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 rather atmospheric prompt photo comes from Ronda Del Boccio.
The idea, as always, is to write a story of around 100 words based on this picture, below.
© Ronda Del Boccio
Click here to hear the writer read his words:
Lamppost
It is a dreich night.
I walk through the rain, which is light but icy.
The wind is cold, and my heart is heavy.
Things have been difficult between us recently.
I thought I loved her.
I thought she loved me.
Then there was that incident with Tony.
A misunderstanding, she swears, nothing happened.
He was teaching her how to play a Portuguese fado on the piano.
Maybe I am fretting over nothing, but the doubt is there.
Suspicion is an insidious enemy.
Nearly home, I see a shape beneath the lamppost, under an umbrella.
She smiles.
My heart sings.
Sound Bite Fiction 
I really enjoyed the melancholy feel to this piece, right down to the last lines… when we are left wondering why she’s there, to stay or leave.
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Thanks, Dawn.
Nothing in life is ever completely clear cut, is it?
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Very rarely!
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A sad little tale, really. He is too happy with her, can’t just accept it, perhaps he doesn’t feel worthy, I don’t know. But his insecurity will do him in.
Or maybe Tony…(lol)
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You are so cynical, Dawn, I think I have said this before.
Some things are just sweet, get over it!
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There you go. I knew you could do schmalz if you wanted to. You did it beautifully too.
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Just needed to add – I didn’t miss that undercurrent of menace in there as well. Tony’s not going to bow out quietly I suspect.
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Yeah well, I am a big softie deep down, I just try to keep it a secret!
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Enfin une histoire qui finit bien ! ❤
J’aime beaucoup ce charmant accent.
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Merci, madame, tu es très gentille
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A softer side of Portuguese Tony, nice. And I agree dreich is such a lovely word to use (yeah Google is good tool to have).
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Laughing. It is a cool word, isn’t it!
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Great story and love listening to you read it. Great accent lends itself well to the telling. Well done.
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Thank you and thank you, Tessa.
I am just fortunate that the Scots accent is widely appreciated across the globe!
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I love it, but then my ancestors are Scottish so maybe that is part of it. 🙂
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Sweet, nicely read
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Thank you, Sabio, very kind of you.
Always a pleasure to welcome a new visitor.
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I merely followed your link, Sabio, I have no knowledge of your other blog.
Reading your piece in isolation, I read it as sincere.
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He was easily reassured hey! I like how you illuminated her under the lamp as she must be similarly illuminated in his heart.
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We find what we want to, sometimes, Fatima, don’t you think?
Thank you for the kind words.
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Suspicion is indeed an insidious enemy – to love and to marriage.
Trust is the opposite.
But then it doesn’t pay to be naive ,in love and in life!👌👌👌
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But that middle ground can be so hard to find when one is smitten.
Remember what Dr Hook said about being in love with a beautiful woman…
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True.
Love can be wielded both as a weapon and a comforter
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This has a great flow, almost like a poem and I like the touch of the audio of you reading it too. Great idea.
-David
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Thanks, David, glad you enjoyed the different elements, I appreciate you taking the time to listen.
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Lovely story — I could feel how happy it made him to find her standing there.
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Thank you, Eugenia, always a delight to see a new face here.
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I loved your reading, though I didn’t need it to reveal your roots – the word dreich does that!
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Thank you, Liz, I do appreciate when someone takes the time to listen.
I guess the accent is as much a giveaway as that word!
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Another hit. And I enjoyed the reading.
If you ever get down to the Manchester area I could find you an open mic event.
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Thank you, thank you and thank you, Patrick.
I have never thought of an open mic approach, but Manchester is quite far from my home on the Mediterranean!
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You create such a vivid scene and atmosphere. Seeing her standing in the light of the lamppost and his suspicions fade, at least for now. Lovely ending. I also like “dreich” though I had to look it up. =)
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Thank you, Brenda, I am glad it worked for you.
We Scots have millions of words for bad weather, I’m not sure why!
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For some reason “busstop” by the Hollies was running through my head after reading this, it was so up beat and positive! Perhaps there is hope for this couple after all, if only for one dreary day.
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Well that’s a trip down memory lane!
Glad you enjoyed.
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Do something about this Tony. He has taken over your mind, body, soul and now your lover.
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You are right, sir, I’ll bump him off next week, okay?
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Awesome picture/fiction combo. Very much suited.
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Thank you, Tannille, very kind.
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You captured that slough of despond, which dissipates so quicklywith even the tiniest fragment of encouragement. Until the next time. And there will be a next time, and one after that… No bodies, I see…
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Thank you, Sandra, and my apologies.
I always feel I have let you down if I don’t leave a slew of corpses littering the site.
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How sneaky of you to tell us two tales in one. His girl must have a ready wit to have talked herself out of last week’s predicament. Beware, though; love will disarm your narrator!
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Two tales in 100 words, I am more talented than I thought!
Well, she is lovely, and you know what they say about old fools…
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Tony seems to be somehow involved in quite a few “incidents”…
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He is that kind of guy, I guess…
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A kinder, gentler ending than last week’s. I like you reading your stories.
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I like to confuse folk by not killing anyone occasionally!
Thank you
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But you do it so well 😉 You are welcome.
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Its the romantic side of portuguese Tony!! Love this one and love the word dreich!!
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A wee bit romance never goes amiss, does it, especially when the weather is dreich.
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Oh love, how easy it can be shaken, how easy it can be reassured again. Loved it.
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Welcome to the site, dear Lady, and thank you for your kind words.
I am delighted you enjoyed my little tale.
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Ah, love is not lost until the light goes out.
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Uh oh, you think the bulb’s about to go?
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Great storytelling, C.E. I like the narrative, the atmosphere. Dreich is a great word. It adds to the story.
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Thank you, I’m happy you enjoyed. Dreich is a common word in Scotland, simply because of our weather!
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Tony teaching her the Fado? The narrator has lost already… I could think of several reasons why she smiles. You’ve linked his emotions perfectly to the weather. Is she shelter, is there light?
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Laughing. Your mind is way too devious for me!
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Very atmospheric and thought provoking story. Nice one!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thank you, Susan
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Oh, good! I was afraid we were going to see some violence and death, so the ending was a delightful surprise 🙂
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Yeah, gotcha!
I do like to surprise you.
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Hope all is well soon & there’s no jealousy or fright.
Hope this duo sets things right under the umbrella in that rainy night 🙂
The New Bride – Anita
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They are in their prime
Like your sweet rhyme!
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Wow, despite the dreich atmosphere, a happy ending to the Tony saga!
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We’ll see!
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lol, I’m sure the saga will continue…
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A happy ending? Surely not! I sense Tony is not far away…
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Loitering, Iain, he is a loiterer!
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A lovely flash with a full story arc! 😀
Great stuff! And thanks for introducing me to ‘dreich’ ! 🙂
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Glad you enjoyed, and happy to introduce you to Scots!
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Drenched in cold, but happy that she is still alive🙂
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And, perhaps, in love, Mike
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Dear C.E.
A happy ending? You set the dreich tone very well.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Why not, m’lady, even I get weary of the constant slaughter of innocents!
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Jealousy will rob you of all the pleasure you could be experiencing.. Wonderful moral, and I learned a new word, dreich.. Thank you, CE
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And thank you, Violet, for your kind and thoughtful comment.
Dreich has, of course, many layers to the native Scot.
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dreich is such a lovely word!
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Laughing.
And needs a paragraph to translate it into English!
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They can look it up
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