AnElephantCant be an ornithologist
Although he does like to see pictures of birds
He is not sure whether
To discuss their feathers
When he only has 100 words
Once again it is Friday Fictioneer time.
Top twitcher Rochelle watches while lakeside legendeers create magic in 100 words.
And AnElephant tries not to mess up the nest.
The idea is to write a very short story, circa 100 words, based on this picture prompt (below).
That’s it.
Copyright- The Reclining Gentleman
The Bench
I know I am being watched.
I sit gazing across the water, wondering how close they are.
And if I have any chance of escape.
People stroll by, some pause to take in the view.
A cigarette packet is tossed, too casually, falls to the ground.
I scowl at his back, he is oblivious to my annoyance.
As I stand to leave, I stoop, and, with obvious irritation, push it into the bin.
I now have in my palm the last piece of the device.
I blow into my cold hands.
It fits perfectly.
And now they are too late.
Sound Bite Fiction 
Dear Elephant, A master sleuth you must be and so clever as a drop to act irritated with the annoying liter of a stupid person. Very good job! Nan 🙂
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Dear Nan, AnElephant is, as always, just happy to see you here.
And delighted his little tale gives you pleasure.
He smiles all day now.
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Nice and mysterious – appropriate for the spy-like exchange going on. Making the connection between the ‘dropped cigarette packet’ and him actually receiving the last bit… I missed that the first time… but I didnt mind a second read :).
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Thank you, sir.
AnElephant loves a good mystery.
And in 100 words it is sometimes difficult to make the steps sufficiently clear.
Glad you got there.
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interesting piece
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Thank you.
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Ooh, James Bond eat your heart out, the Elephant is undercover. Very enjoyable story.
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Ooh, Mish Joanna, it takesh a very shubshtanshal cover to hide AnElephant.
He ish glad you enjoyed hish shtory.
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Elephant, That was mysterious even after the ending. It would make a great beginning hook for a longer story. Well written. 🙂 — Susan
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AnElephant likes to provoke a little thought in his reader’s mind.
It seems he succeeds here.
Thank you for visiting.
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You’ve created another evil genius. Is there no limit to the madness???
Rhetorical…good story as always.
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AnElephant as AnEvilGenius?
There is no end to Dawn’s madness!
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Everyone enjoys a good mystery! Nice work!
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AnElephant is happy you enjoyed this one.
Thank you.
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Mysterious and intriguing take on the prompt, love to know what happens next.
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Happy it amused you.
And nothing, used all 100 words already!
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Aha! I’m glad I commented after reading the previous answer. He is obviously skilled at playing the cover role to the bitter end – in this case that of a concerned, civic-spirited citizen. Scowling at his back indeed. I like how you’ve shown the steady progress of the final bits of the plan, and the conclusion. Very intriguing.
Marg
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Thank you, Margaret.
AnElephant loves it when a plan – and a plot – come together!
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You’re a natural at spy thrillers, Mr Elephant. I wasn’t confused, as much as curious, about what device he’d finally fitted together and what it might do. I searched and searched but was as clueless as the people pursuing him.
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Thank you, Karen.
AnElephant can tell you about the device, but then he has to kill you in next week’s thrilling sequel!
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Nice bit of spy craft, Elephant!!
janet
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Thank you, Janet, glad you enjoyed.
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MMmmmm. What was in the packet? Too bad you only had 100 words.
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Originally it was life-shortening, cancer-inducing cigarettes.
Ah, you mean in the story?
It was a aaaaaaaarrrrrrrgggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!
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The real question is, is he a goody or a baddy. Intriguing!
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AnElephant’s hat is neither black nor white.
So the decision is yours.
It is pink, whadya think???
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A little cloak and dagger.. what can be better in a case like this? wonder if the next scene will be mind-blowing?
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Thanks, Bjorn.
Tune in sometime soon, or maybe never, for the next thrilling episode!
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What is this device and what does it do? Must be something big if they’re too late to stop if (or if they were even trying to stop him in the first place). I greatly enjoyed this one, sir elephant.
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It allows the narrator to cross between time/space peanut factories.
And trims his trunk hairs.
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Wonderful take on this prompt.
Nah! You did not mess up the nest!
Je vois cela comme la premiere page de quelque chose plus long et tout a fait comme un Rubic’s cube…
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Merci, mais non.
C’est fini.
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Lovely intrigue with this, but like Jessie I’m a little confused at the ending. He’s thrown away the cigarette packet, but he has something in his hands…? I’m sure it’s just me.
Claire
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The last piece is in inside the packet.
But glad you enjoyed regardless.
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Oh my, very intriguing. Like a spy novel. I had a similar idea, but now I’ll need to find a different approach. And stop reading stories before I write my own. 😀
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Thank you, very glad you enjoyed.
AnElephant is confident you will create something differently wonderful.
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Dear AEC,
A fine and mysterious tale. I will wait to find out who ‘they’ is and what on earth the device is. With your hook set firmly in my mind, I am yours until the end.
Aloha,
Doug
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Thank you, Doug, but that is the end!
You know how wild our lovely Rochelle gets if we overrun.
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Dear Elephant,
I have the feeling that this story has an explosive ending.
I think perhaps you don’t need “is” after cigarette pack.
Well done and mysterious.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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The ending is obviously another story.
AnElephant does not incur your famous wrath by straying beyond his 100 word allowance!
Your comment about ‘is’ confused me, until I realised that I could move the comma, parenthesising ‘tossed too casually’.
But then it would only be 99 words!
Or I could add ‘and’ before ‘falls’ and blow the consequences!
Thank you, always a pleasure.
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As you wish, Sir. I don’t usually count the words of another unless it’s a blatant stray. My thought is 100 words or less. Mine are often 98-99.
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AnElephant, as an exercise in disciplined creativity, almost always writes exactly 100 words.
The only exceptions are the occasions he goes way over, but if he likes the story he just goes with it.
Rereading the sentence you mentioned did show that it could have been better structured.
Thank you.
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Nice story and a lot of creativity from just one picture! I’m a bit lost with this one (don’t be worried… I was confused with Sandra’s too, must be having a bad day!) but I’m sure it will hit me soon.
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Thank you for your kind words.
This is a live drop, the last piece of the device is passed via the packet.
That’s all.
Blowing on the hands is the opportunity to fit pieces together.
Tu comprends?
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