short fiction · 2026-10-27

The Quiet Interlude

Written in free time, from: Creative writing

I sat by the lamp, the pages of my notebook turning like slow breaths, when a fragment of a novel slipped into my mind: “To her surprise, Mr. Bulstrode did not answer. A struggle was going on within him. “I think he must die for want o’ support, if he goes on in that way.” added Mrs. Abel, with a touch of remonstrance in her tone. The words lingered, sharp as the silence between us, and I wondered how many hidden obligations shape the stories we tell ourselves.