FRIDAY FICTIONEERS - 30 of March - ANOTHER FUTURE - Her 100 Words - Linda Palund

ANOTHER FUTURE

Five years later, they found the truck. Crazy that it took them so long to find it. You’d have thought someone would have noticed it rusting in that field.

They never found her, though. She would have been ten years old by then. He’d have given her another identity. In time she would have forgotten us, her kitten, her mother, and me.

He would have found her another kitten by then. He was good that way.

He’d left the truck behind to rot. He left us behind to grieve. And he carried her away to another future, one without us.

FRIDAY FICTIONEERS - 23 of March - WAITING - My 100 Words - by Linda Palund

WAITING

I am waiting for you, my husband. I am waiting for you, my beloved.

I fear you will never return.

When you do, will you recognise me? My soul is imprisoned in the hard heart of this tree, another victim of your mother’s magic.

I cannot call out to you or wilfully move my limbs. I must let the wind speak for me.

I fear I will be waiting forever. 

But forever is not so long.  

Once I thought forever meant an eternity. But even eternity will cease at the end of time.

I can wait. I can wait forever.

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.

FRIDAY FICTIONEERS - 9 of March - THE COLOUR LIME - My 100 Words - from Linda Palund

The Colour Lime

She stumbled into the shelter, breathless.

“They took the Perkins family last night.”

“All of them?”

She nodded, lifting her hand to caress my face. 

“Why do they hate the Limeskins so?”

“They need someone to blame.”

“But I don’t want you to die!”

“I don’t want you to die either. You’re not safe here.”

          We hugged; just hugged, like old friends saying goodbye.

After she left, I put a grenade in each pocket, clipped one to my belt and rested the rifle barrel on the stone ledge.

I heard the twigs snap before they entered my line of sight.

Photo Prompt for 100-word Flash #FridayFictioneers by Madison Woods

I stole my title from The Lime.  My story was inspired by Doug's story from last week. I became obsessed with the idea of protecting everyone's humanity, Limeskin and all...

FRIDAY FICTIONEERS - 2 of March - THE WORD JEWELS - MY 100 WORDS - from Linda Palund

The Word Jewels

They come by post. Each one carefully wrapped and numbered. They come to us from all over the planet. Each one a different hue, each one a different jewel, each one a different word.  These are the Word Jewels and we are the Jewel Keepers.

The Jewel Boxes have been prepared, lead caskets to insulate their precious cargo from the coming storm.

We hold each one tenderly, feeling the strength of their precision, before we lay them in their beds. They are the most precious gift we leave and their sparkling existence comforts us.  At least our words will survive.