Friday Fictioneers is hosted by the wonderful Rochelle, the undisputed master of what I call Sound Bite Fiction.
She sets the weekly challenge, the standard, and the prompt photo.
The idea, as always, is to write a story of around 100 words based on this picture, below, which this week is supplied by Fatima Fakier Deria.
© Fatima Fakier Deria
Click here to hear the author read his words:
Motherly Love
I often think of my mother, and her words of comfort and advice.
She was a gentle woman, but strong.
She brought up five of us alone.
We never knew our father.
Or fathers, maybe, she never said.
But she did teach us how to treat others.
So when I see a crowd of young people, especially girls, on a night out, I remember her.
There is often one, usually drunk, who gets left behind, or lost.
I understand how frightening this can be, how vulnerable they are.
I heed my mother’s words.
Take what you can when you can.
She taught him well.
Says Mother Dawn!
🙂
I don’t think that’s what mum meant! Talk about selective hearing. Good twist at the end there.
Maybe. Maybe not.
Glad you enjoyed, Fatima
Well, that was a twist!
That’s what I try for, Kelley!
I felt lulled by the story, til the sting in the tail last line. Clever story.
Thank you. I do like to lull and sting!
You never fail to lead us down that dark path, and I am glad you don’t 🙂
Thank you, Angie. Always a delight to see you here.
*shivers* – great piece. A pity that in the real world there’s so many others like him.
Oh I like *shivers*!
Well, that got dark fast! Shame he’s twisting his mother’s teaching.
Thank you, sir. I find it interesting that you take that view.
That was a nasty sting in the tail!
I do so enjoy doing that!
Very chilling tale. It’s either the mother’s warped teachings or the young man’s interpretation.
I really enjoy your shocking and entertaining endings each week. Especially, after building the stories so gently.
Thank you, Brenda, your kind and thoughtful comments are much appreciated, always
Wow, this is a clever story! You don’t merely explain the narrator’s motivation, you give us insight into the root causes of his mother’s advice. CE, you have excelled yourself. For me, this is story of the week.
Wow, for me this is the comment of the week!
100 words is a difficult task, so your words are much appreciated, Penny
I’m going to tell myself that your narrator took the opportunity to put her in a taxi, and give her the fare home…. nope, that didn’t work. The sting in the tail was expected, to a certain extent, but I was almost fooled for a moment.
I guess I can almost fool even you some of the time…
Every week you lull us into complacency and then the last line shake us out of it with a dark, very dark twist. The best (or is it the worst) part is that we know you would do this but still fall for it. Another great story, Ceayr.
Laughing.
Thanks, Neel, I try to keep you guessing, but we all know something will happen.
Sometimes it surprises me too!
Classic C.E.! And the mother’s advice, well….. 🙂
Thanks, Sascha, Mum had a certain approach…
haha! 🙂
Ands here I was feeling all warm and sympathetic for him. Egad!
Everyone deserves a little warmth and sympathy, don’t you think, Linda?
Well. . . .maybe. I don’t think I’ve ever had any of those feelings for genocidal psychopaths. Of course, as far as I know, I’ve never met one face to face 🙂
That mum sounds like someone who’d had others take more than she’d agreed to …
Perhaps, and she is just trying to take care of her children, Na’ama
In a way, yes.
I’ve worked with children who’d come from institutions where the only way to survive was for the big kids to take food from the little kids. It exacted a terrible price, of course, but for the orphans in those places, there was no other option. They’d learned what they had to. As many in dire circumstances do.
Methinks he took her words a tad too literally…
As we say in Scotland, mebbes aye, mebbes naw
Hmm, maybe Mother was one of those who had too much to drink and was left behind, which is why she had five kids with no fathers… Nice twist.
Laughing.
Mum was a sweetheart, Trent!
Creepy and brilliant twist.
A serial killer born?
Wow, that’s a bit of a leap, Tannille!
I’ll say it too – quite a twist! Nice one CE.
Here’s mine!
I like to twist again (like we did last summer)
Mom was a peach.
Dear C.E.
Somehow, I didn’t think Mum’s words would be “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Quite the smack-you-in-the-face ending.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Mum taught life survival lessons, m’lady
Now that was an unexpected twist! Great take on the photo prompt.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Like your character this week, Susan, Mum was not always predictable
OOh, that twist at the end! Nicely done.
Mum taught harsh life lessons
Clever and unexpected twist in the last line
Mum was a pragmatist
Not the advice I was expecting…!
Mum was full of surprises!