Write On Edge: Conflict and Violence Challenge

For this week's WOE prompt, angela in Red Writing Hood   asks us to throw a little conflict at our characters in the name of strong plot development in 300 words or less.



Conflict, as defined by Dictionary.com, is to come to a collision or disagreement.While physical violence might be the most obvious form of conflict, internal struggles allow for more diverse or complex characters.



I offer the following in response: Loyalty Challenged

“You've been gone too long,” Gina growled. “I ain’t a snitch Eddie.”

His eyes, once the focus of her childhood crush, were shockingly unfeeling like the FBI badge attached to his belt. “We’re taking Jimmy down. You don’t want to be there when we do,” he warned.

“And where’d jya think I’d wanna go?” she snorted, crossing her arms. Ed, Jimmy, Joe, they were all close back in school, terrorizing the neighborhood with spray-paint cans and petty shoplifting. Drifting apart after graduation, Jimmy took up the family business while Eddie became a fed.  “He's good to me. Jimmy paid the doctors when Momma got sick.”

Eddie rubbed his brow. “So he saved your mother. His one good deed for the century.”

Simmering rage transformed her lungs to lead and burned her cheeks, “Nice, Eddie, good to know you can put the past behind jya. Some of us, we ain’t that lucky, or didjya forget Joey?”

She hit a nerve. Eddie’s features shifted grotesquely in the ill-lit alleyway. He advanced aggressively towards her, backing her against the cinder-block wall. “I forgot nothing,” he barked. “Why the hell do you think I joined the FBI? Look me in the eye and tell me Jimmy didn’t have anything to do with Joey’s death.”

She snapped, “That cop clipped him and you know it.”

“Not what forensics reports.” he countered venomously. “I know you lied about that night. Who are you protecting if not Jimmy?”

Gina refused to make eye contact, her gut churning. “Look, Eddie, we done here? I gotta go wash my hair.”

He spun her about, forcing her face into the wall. Handcuffs pinched her wrists painfully as they locked into place. “You’re under arrest.”

“What for?” she hissed defiantly.

“I’ll think of something.”