Friday Fictioneers is hosted by the wonderful Rochelle, the undisputed master of what I call Sound Bite Fiction.
She sets the weekly challenge, and the standard.
Today’s photo is by the delectable Dale, queen of the Eluvise Typo Pepole!
A delightful lady and a dear friend.
The idea, as always, is to write a story of around 100 words based on the picture, below.
© Dale Rogerson
Click here to hear me read this 45-second story:
Trapped
We are not moving quickly enough.
We have to get out of this tunnel before they get men to the escape hatch.
I can hear footsteps pounding along behind us, know the first pursuer is close.
They have better weapons than we do, but if I surprise the first one, then I can use his against those who follow.
I step into a small recess, watch anxiously.
When I see him I breathe a sigh of relief.
Colour is not my strong point, but his shirt is clearly red.
Everyone knows he is only there so no-one important gets killed.
Have you read ‘Red Shirts’ by John Scalzi? If not, you ought to, it’s a scream 🙂
I never knew that about the red shirts. I gotta giggle that he is a bit color blind though. I know some guys at work like that…and we make magazines for a living! I’ll never forget we ran a whole job for a local college with a blue cover. When I came in that night I hit the stop button and asked why is this not purple?.(the school color) The response was “It’s not?” :/
Bloody men, eh, Dawn, wotcha gonna do?
Ah, the men in red. Those guys were always cannon fodder. Hilarious, C.E. Good writing. 😀 — Suzanne
I’m no Trekkie either, so was thinking British army until reading the comments. Nice take I enjoyed it
I loved the sigh of relief on seeing the red shirt! We always knew the non-speaking extra in red was cannon fodder.
I liked your build up. Mine is a family of Trekkies. We call the actors in red shirts “spares”. Every scene with one gets a resounding “spare alert!”
Until I read the comments above I didn’t register the Star Trek reference. The tension was palpable, though, so I liked your story anyway!
I never got why in subsequent series they swapped it all around and put red shirts on the superiors, but maybe it was to keep the aliens guessing. Amusing story, CE Ayr!
Lots of tension and build up in this one, CE.
Sadly, I’m not a fan of sic-fi or fantasy stories of rescued maidens in distress.
However, your writing is so superior that it can be read or listened to and not be boxed in.
Have a wonderful weekend …
Isadora 😎
awesome, and loving the ‘red shirt’ allusion!
I loved the suspense as they made their way down the hallway and I felt the break of tension with the Star Trek reference helped me a lot! Great piece! Thank you!
You are very kind, Ashley, I am happy you enjoyed it so much.
I’m not a Trekkie but like the idea that red-shirt is expendable! The tension building up to the last line was cleverly done.
Funny thing, Clare, neither am I!
But I remember from around the time of the second Jacobite Rebellion when Bill Shatner was only middle-aged that the ‘lucky’ crewman was never going to see his pension.
All hail the Queen of the Eluvise Typo Pepole! Whoorrey! (Maybe we should go with ebonics spelling next week).
Too bad for the sacrificial lamb in the red shirt. Instead of Born to be Wild, he can sing Born to be Expendable for his theme song (or funeral hymn). They may as well hang a Target logo on his shirt and award points for hits closest to the bullseye.
Ah, yuo obvouisyl kown Dela, Russlle, she is very sweet but a bit impetuosu.
Or maybe that Brucie favourite, Born to Die.
The lack of a target was probably an oversight, it would have focused the baddies even more than just the bright red rag to the bull.
Sorry *state not Stantec – they’re an engineering firm from here.
Yes, sweetheart, I guessed that!
I know 🙂
I have two-brothers who watched the star treks extensively. I’ve seen the new movies and the oldest Star Trek on reruns. Thinking back you’re all right, the person in the red-shirt does always die, I guess it’s his/her job to stick out like a soar thumb so no one important dies, as your last lines Stantec CE. Hugs.
Yep, it looks dangerous, beam down a red shirt, don’t want to lose Bones, he has the key to the drinks cabinet!
Hugs to you, Amanda
Than, you CE. 🙂
“Aye, the haggis is in the fire now for sure.”
– Lisa
Hi Lisa, is that an auld Scots saying that I’ve never heard of?
Laughing
It so interesting to read the comments and the obvious relief that “it’s only the red shirt”. A very twisted group, we mortals.
I’m smiling,
Tracey
So true, Doc, happy to make you smile
Love it. Very clever putting in the red shirt! 🙂
Thanks, Sascha. A man’s gotta do…
Good pacing, with a great build up to a funny end. Nicely done!
My tail is a-wagging here!
Haha! Fantastic! A great start – part way through the action, always good – a nice tense build and that – wham! – finish with a Star Trek reference. Love that C. Made me smile 🙂
Thanks, Lynn, happy you enjoyed enough to smile!
My pleasure 🙂
Hahaha yes indeed Star Trek. You knew the person with the red shirt and no lines was expendable
A one-way ticket every time!
The opening of an intriguing tale!
Thank you, Christine
Nothing says “You are SO screwed” than being on Landing Party duty with Captain Kirk, Mister Spock, Dr. McCoy and you’re Ensign Whoever, the security guard.
Which dumb S.O.B. is gonna get scragged first by the hostile natives?
Why did the Enterprise have such rotten security guards anyway?
Five out of five “Scotty, save my bacon!”s.
😀
Yep, it was like being on the wrong team at the OK Corral!
5 out of 5 “She cannae take any more, captain”s
Hahahahahaha! Thanks, Scotty. 😀
Who knew there were so many Trekkies among us. Admittedly, that never occurred to me; I was swept up in redcoats and the idea of battle anxiety. As always, wonderful story CE.
Thank you, Dawn, I kinda guessed there might be a few although I am not one myself!
But you always knew the bright young chap in the landing party was doomed, just like the guy on the stagecoach when the Indians attacked!
No doubt!
I too thought of the “red shirts” on the original Star Trek series. They all die with the exception of Scotty and Uhura.
Aye, ye canna change the laws of physics
That’s one of my favorite lines out of one of my favorite episodes.
“I canna change the laws of physics. I’ve got to have thirty minutes.”
Hey! I resemble that remark! I’ll let it slied (yes, did that on purpose)
Like many, I could not help but think of the “disposable crew member” from the original Start Trek series… Fun stuff!
That’s the one, Dela!
Cool pic too.
Doctor Who. Corridors and running. Fantastic
Glad you enjoyed, but the Doctor was not my target this time.
Actually I never watched Star Trek on TV. So the Trek references were lost on me 🙂
I was thinking Star Trek here, and the poor red-shirt crew members who never make it back to the Enterprise. nice story
The “disposable crew member”!
Indede!
On the button!
I was thinking Star Wars route until the red jumper. Live long and prosper!
I can remember always laughing when young ensign Smith/Brown/Jones got assigned to a landing party. One less to beam up.
This get me a sense of an ant society… everybody has a clear role. (but it could be star-treck as well)… maybe the important one is close.
Ant society is cool, Bjorn, but Star Trek more accurate.
Red so you don’t see the blood. Good shot.
Thank you, Michael
Dear CE,
I guess everyone has to have a purpose in life, don’t they? Well constructed with a good build of tension until that sigh of relief at the end.
Shalom,
Rochelle
PS I’m sure Dale will appreciate your glowing introdcution.
“He’s dead, Jim.”
“He got better.”
Oops, wrong show …!
Hey, no private family chats here!
Once Shirley Dimples and Cuzin’ Notnek get started they’re a hard team to stop. Sort of an Abbott and Costello of the blogosphere.
But not as we know it
Thank you, m’lady.
PS Woh craes?
Ah, a Man-U supporter! Good luck then! (I’ll get my coat…)
Manchester United? Sorry, Sandra, that exhausts my knowledge of English fitba’.
My heart was racing right along with him.
You have a fleet heart, dear lady!
A bit like the Scots and Irish regiments in the Victorian British army
And post-Victorian