Like a Fish – Friday Fictioneers

AnElephantCant wait to go home
He is currently in Scotland where it is not so sunny
So till he gets back to the Med
He makes this wee tale in his head
He thinks it is cool to write something quite finny!

Once again it is Friday Fictioneer time.
Mongered by the pacific Rochelle, who never carps at AnElephant’s bad puns, this presents a wave of fiction from a shoal of writers from around the globe, a great ocean of thought from a school of writing to be enjoyed on a large scale.
And AFlounderingElephant.
The idea is to write a very short story, circa 100 words, based on this picture prompt (below).
That’s it.

Copyright – Douglas M. MacIlroy

Copyright – Douglas M. MacIlroy

Like a Fish

He swims lazily out past the end of the breakwater.
He lies day-dreaming on his back in the fast-cooling end-of-season Mediterranean.
He is constructing a poem in his head when he senses something is amiss.
He is stunned to see a large dark triangle spearing through the waves towards him.
There are no sharks in the Med, his rational self shouts as, losing all self-control, he flounders towards the shore, swallowing brine as he goes.
As an icy hand crushes his heart, a smiling face emerges from beneath the fake fin.
Fooled you there , Grandpa, didn’t I?
Grandpa?
Grandpa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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62 Responses to Like a Fish – Friday Fictioneers

  1. Very sweet. This brought a smile to my face.

    Like

  2. CherryPickens says:

    A dark ending to a delightful tale. (or should I say tail?) It’s a wonderful take on the prompt.

    Like

  3. I thought the boy was taken by a real shark. Comments suggest otherwise. Scary tail.

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  4. I’m not sure if I was supposed to, but I found that darkly humorous. Poor guy.

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  5. wmqcolby says:

    Shivers! Got chilled on that one. Well done, Elephant. I got caught in that net of yours.

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  6. Your story really stirred my emotions, Mr Anelephantcant. I was so sad Grandpa died but horrified by how the child will now feel. A great story stays with you after you’ve finished reading it – and yours certainly does that. Karen

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  7. elappleby says:

    Great story! I hope Grandpa makes a full recovery 🙂

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  8. hugmamma says:

    An elephant-shark. Interesting new species… 🙂 One that continues to pull our leg… 🙂

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  9. Helena Hann-Basquiat says:

    That was a lot of fun, darling. Even if grandpa rolled up the curtain and joined the choir invisible. (He’s not dead, he’s pining for the Fjords)

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  10. Oh what a fish slap in the face! Since I saw Jaws a thousand years ago, I have been afraid to swim anywhere except a pool. Even the freshwater lakes terrify me now.

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  11. dmmacilroy says:

    Dear AEC,

    This was a great story with a funny but sad ending. Very imaginative and totally in tune with the prompt. Cue Jaws theme song now.

    Aloha,

    Doug

    Like

  12. mike olley says:

    I could almost hear those ‘Jaws cello notes’ written in as sub-text. Funny piece.

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  13. Poor grandpa, what kind of fish are you, anElephantcant! Fooled me on this one, all right.

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  14. Must AnElephant traumatize us each week? Poor, poor grandpa, and poor wee lad (see what I did there, Scottish Elephant); surely he’ll never recover.

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  15. And I thought I was brave killing the fish 🙂 Long way to go, great idea and execution

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  16. Enjoyable read but Grandpa is dead? OMG..say it’s not so!

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  17. elizabeth says:

    Poor old Granpa! 🙂

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  18. DCTdesigns says:

    Naughty prankster. In light of Halloween week he better hope Grandpa doesn’t come back for a visit. Then we’ll see who has the last laugh.

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  19. Linda Vernon says:

    And just when everything was going so well. I love this even though grandpa had to give his life for your story. 😀

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  20. My daughter was watching Jaws this week so I caught some fin and jaw shots. Could have driven the poor fish into carpiac arrest

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  21. Sandra says:

    Nice take on the prompt.

    Like

  22. JKBradley says:

    I thought a Mediterranean diet was better for the heart?!

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  23. MrBinks says:

    Kids, eh. Who’d have ’em.

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  24. Oh! Pranks can be hazardous sometimes. Well-written. 🙂
    -HA

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  25. Adam Ickes says:

    Jokes on the kid. The old man is thrice the prankster the kid is, I bet.

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  26. gingerpoetry says:

    poor child – but good story!
    Liebe Grüße
    Carmen

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  27. Al says:

    AnElephant has a great sense of humour
    The boy loves to have a lark
    He only wanted to be funny
    But he should have been a bunny
    Alas, he kills his granddad with a shark

    Like

  28. Dear Elephant,

    It’s cloudy, wet and cold here in the heartland of the USA, too. Quite a prankster, that child. Cute story.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Like

  29. atrm61 says:

    Poor Grandpa -must have been watching “Jaws”!And the grand-kid will now have to live with the guilt of his prank having killed poor old Grandpa!A chilly tale!

    Like

  30. Dear Sir Elephant I hope that child was scolded for that prank. We elderly should be respected. Good story as well.

    Like

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