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.
This week’s photo prompt comes courtesy of Ted Strutz, and radiates a warmth and tranquillity that I hope is reflected in my rather romantic tale.
The idea, as always, is to write a story of around 100 words based on this picture, below.
© Ted Strutz
Click here to hear the writer read his words:
The Loch
There is nothing quite as relaxing as going out on the loch.
Especially in the evening, when it’s deserted.
They are going to find it very relaxing.
My wife.
My best friend.
They think I don’t know.
They’re in for a surprise.
I’ve got a gun.
A midnight swim, with the anchor around their ankles.
*
Poor CE.
He doesn’t suspect a thing.
We never meant this to happen.
He has been my best friend since school.
He’d be devastated to find out, so we have no choice.
I’ve got a gun.
A midnight swim, with the anchor around his ankles.
Sound Bite Fiction 
It’s uncanny how these two friends are thinking alike and have hatched the same plan.
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Oh wow! I couldn’t help but imagine the next scene–the wife, sailing back to the harbor, alone. Loved this, though you inspired a bit of darkness in me:
Neither knew I’d tired of them both. I had a gun. Now, they will glare at each other for eternity, an anchor tied round their ankles. There is nothing quite as relaxing as going out on the loch.
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As you say, oh wow!
I think this is the first time anyone has actually written an ending to one of my stories.
Makes me feel quite inadequate!
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Leaves you wanting to know what happens next. Great write.
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Thanks, Lisa
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I’m a bloke and my eyes were tired!!
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Ah well, what do I know.
Apart from how to naff off a new reader/listener.
Welcome, sir, to Sound Bite Fiction, where nothing is quite what it seems.
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No worries, how were you to know!
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In fact I read your About page, and figured if you’d had a Mr Sprout you might be a lady!
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Mr Sprout was my dog, being a Mr gave him kudos, in formal situations he was Mr Cornelius Sprout, that didn’t happen much!
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Brilliant, I really loved that. I listened to you reading it, an awesome tale
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You are very kind, ma’am.
I am very pleased you took the time to listen, makes it worth the extra effort.
Thank you.
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Oh! what a delightful switch-a-roo!
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Oh! what a delightful comment-a-roo!
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Nasty, but then what if they do know and they have the bullets? Revenge is wrong but so, so sweet.
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Sounds like you’re an expert, James!
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methinks it’s just him fantasizing. he needs another drink.
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Laughing.
You are entitled to your view, sir, but this is an alcohol-free blog!
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There surely must be money involved. He wouldn’t kill just for the sport….would he?
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Oh come on, Dawn, do I have to spell it out for you?
This is a family blog, but wife, best friend, y’know, nudge, nudge…
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Ah! Romance ain’t it sweet. With both dead the wife can move on to other victims 😉
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I ain’t dead yet, copper!
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The last line of each paragraph/stanza (can’t quite make up my mind if it reads like poetry) are fantastic. The rings with such menace.
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I write it as prose, sometimes it reads as poetry, it’s all cool.
Glad it worked for you, Carol
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I rather liked Penny’s sequel. Of course, the wife could always kill them both and move on to her next conquest.
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Are you volunteering, Russell? Does Connie know about this?
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It’s going to be a busy night, down there in the loch. I think I know who’s going to emerge victorious though, and rightly so, for the purposes of spine-chilling sound bite fiction.
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With you in my team, Sandra, I can’t lose.
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That is one threesome that is sure to be explosive! Like the style of writing here.
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Thank you, Fatima, glad you enjoyed,
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Ut oh. The surprise is who will win…but since the narrator is still talking he gets the prize. And yes, there may have been a slight eye-roll when I read “romantic” in the into. 😀
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I am hurt, Sascha, I am a really romantic dude!
Sometimes.
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🙂 Dude, eh?
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You win this week’s star prize, Sascha, I can’t remember when I last laughed aloud at one word and a grunt!
You can expect to receive flowers, chocolates and heart-shaped cards through your letter box any day now!
Big hugs and thanks
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😀
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Best friends who not only love the same woman, but think exactly a like. Won’t they be surprise when they get to the other side.
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Seems likely!
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Yikes! No happy ending here.
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Probably not.
I like ‘Yikes!’
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Anything but relaxing!
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Yeah well, I write fiction!
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They’ll each spend the evening drinking to give themselves courage for murder. They’ll both fire and miss. This will bring home to them the enormity of what they have just attempted. They’ll share the remains of the whisky, and fall into each others arms, weeping and maudlin. Whereupon the boat will capsize, and they’ll both get caught in the anchor chain.
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Calm down, Penny, I think you just wrote the sequel!
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All’s well that ends well.
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Qui va servir de nourriture aux poissons ?
CE où sa femme et son amant ?
Je parie une petite pièce sur …..
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Oui, je sais, je ne suis pas encore mort!
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I wonder if they are all tied to the same anchor… it could come as a nasty surprise for the one who shoots first.
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Laughing. No one is tied yet, Bjorn, you are getting ahead of the game!
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Nice. Who fires first? Not Han Solo. 🙂
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What? This gets the prize for most baffling comment of the week!
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Loved how you constructed this CE. In keeping with my contribution this week, I’ve become aware of this dire plot and have jumped in my speed boat and am coming to the rescue. However, will I be caught in the cross fire? Don’t believe any of your mates can let you go down without coming to your defense.
Best wishes,
Rowena
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I’ll have a pint of what you’re on, Rowena!
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CE! You’d better win! Can’t do without your stories. 😀
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My favourite comment of the week!
Thank you, Sailaja
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Hmm, I wonder who is going to take that midnight swim…
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Hmm, me too…
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I enjoyed this.
Wonder who will come out on top?
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Glad you did, Mike.
Send your question, on a 100 Euro note, to:
Me!
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Dear CE,
Are we not spared another murder? High drama here, too.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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As we say in Scotland, mibbes aye, mibbes naw.
Cheers, m’lady
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Pistols at dawn, and no one wins, I enjoyed the looping style of this piece
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Thanks, Michael, a man’s gotta do, and all that stuff
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An inadvertent race to the bottom. Pistols at midnight, who will win? We’ll see if you are back next week or not.
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I’ll try not to get shot in the Trossachs!
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A painful area to be shot in!
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Sounds like it’s going to be an eventful night!
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Bang, bang, splash, sort of thing!
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I know I shouldn’t but that made me laugh
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Of course you should, dumb and dumber is funny!
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