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 very pretty photo comes from Priya Bajpal, and I have to confess that I have no idea what it shows. But it looks lovely, so who cares.
The idea, as always, is to write a story of around 100 words based on this picture, below.
© Priya Bajpal
Click here to hear the writer read his words:
Parties
I hate parties.
Always have, as long as I can remember.
And that is years now, since before I started school.
But they’re your friends, Mummy says, you always play with Jack, Theo, and Callum.
Or Stinky, Snotty and Farty, as I call them.
But our mummies are friends, so we have to be too.
They bully me, of course, because I’m small and smart.
I’ve tried lots of things to escape these nightmares, but no luck.
This year will be different.
The internet is great.
I’ve made a wee bomb.
A couple of missing legs should change some minds.
Yikes! Even your young ones are homicidal. 🙂
Just wait till they grow up and their bombs aren’t so wee!
(I love Yikes!)
lol 🙂
Despite the sociopathic elements, I read this and just thought I wished his mum listened to him more.
Thanks, Fatima, it’s all about education, which as you say begins at home
How very chilling. It raises the question, was this sociopathic development always going to happen or was he driven that way by the bullying?
Sociopath is such a strong word for a wee bitty blowing up of chums, sir, donchafink.?
Sorry, it autocorrected from scamp 🙂
Laughing. Yeah, but no!
One has to wonder if he is just simply a psychopath, with or without the bullying.
Love a story that makes me think!
Jings, Dawn, makes you think?
A challenge I did not think I could rise to!
Very dark ending but you have to sympathise with the little lad.
What’s the occasional wee bomb between friends?
The effects of bullying are all around us. The tone shifted so well into modern misery.
A sad truth, Stu
Sounds like an Alchemy Cookbook is in his future…..
Yeah, boys will be boys…
Ah, how true this is of kids. I remember my son regularly getting punched, kicked, teased by ‘friends’. Not that any of them are really friends now, though my son’s solution was to find new ones, not to blow the old ones up! You captured something true here and gave it a nasty twist. Great stuff
I can send him a link to http://www.makeyourownweebomb.com if you like, Lynn?
My kids are away at the Scout Jamboree and I could see them being interested in a wee bomb of the liquid variety, although of course, they’re all very well behaved and would never cross that line. Their sense of humour would love it.
On a more serious note, bullying is rife in both schools and the adult realm. I remember our son being told to use his words when he was smaller when troubles arose. However, I only recently found out that a four year old boy usually doesn’t have the words so that’s very helpful advice. Actually, that’s actually held up as the rules.
Fortunately, living in Australia it’s rare that bullying has the disasterous outcomes you see in the USA. However, our teens tend to implode and teen suicide is a serious issue, perhaps even an epidemic. Not necessarily caused by bullying but that doesn’t help.
Best wishes,
Rowena
G’day, Rowena
It seems that virtual bullying is now commonplace, an even more cowardly and vile pastime than the physical variety.
I don’t have a solution, other than education.
Oh no! I didn’t see that twist coming! Well done
The boy’s a survivor, I believe. I hope he refines his methods before he does too much damage. However, on the serious side, your story is spot on in relation to how so many of our problems start.
Sadly we live in a world where too many know their rights but not their responsibilities.
Thanks, Margaret
I was not expecting that twist! Very dark.
Laughing. You are not supposed to expect it, Lisa, that is the point!
If you don’t know how, just ask Mr. Google.
Fortunately much of it is wildly inaccurate…
Oh, one more child lost to bullying. Hope he doesn’t do what he intends to do. Clever piece of writing!
Wow! totally unexpected twist.
Thanks, Priya.
Cool photo too.
Just when I started feeling sorry for him. Maybe it’s better he doesn’t go to that party.
Perhaps wise, Bernadette
A tiny bomb sounds dangerous unless he has a bomb filled with wee. Either way it’s not going to turn out well for the bullies.
Laughing.
Nice alternative translation of the Scots!
Sounds like the party will be a blast. (Groan)
An explosion of laughter!
Looks like a mind bomb to me, spray the bullies with ideas and possibilities.
Aye well, we’ll see!
The bullies must be taught a lesson but like this. They spoiled one innocent mind too.
Very well written.
Thank you, Indira.
As you say, they have destroyed innocence.
Unfortunately, the horrors of bullying are all too real and traumatize many a young one. It is an even sadder reality when that victim seeks violent revenge. There are many steps between the building of a “wee bomb” and the detonating so hopefully, he won’t go through with it in the end. Thought inspiring piece!
Thank you, Brenda, this is a sadly more common scenario in recent years
J’ADORE quand de ton esprit sort des merveilles comme celle-ci !
Merci, madame, j’essaie toujours d’amuser mes lecteurs
Such a lot of stuff going on here. Bullying is so harsh …
gramswisewords.blogspot.com
Thank you, Marian. Sometimes we just hold up a mirror to society.
And my apologies, but my browser (Firefox) will not let me visit your blog for security reasons.
Well you turned that on its head at the end there. And I was begining to feel sorry for the wee chap.
He is a resilient and resourceful wee rascal, apparently!
Stinky, Snotty, and Farty might have been cruel to him but the wee bomb idea scared me. I wish there were no bullies in the world!
Sadly a Utopian dream, Piyali
Childhood bullies have left a scar on little boys mind. Now he hates parties.
Just so, sir
“I have made a wee bomb,” Good grief 🙂
Laughing.
Indeed, Linda!
tis better to main a bully than kill him I suppose.
Oops, that should have read Maim a bully.
(Whistling) Always look on the bright side of life…
Not such a wee bomb after all. This is truly disturbing. Perhaps because it treads too close to today’s realities.
Sadly true, Alicia.
I guess wee is a relative term.
A believable yarn, CE. Thank goodness it’s more difficult for a small child to lay their hands on a powerful oxidising agent than it was when you and I were young!
I bow to your superior knowledge of bomb-making, Penny!
I think that this birthday lad is not such an innocent one. You left me wondering who is bullying who.
His innocence has left the building, Michael
Who will stop this attack by the smart kid?
Wish there were no bullies. Or revenge…
World would have been a better place. No missing body-parts…
Another Try – Anita
All too true, Anita, but this is our world…
Amazing the things you can find on the Internet these days… Ouch. Stinky, Snotty and Farty might deserve it, but still, ouch.
Laughing. Yes, ouch is fair comment.
He’ll be legless at the next party whether he has a sneaky wee dram or not!
Boom Boom!
Dear CE.
A wee bomb seems a bit over the top to keep from going to a party. On the other hand, Stinky, Snotty and Farty might have it coming. Love the voice in this.
Shalom,
Rochelle
I guess it’s just one party too many, m’lady.
I was waiting for the brutal ending and you didn’t disappoint!
I try, Clare, I do try!
I wouldn’t want to babysit this little genius!
The ‘wee bomb’ is great.
So is the development of the story. Well done!
Thanks, Em, wee guys don’t need big bombs!
Yikes, I wasn’t expecting that dark ending! Well done.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
I thought you knew me, Susan!
Poor kid. Still, he has come up with a wee bomb. A lot of disabled people are actually geniuses. A deaf and mute person made an aircraft. If possible, please see the story here-https://www.scoopwhoop.com/news/deaf-mute-built-aircraft/
Thank you for taking the time to visit and comment
loved the “wee bomb”
Laughing. He’s only a wee guy!