every wednesday madison woods posts a picture prompt to challenge writers to create a 100-word story or poem or anything that works for you. then post your work on your blog. additionally, on friday, you go back to her site and post a link to your blog entry in the comments on her friday fictioneers post.
i’m going to try to keep up with this, as should you. give it a shot. i prefer to stick to 100 words, but she doesn’t mind either way. not everyone has an hour and a half like i had this morning to sit and write, revise, edit, revise, edit, etc. until getting it down to 100 and telling everything you want to tell.
here’s this week’s picture. if you don’t want to read my entry or be influenced by what i wrote, then don’t scroll beyond the picture. until friday.
.
.
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He dropped again. Sun eating him, chewing his skin mostly bare. Without strength to find a tree’s shade, he fell, but found a puddle. An inch deep, struggling to drink. Salvation, temporary, but better than chains and collars now gone. Had quietly watched, waited, the moment to run. Pulling off the collar stripped away skin. Bleeding.
They were coming. No strength left. Drinking more, he prayed for death. In the haze stood someone welcoming him to the other side. Gone now, but safe.
* * * *
The man kicked at the lifeless dog before heading back to the shelter.
________________________
100 words
brainsnorts inc. 
and I too (keep tis up I mean)….will come back Friday to read….
wheee!
and it’s Friday…awh…poor doggie, but then again, freedom for the doggie… Like how you crafted this and led to the end. Here’s mine http://writersclubkl.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/friday-fictioneers-then-we-were-one/
awww. poor girl. ;( good job miss stripes on your shirt and cute smiles.
and glasses. love glasses.
hahaha…is that a mock I read?….
oh no. you’re too cute for me. no mocking.
Oh gosh. Poor Pup. I like the way you told this; I was thinking all manner of animals as I read.
I finished mine for Friday, but was trying to hold off posting it. I’ll probably post it later because I’m not able to wait the extra day. I hate staring at it in my draft folder.
Me too.
Love the flups
Darkly brilliant.
Hey thanks.
I thought that it was a human. I was actually rather relieved to discover that it was a dog. What’s wrong with me? And you’ve totally mastered the writing “from the inside” thing with the dog. Which is why I thought that it was human. So my next question would have to be: “What’s wrong with YOU?”
I’ll make a list. Thanks.
Rich only you could have come with a dogs side of the story with such brilliance…wow
what a marvelous write up 🙂
Thanks from this side of the world.
Half-way through I began to hear the baying of a hound, echoing. Nicely done, Rich.
I should have mine up soon this morning.
thanks sir. looking forward to it.
It was good Rich, but it made me sad…(I love dogs more than anything)…
as long as it affected you, it did its job.
SO well done…I’m so sad now:(
aww sorry and thanks. if it affected you, then it did its job.
Rich, I just saw a photo on Suzanne Rogers’ blog and thought of you. She often photographs wildlife but this time, it’s different. There’s fog, a railway carriage, red lights barely visible… I could just see you writing one of your creepy stories. Here’s the link if you want to have a look.
http://awindowintothewoods.com/2012/05/10/waiting/
i’m on it. thanks miss.
One of your kick in the gut ones. It’s good, Rich.
Thanks. Happy Friday.
Just more confirmation why I’m a lousy fiction writer. So why did he kick the dog?
he was checking if it was dead. it had escaped from a shelter where it was not treated well.
Oh … I took kicked as KICKED – not kicked as in nudged.
in that case, he kicked out of frustration that it got away.
Dear RIch,
You gave the dog a soul and took the same from the humans who chained and collared it. A sad commentary on the phrase, “It’s a dog’s life.”
Aloha,
Doug
http://ironwoodwind.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/last-of-the-first/
i did not think of that part, but you’re right. thanks.
I thought the subject was a human. I felt sad all the same and why did the man kick the dog for good measure? The twist to the story is your artistic license and skill. Good show. Over here: http://readinpleasure.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/fridayfictioneers-tanoas-baby/
he kicked for two reasons – he wanted to check if it was dead, and frustration that it got away.
Great twist. Horrifyingly fabulous. This will literally haunt me all day. (After this I got up and gave my dog a MilkBone and a kiss) Terrific work.
Mine’s here: http://bit.ly/IHVI6r
aww thanks – and sorry! and thanks.
Great story and yes, it made me sad too. Shame you’re only allowed 100 words. Another 25 words might have introduced a truck that mowed down the horrible human…
might have. but 100 is 100. and sometimes the bad guy wins.
Not in my childrens writers’ world! 50 words then to bring doggy back to life:)
The truck roared away into the night. The man’s kick had awakened a last gasp in the body on the ground. A whiff of cheese reached the motionless canine…the man must have dropped his sandwich! The dog crawled closer, licking the nourishing protein, as the moonlight broke through the clouds.
nothing wrong with that.
Loved the stitled, panting tone and unusual sentences you used. I liked the last line less, though, maybe a bit too revealing?
i wanted it to seem like maybe it was a runaway slave, but then it turned out to be a dog escaping from an animal shelter where dogs are executed after they’ve been there a certain number of days. the man kicked it partly to be sure it was dead and partly from frustration.
Yeah, I may be too much of an ambiguity fan, is all. still great piece.
thanks.
At first I thought it was about a human too…runaway slave or convict type of thing…but then to know it was a dog! I tend to like dogs better than people…this killed me! Yes sir, you caught the soul. Good job.
thanks and sorry to “kill” you.
Very strong imagery. I was particularly struck with “sun eating him” and “Pulling off the collar stripped away skin”.
It took me awhile to tie in together that last separate sentence before I finally realised that the figure was really a dog. Very intriguing piece in terms of perspective.
http://littlewonder2.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/friday-fictioneers-the-night/
thanks. and it seems i have a lot of other posts to read. this’ll take awhile.
Poor dog – glad it’s now safe from that ‘animal’ that kicked him. Yes, I’m sad, and yes, your words did their job!
Ours is http://www.lazuli-portals.com/flash-fiction/moon-and-sky and is approx 160 words.
thanks. i have a lot of reading ahead of me.
man this is great! i love the duality here and the twist. very nice writing. i hate that i missed this week’s FF, but it’s just been that kinda week. good work on this one
thanks a bunch. means a lot coming from someone with your background. missed it? you still have plenty of time. even if it’s tomorrow.
Excellent piece. Don’t know if I’ll ever be able to write that simply and have it speak volumes….
thanks miss. you don’t know if you can if you don’t try.
Nicely told. I can’t help but feel bad for the poor pup and loathe the man kicking him.
oh and my story is at http://authorbrandonscott.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/death-cart/
i have a lot of posts to read! thanks.
yup. maybe we’re supposed to give him a good kick.
I don’t know what to say really, I hate reading sad stories about animals, and this is as sad as they get though you didn’t ‘milk’ it as they say. Poor hound. Well written in a detached kind of manner.
Mine’s at: http://castelsarrasin.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/you-called-friday-fictioneers-may-2012/
thanks miss. time for me to start reading.
I’m glad there was someone waiting on the other side and yes, safe now. On the other side of the coin, here’s mine.
http://notforallmarkets.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/stay/
Freaking awesome…. love your style.
aww thanks miss. nice words to hear.
This was an excellent reminder of the forgotten ones we all tend to ignore. Good job. Sometimes death is a type of victory. The man robbed of his victims pain and fear seemed defeated. Here’s mine http://createrealitylivelife.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/friday-flash-fiction-2/
thanks miss. time for me to get started reading.
I have to agree with Darlene, awesome! You write in a way that directly make me think/read in pictures. And theese words made me sad and angry at the same time – darn bastard and poor dog 😦
thanks and sorry. i’m glad to have affected you. the 100 words forces you to really be economical and make every word count.
I thought this was an escaped slave until the final line. Good dramatic writing.
Here’s my story: http://bridgesareforburning.wordpress.com/
This is a little gem. Right off: “He dropped again” sets the mood perfectly and it just get better. Not a wasted word. Nice job.
Here’s mine: http://wp.me/p1Tjpv-aJ
Perfect. Thanks! Found you through BroadsideBlog.
ain’t she something? and you too.
Yep. I ❤ her writing. She's amazing. Me? Thx for the compliment! 🙂
This was a difficult one to read. A powerful story made even moreso by the staccato prose.
thanks. the staccato was partly cutting down to 100 words, but also partly supposed to mimic the heartbeat that was becoming weaker and weaker.
Very strong images…. absolutely brilliant, Rich.
You are GOOD! 😉
keeping up with the rest of you. that’s all.
no, you are really an unique writer, I am the one keeping up with you…
well then i guess i should not argue with you. thanks.
😆 😆 😆
The pleasure is all mine Rich.