now what are you going to do with that slug?”
“Sue him and the company?” Lucy asked.
“That’s a start, and I’m sure you can find a solicitor to help you with that,” the old woman said, “But what are you going to do about that slug? How are you going to get revenge?”
The old woman smiled,”Do you want revenge?”
“Yes!” Lucy admitted, “Yes I want revenge.”
“Then you shall have it, go to your solicitor and in the fullness of time you’ll take comfort in his despair and suffering,” the old woman said with a smile, and then got off the bus at the next stop.
Lucy shook her head and rode the bus into town to a solicitors.
Several months later at a tribunal Tyre Corp’s defence collapsed on the playing of a security recording of Craig attempting to grab Lucy, as soon through the window in his door.
He was fired, and Lucy thought that was her revenge, though it didn’t feel enough.
Two weeks after that came news that Craig was dead, he died in an apparent animal attack, details were sketchy but apparently he’d been eaten bit by bit while trapped. It took over three days for him to die by all accounts. It was a gruesome death.
Lucy felt conflicted by the news, but there was nothing she could have done. Of course publicly she told everyone she wouldn’t wish that on anyone, but always in private the conflict.
As she was travelling home from her job on the bus she saw the old woman at a bus stop. She didn’t get on the bus, she just smiled at Lucy as the bus went past. Lucy could have sworn it was a bloody smile.
Aspiring 