Hello people! It’s time for that all time favorite activity, Friday Fictioneers! Come join the fun, either reading or writing. Rochelle is our hostess every week and she does a great job. Click on her name and find out what all the fuss is about.
Go here to read other great stories.
This week’s picture prompt is:
Genre: General Fiction (100 words)
Twenty years he spent on this mountain top. In a ramshackle house with a run down barn.
Today was the day he was leaving. He couldn’t take it anymore. Living like this, barely eating, hardly surviving.
Twenty years must be enough for people to forget. He had been young, foolish, quick-tempered. Now he was tired and worn down.
For days he walked till he came upon the town. Two men approached him. He felt no fear as they blocked his way.
“We heard you were back old man.”
He just stared at a younger version of himself.
“Come along. Ma’s been waiting long enough.”
Life, Love & Strength 
How do you do it? Spot on.
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I just let my imagination fly! Thanks Frances.
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I really like your take on this, Jackie. Sometimes there is no escaping the past. You must deal with it head on. Great one!
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Thank you Amy. You can run but you can’t hide sort of thing.
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Great take Jackie, sometimes the past is there to remind us of our roots. Important statement in your piece today. Well done.
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Thank you Michael.
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Interesting tale. Ma must have forgiven even if she hasn’t forgot.
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Oh maybe she hasn’t forgiven. You just never know. 🙂
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Good story! Nan
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Thank you Nan!
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I don’t know what he did but his self-imposed twenty years was quite a sentence.
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Stubborness is sometimes worse than anger.
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You always do such a nice job with these, Jackie. I’d be good to run away and hide for a while – but not twenty years. Phew!
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The twist at the end totally took me off guard, Jackie. I was sure he’d committed a crime or something. Well played!
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thanks! It was kind of hard this week. Glad you enjoyed it.
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There are definitely weeks that are easier… and harder!
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the son returns. wonderful take on the photo, jackie. i thought he was punishing himself but realized it could’ve also been pride and stubbornness. well done 🙂
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Thank you kz! 🙂
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So well done, Jackie!!
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Thank you!
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Sounds as if he might have been the one not to forget and believe he could be forgiven. I thought here, ” Now he is tired”, that “He was tired” would be in keeping with the rest of the story which is in the past tense. The tense switch jarred me from the flow of the story. 🙂 Glad he’s coming back!
janet
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That darn tense gets me everytime. I have a problem with keeping the tense. Thanks Janet I will correct that. 🙂
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Maybe it’s good not to be too tense. Ha! Enjoy the weekend, Jackie.
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Ah.. somehow the past caught up with him… love the way it did though.. Maybe mom is not the big problem… I hop Grandpa is not alive any longer … otherwise there might be reason to run back again.
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Could very well be! Ma might not be too happy. Thanks for reading Bjorn.
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The story you were able to ween out of this prompt was pretty amazing!
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Thank you Troy! Glad you enjoyed it.
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Dear Jackie,
There’s being late and then there’s being late. Wonderfully told tale.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Sometimes stubborness knows no bounds. thanks for reading Rochelle. 🙂
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This is one of your short stories I wish you would turn into a much longer one. You should build on this and see where it goes.
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I’ll keep that in the back of my mind Lois, but right now I have 2 writing projects in the works. 🙂 I appreciate you enjoyed it so much.
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Good luck with your projects.
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Very curious about what he did! Way to build suspense!
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Thank you very much Riya. Glad you enjoyed it!
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Oh my. I don’t believe it is that easy.
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Oh probably not.
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Very nice! Well, worded I could see it all unfolding in my minds eye as I read. Hugs
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Lucky old chap-in a way-he had a family waiting for him:-)Hope he has a better life now.Loved the flow here Janet and enjoyed the unexpected turn it took:-)
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Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
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🙂
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