Friday 16 March 2012

FRIDAY FICTIONEERS - 16 of March - THE PUZZLE - My 100 words - from Linda Palund




THE PUZZLE

He didn’t understand. How could he? When I brought him to where the shelter had been, he dashed excitedly into the crater, smelling the bloodstained rocks, whining and scratching at the rubble.
         He couldn’t fathom how Ben’s scent could be so strong, so fresh, and yet there was no Ben.  Puzzled, he sat for a long time, facing down the lane, staring into the distance.
         I had kept Ben’s dog safe, chained up at my house, but after the explosion, I brought him with me to the site.  I shouldn’t have come back, though; I shouldn’t have brought the dog.

the end

This story in a continuation of my 100 words from last week, entitled 
The Colour Lime
which ended with the hunted Ben loading himself with grenades and
taking aim with his rifle for when the Hunters came to get him.  
I just imagined that he would be named Ben and he would have a dog who looked like this.

22 comments:

  1. I think the dog did understand in the end. Very affecting drabble!

    My link is here: http://quillshiv.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/dichromatic/

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    1. I actually can not fathom what a dog really would think in this situation. I only know it would be very distressing to us to watch him trying to figure this one out. I am betting it will take a long time for him to stop expecting his master to return.

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  2. This was a very moving piece, and the line about him facing the lane, staring into the distance caught the mood of the photo perfectly. Well done, and thanks.

    http://castelsarrasin.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/straight-talking-friday-fictioneers-16-march-2012/

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    1. Thanks Sandra. When I saw the photo, that's what I thought I read in her gaze - and it fit with my last story....of course I become obsessed by certain story lines and cannot let them go....

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  3. Now I'm sad, dammit. Your story reminds me of the Albert Payson Terhune dog stories I read when I was a kid. The dogs were tragic heroes, with loyalty beyond measure. It seems that only humans know real deceit and ungratefulness,apparently making us special in the eyes of god. Which is, after all, dog spelled backwards.

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    1. When I answered Quil Shiv - with the reality of what I think a dog would percieve in this situation, it made me sad also. When I wrote the piece, I was only interpretting the photo, the expression, and not thinking about what it would really mean to the dog to never know what happened and why he was so suddenly abandoned and damn it! Now I want to cry!

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  4. This is so sad for everyone involved, human and canine. Very stirring, great job.

    Here's mine: http://teschoenborn.com/2012/03/15/friday-fictioneers-2/

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  5. Touching--leaves me sad. Perhaps he'll find a new love in the companion who has cared for him?

    Mine: www.vlgregory-circa1800.vpweb.com/blog.html

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  6. Very dramatic and wrenching story. I'm trying to understand what caused the explosion. Was it an accident or was it a deliberate act, some kind of protest statement? Or am I just dense? This raised so many questions. Very provactive.
    Here's mine: http://bridgesareforburning.wordpress.com

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    1. This is the follow up to my last Friday Fictioneer's story - The Colour Lime, which ended with the Limeskin protagonist putting a grenade in each pocket and strapping one to his belt, waiting for "Them" to come for him... The idea being that he could take some of them with him...
      The present story is the aftermath of the event.

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  7. Awwww...so sad. But I feels he's safe and in compassionate, tender, loving hands with this new companion. Here's mine:
    www.triplemoonstar.blogspot.com

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  8. Nice story. I liked the lament at the end the most.

    http://littlewonder2.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/friday-fictioneers-good-dog/

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  9. Aw. Sadness. :'(

    Nice work

    My attempt: http://unduecreativity.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/a-little-longer/

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  10. Interesting piece. You give a good sense of the dog's limited understanding of a tragic situation.

    http://www.caramichaels.com/defiantlyliterate/

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  11. My favourite part was the dog's not understanding the powerful presence of the scent without being able to see the person. That speaks volumes.

    Here's mine: http://wp.me/p24aJS-3m

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  12. Good story, Linda. Thanks for tying it to last week's in your reply to one of the comments. That really put it all together.

    Thanks for the nice comments on mine.

    http://russellgayer.blogspot.com/

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  13. I agree with Lupus. The dog's certainty that his master was there, but unable to find him. Intense tale. :)

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  14. this is very much like dogs laying over the graves of their masters...yes, I agree with Siobhan, this is an intense story. :) Nicely done!

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  15. Oh! I did miss this one. I like the continuation. We are never really gone from a dog's mind...I can't help but wonder what he's thinking. Or if he knows what's going on.

    ~Susan

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  16. Makes me wonder how the narrator knew to keep the dog chained up at her house. Seems as if she knew there was going to be an explosion... mysterious. I like this, but think I need to go back to read the previous one to refresh my memory. Did you make this one a continuation of the previous? Ah! I just read your comment up there and now I remember! Makes sense now. Good story :)

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  17. Now that it's all over, I just added that info under the picture of the dog. I didn't mean to be oblique. I really wanted everyone to know what happened to the Limeskin.
    Thanks Madison, for coming all the way to me - at the end of the continent. Now I am back in England and ready to post!

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  18. This is so sad. What a tragic end for Ben.

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