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 the picture below, which this week is supplied by the inimitable Dawn Miller, one of my favourite Fictioneers.
© Dawn Miller
Click here to hear the author read his words:
Conflict
Horses sweep into the farmyard.
A sergeant calls for the occupants.
Andy and his grandfather come out of the barn.
The captain dismounts, salutes.
We know who you are, sir, he says, and we will need men like you during this war.
Old Alex raises his eyebrows, laughs aloud.
No, sir, I am here for your grandsons, I hear that they are men in your own mould.
Objections about age are brushed aside, and Andy is told to saddle a horse.
When asked about his twin, he points.
Far across the river soldiers in different uniforms are approaching grandma’s house.
Sound Bite Fiction 
You’ve done my image proud. Kudos.
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Thank you, Dawn.
I love the photo and I’m delighted you are happy with my offering
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A wonderful twist at the end. And clear, descriptive writing. It’s an old story, but you wrote it new.
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Thank you, Eugenia.
They say there are no new stories, so all we can do is make the old ones interesting!
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How beautifully you pull off that twist, CE. Elegant writing!
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Thank you, Penny, you are very kind
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wonderful story, and what a great idea to read it. I had never thought of that.
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Thank you, Dave, glad you enjoyed the whole package
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sadly, most young folks have romantic illusions about war.
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You are right, Hollywood has a lot to answer for
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yes, civil war is anything but. It is also an excuse to settle grievances with the neighbours and take advantage of the chaos. Who said War was pure.
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Not me, James, certainly not me!
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There are no winners in a war, yet war will always be a part of life. So sad and true. Well written. Your piece reminds me of the movie ‘The Patriot.’
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You are right in all that you say, Susan.
Thank you
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A war setting brother against brother. The grandpa must be torn.
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Indeed, Michael, like many others.
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Sounds a bit like the American Civil War between the North (Union) and South (Confederate). The North opposed slavery, the South embraced it. Many families had sons on both sides that way to ensure that no matter who won, they would be victors. It was a bloody, savage, and desperate period in our history.
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There have been too many such conflicts throughout the world over the centuries, but the US Civil War was in my mind.
But don’t you think that, in this situation, no matter who won, they would be losers?
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I do. I had family on both sides… both dreadfully injured and disabled for the rest of their lives. There are no winners in war…. only survivors.
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War is bad enough, but I suppose we always look for ways to make it worse. Great take on the prompt!
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Very true, Russell.
As I point out in my annual Remembrance Day post, the biggest change in the last 100 years is that we now allow women the equal opportunity to die on the front line.
Progress, hmm…
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War takes all the best and kills them. Pwerful story.
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Thanks, Liz, I think my views on war are pretty well documented here.
I highlight the stupidity whenever possible.
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Oh boy, fighting on opposite sides. This isn’t going to end well for their family.
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It rarely does, in a war…
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Life on opposite sides of the fence. Sounds like this could segue into an epic….
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Well spotted, Violet!
It is in fact an adapted excerpt from a much longer, as yet unfinished, piece,
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Cleverly set up and a delight to read. Well done, sir.
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Very kind, sir, thank you.
And welcome to Sound Bite Fiction.
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Whoa! Great story. You said a LOT in few words.
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Thank you. We have to pack it in, don’t we!
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Brilliant depth to your story! I think Alex’s laugh is sardonic. How terrible to know your grandsons will be on opposite lines of fire.
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Thank you, Brenda, for your kind words and thoughtful comments.
Alex’s laughter is certainly not joyful!
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It’s sad to think how arbitrary allegiance is in any war. Regardless of how one feels about a war or war, in general, you have to hope “your side” wins. “Your side” is decided for you by where you are or where you were born. You’ve captured that in your microcosm with the twins being on the opposite sides of the river at just the wrong time.
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We are in total agreement here, sir.
Allegiance is usually an accident of birth, but sometimes just happenstance.
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I enjoyed how you tackled the prompt.
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Glad you did, Mike
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Well written, CE. While I didn’t expect the ending, I have read stories, nonfiction, from the American Civil War about brothers fighting brothers. Sad world that this would ever come about.
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Thank you, Sascha, you understand exactly.
I have always believed that if war is the answer then we are asking the wrong question.
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Sad that circumstance of separate visiting at that exact time would lead to conflict between brothers. Conversations into the future, what ifs and so forth. A tale brilliantly told, how fragile time is
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Thank you, sir, for your thoughtful and very kind comments.
It did not really occur to me that it is very much a ‘Sliding Doors’ sort of situation.
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This was sad, fascinating and unexpected in equa measures!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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I was trying for fascinating and unexpected, the ‘sad’ is just a by-product!
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That actually happened to my family, Sad, sad story.
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Sadly it appears to be not that uncommon
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Beautifully set up. Happens in any country or place where one is free to choose which side to be on.
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The point here, Linda, is that there was no choice, just the luck of the draw.
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Which makes it even worse.
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Brother vs. brother – I do have ancestors that fought on both sides of our “Civil” War, including brothers… Good story.
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Thanks, Trent.
I have heard many stories about this sort of conflict, none of them with happy endings.
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Civil wars do seem to be the most uncivilized….
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One can only hope they don’t come face to face.
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Indeed, Keith.
We’d have to send for Rosey!
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She’d fight for both sides at once and flatten the lot of them!
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An literal family at war. A cruel twist, but then maybe the twins don’t like each other much, same as their grandparents.
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One twin is visiting his maternal grandmother, the other the paternal grandfather.
They are very close, but help out the old folk whenever possible.
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This left me wondering about the dilema the old soldier father must feel, watching both sons fighting for different sides. There’s much to ponder about that conflict. Presumably he has a conviction himself which he has to balance with those of each of his sons. A minefield of deliberation to be engaged in. Well done.
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Thank you, Sandra, you picked up on most of what I tried to communicate.
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Dear CE,
My mind is sent to the American Civil War…could be any “civil” war I suppose. (Talk about an oxymoron.) This makes me sad for the twins and Alex.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I confess that Dawn’s photo did take my mind to the USA, m’lady, and I know how arbitrarily lines could be drawn.
A river is often a natural border.
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Both the twins will now be a part of the army.
But, are they on the same side or on opposite?
Depends if grandma & grandpa’s home are in the same nation!
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The clue is in the word ‘different’ in the last line, Anita
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A civil war is such a terrible thing. Its lines fracture hearts
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Thanks, Neil, exactly my point
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Chilling how quickly life can change. I am guessing no isn’t an option?
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Not in a Civil War, sadly
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