“ … wont’ do it.”

Well, that’s definitive, and now I face a choice. I can meet immovable objection with irresistible force or capitulate and seek a way round. Cogs grind and wheels spin as I imagine the possible outcomes. Force is all or nothing—if he doesn’t cave in to counter-pressure, all that remains is to walk away. Capitulation allows evasion and new attempts. The choice seems obvious.

As I open my mouth in reply, it feels clogged with a chewy, bitter substance. Words form as if from nothing.

“Well, fuck you.”

.

Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here