r/flashfiction • u/ThePollionian • 4d ago
Unfinished Work
"I'd hazard thirty grand for electrical," Robert said. "Give or take. Work's slow right now, you'd get a good deal before winter."
Allen was looking at the plastic sheets that temporarily covered the interior walls of the barn. "Maybe," he said.
"You did all of this yourself?" Robert asked.
"Not all by myself. But in the family, yes," Allen said.
"Right. Of course," Robert murmured.
"Maybe I'll leave it just as it is," Allen said.
"What would you do with an unfinished barn then?" Robert asked.
Allen took a long pull of his beer. He thought of the time Jonathan asked to go to the Met, both of them standing under a painting of two men canoeing down the Saguenay River rapids. Patches of the canvas were blank and one half-painted figure was confidently missing an oar.
"Why would they display something the painter never bothered to finish?" Allen said.
[Note: the writing prompt was "A barn, seen by a man whose son has just been killed in a war. Don't mention the son, the war, or death." The word constraint was 50-150 words]
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u/Plenty_Elevator5305 4d ago
It was short, one scene, good enough. If given with popular fiction's as background cibext. Like if it's a fanmade non-canon interaction between popular fiction character, it would be great. It's good right now.