Offshore – Sunday Photo Fiction

60-05-may-18th-2014

“Daddy.”

“Yes, Suzy.”

“What’s that out in the deep?”

“It’s The Facility.”

“And what’s The Facility?”

“You’re full of questions today, aren’t you, poppet?”

“But how am I going to learn about things if I don’t ask questions? That’s what granny tells me.”

“Your granny tells you a lot of things, but it doesn’t mean you have to believe all of them.”

“But, Da-ad!”

I envy my daughter. I wonder how long it will be before her sense of wonder is replaced with constant mistrust and fear. I sigh.

“OK. The Facility is a prison. It’s where bad people are sent, the ones who don’t respond to Treatment.”

“Treatment?”

“Like school, but instead of learning things like reading and writing, they learn how to be better behaved.”

“Oh. So the ones who don’t learn their lessons get sent out there?”

“Yes.”

An approaching ice-cream van distracts her. Time enough for her to realise that The Facility is merely a staging post. It is full of men and women forced to copulate and produce violent, bloodthirsty children, children who are trained in the art of war.

I am The Facility’s architect, may humanity forgive me. May my daughter forgive me.

 

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Here’s my latest entry into Alistair’s Sunday Photo Fiction. He supplies us with his own wonderful photos, so deserves our support! I’ve been working on my dystopian novel in progress today, and I just can’t seem to shake the dark mood, as I expect you can tell! Happy Sunday, all….

Do take part if you have time, or just pop over and read the other entries!

Honey – Sunday Photo Fiction

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She’s not as young as the others, mid-forties I’d say. No precarious stilettoes, no fishnets, no vaudeville make-up mask. She wears sensible heels, a slightly loose-round-the-hips pencil skirt, a classy turquoise silk blouse.

I think she’s an office worker caught up in the wrong crowd. But no, she leans in to the slowing cars along with the best of them. She knows her stuff; it’s second nature. The professional smile flashes on, leaves her eyes alone. A real pro.

I can’t hear what she says over the traffic, but can lip-read enough. She’s not shy about the trade, knows her worth. Drivers shake their heads, move on to the cheaper packages, the ones who need the money for the pimp and the needle. Finally, she stands alone.

The Rolls Royce sweeps into view. Here he is, her target. No need to show her wares. Her eyes smile now. A rear door opens, out steps her man. She sashays slowly around the bonnet, tapping her nails lightly on its gleaming paintwork.

“A little late tonight. Five hundred, Mr Sloane.”

I hear her now; the street is empty.

“A steal, my dear. And my pleasure, as always.”

 

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I am trying to be consistent and write for Alistair’s Sunday Photo Fiction  each week. He supplies us with his own wonderful photos, so deserves our support! I was looking through my files of flash fiction pieces, saw the semi-finished piece and tweaked it a little. I think it works – and it’s certainly not obvious! I hope you enjoy it – and please do visit his blog, take a look at the other submissions and take part, if you feel inspired (and why wouldn’t you?!). Happy Sunday, all….

Do take part if you have time, or just pop over and read the other entries!

Reclaimed – VisDare 60

‘I have saved them – they are not lost, thank goodness, oh thank goodness!’

Judah’s thoughts raced and he released a shuddering sigh, expelling the pent-up adrenalin of the past hours. All he had left in the world, and he had snatched it from destruction with moments to spare. Someone – or something – was smiling down on him.

“Hey, hands off the truck, this haul is mine, mate!”

Judah’s hot temper flashed momentarily, but he knew when he was beaten – he had no energy left for a fight with Solly, the local prize-fighter. The time for acting first, thinking later, was gone. Times had changed.

As the truck coughed into life and roared away, he turned to his small daughters standing expectantly behind him – his only reason for living, now and always.

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After a long absence, I decided to return to Angela’s VisDare prompt, where the challenge is to respond, in 150 words or less, to the photo she puts up on her blog each week. Something about this photo really pulled me in, so the story wrote itself – result! I had in mind refugees escaping conflict – I have used Jewish/Yiddish names, because that is the tie in history I know most about, but sadly, the situation can be easily transferred to any conflict where civilians are the victims…

I hope you enjoy it, please do take part. I’ll be linking up now and commenting on other contributions later!