FAREWELL FRIENDS

 

This is my contribution to Monday’s Finish the Story for this week. Every Monday a new picture prompt is given by Barbara Beacham along with the first sentence to be used for the story. The story is to be written with only 100-150 additional words. I’ve bolded the first sentence given with the picture prompt.

The link for all other stories is as follows”

http://mondaysfinishthestory.wordpress.com/2014/12/22/mondays-finish-the-story-december-22nd-2014/

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Word Count:  145 Words

FAREWELL FRIENDS By P.S. Joshi

As the year wound down to a close, they gathered around the table and raised their glasses.

They’d met at the local business club. “To friendship,” they toasted. Pals since high school, every ten years they went to Central High reunions. Yearly they got together to toast their long-standing friendship. Christmas cards were exchanged.

They spoke of children. Only Jill and Frank were childless by choice.

Brad hated to admit it, but everyone knew he was an alcoholic. His wife, Grace, had no control over his addiction.

They all ate and drank their fill. All had to drive home, and there were no designated drivers. About 11 p.m. they went to the parking lot. “Farewell,” they shouted and climbed into their cars. Henry and Ellie were last to pull out.

There was a sharp curve about three miles from the club. The next morning, large headlines read, “Accident at Miller’s Hill. Mrs. Ellie Edmundson pronounced DOA. Henry Edmundson is in critical condition..”