Sunday Photo Fiction is a weekly challenge presented by my old friend Al Forbes.
The idea is to write a short story (200 word max) inspired by what you see in his picture (below).
Al’s photos seem to have had me travelling a whole lot in recent weeks.
And today, as Willie Nelson and Canned Heat both say, in their very different ways, I am On the Road Again.
Click on this link to enter your tale, and see what others have written.
Copyright Al Forbes
Hold-up
The local press pretends outrage and amazement.
But, of course, they are delighted.
It is a big story for this quiet region.
A truck driver has been held up at gunpoint, 2 million euros worth of cigarettes stolen.
It is not Rocket Science.
I simply pick him up at the Italian border, and wait until he stops.
How do they know which trucks to target, the papers demand.
Well, customs documents make wonderful reading, so I have a man to do that.
Organised crime, they scream.
Duh!
Of course I am organised, I am not an idiot.
Is it the Mafia, they ask, sensationally.
No, actually, it is me and a single accomplice.
He drove the goodies to my secret location.
He wasn’t even armed.
And I suppose I should be honest, and bring you up to date.
It is just me now.
The last line is great – “It is just me now”. A criminal gets rid of another criminal.
Hope he can find another who is willing to put his trust in him. 😄
Nicely done …
Isadora 😎
Thank you again, Isadora, it is just a way to keep the overheads down!
It took me a second to get it. It is too early and I am not sleeping tonight. Great story, honor among thieves. LOL!
Oops, sorry Tessa, I seem to have missed your great comment.
Glad you enjoyed story, maybe if you read a few more of my tales sleep will come more easily!
Hmm, a life time supply…
Half a pack for the accomplice!
Crime never pays. 🙂
delightful as always, but I would not want to be your accomplice in any crime 🙂
Oh, no harm will ever come to you, Samantha.
Is your hubby looking to earn some extra cash, maybe?
but remember, I like him!! I am not sure I want him to be working with you either. Altho I understand how expensive it is to live in paradise!
Still not sure you are seeing the bigger picture here, Samantha.
And you seem kinda stubborn, but maybe that indicates a strong character.
We’ll see…
hah, you think I am stubborn? You should’ve met my Irish Catholic grandmother 😉
Every working outfit’s brain needs a flunky or two. Still, getting only one use per flunky seems a little wasteful.
Down here on the Med, there are lots more flunks in the sea.
Loved the part about organized crime. Obviously he’s organized. That’s rather critical to completing the crime successfully. He also seems eminently practical, finding his partner “surplus to requirements.” Criminals who think are so much more interesting than the usual kind. Great story!
Well you know what André Malraux says, EA, ‘Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides’.
And our narrator hides his practical side from his accomplice, and his plunder from the law!
Who says crime doesn’t pay! Works for some people! 🙂
It is expensive to maintain any sort of reasonable lifestyle down here.
A man’s gotta do and all that stuff, JC!
We need a good crime scene investigation crew to investigate this!
No worries on the every other week Rumors. I do try to write them as ‘singles’
It is only supposed to be 9 total. But I’ll just have to see how that goes. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by. ~Jules
Hey, Jules, I just visited you!
Lovely to see you here, my dear lady.
Hugs as always
😉 T’was my reason to come a calling.
I would love to read more folks… but I do always try to visit those who have stopped by.
Cheerio!
He offed his partner! Now he has to find a new one to use and off when he doesn’t need him anymore! Great story and as Rochelle says, a true narcissist!
Well, not so much offed as found surplus to requirements.
So I suppose so, yes.
Rochelle is always right, isn’t she?
Although not here, this is Al’s challenge, so nah nah to her, yeah!
No kidding, she is always right. So..he got rid of surplus – especially the kind that wants paid.
I guess so.
The cut is so much bigger for one than it is for two.
But, d’you know, I snuffed that Rochelle out just this week, and here she is back, large as life.
Well, quite a small large, admittedly, but nevertheless…
Hahaha! Did you snuff her out in Friday Fictioneers?
Yet another good story from you, I do love to read a good criminal 🙂
Thank you, Angie, a wee bit of crime is good for the skin, they say.
Or perhaps I just made up that rubbish.
Use ’em and lose ’em, eh?
There is a reason it is said there is no honour amongst thieves!
You are indeed a grand storyteller.
You just can’t get the staff, can you?
Thank you for your comment, Ms Dalectable.
Nope…good help is just so hard to find!
Haha. Probably find another one when he starts running out and then once he has the goods – be on his own again 🙂 Great story
You are a sick man, my friend, you always laugh more when I snuff some poor bod than when I do funnies!
Great stuff here, but where is your story?
I haven’t done a story since I came back to doing it. I was thinking a couple of days ago that it would be nice to write one again.
Reblogged this on anelephantcant and commented:
AnElephantCant deny he loves outlaws
Like the James brothers Jesse and Frank
But there is a wee rumour
He prefers his robberies with less violence more humour
So his all-time favourite is Butch Cassidy who held up lots of trains and the occasional bank
Dear CE,
Your criminal sounds like a true narcissist. No conscience. As always good writing that’s getting better all the time.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Perhaps, but he is good to his mum!
Thank you, you set the standard I aspire to approach.