Daily Flash Fiction Challenge

Missed Message

“Could you help me?” The woman pushed a set of car keys in front of the cashier at the small holiday supermarket. “I have to leave my car here – could you keep these keys – my husband will pick them up this evening”.

The cashier looked at the woman. She was a regular customer and they knew each other well by sight. It was rather an unusual request but…. “Sure “, she said. “I’ll keep them safe in the till”.

The woman nodded and turned away. She buttoned her coat against the wind and left the warmth of the shop. The cashier saw her trudging slowly up the steep hill towards Dolphin’s Leap – a look-out point high above the sea. Seemed a bit weird, thought the cashier. Why didn’t the old duck use her car? She shrugged and turned away to serve another customer.

The woman reached the look-out and turned her face into the teeth of the wind. Far below the gulls circled the rocks, searching for food. The woman took out her mobile phone. With shaking hands she sent text messages to her husband and her two children. She told them how much she loved them. She told her husband where to find the keys and the car. She pressed “Send”.

She put her mobile carefully on a big rock – someone would be sure to see it. She took off her scarf and coat, folded them carefully and placed them on the ground. She took off her shoes and put them on top of the clothes.

She watched a lone gull fly hard against the wind, barely making headway.

She stepped to the edge of the cliff.

She took a deep breath.

She jumped.

*******
The face of the mobile lit up. “Message Failed” it said.