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 Todd Foltz.
© Todd Foltz
Click here to hear the author read his words:
Mother
‘No one must ever know what she did,’ she tells me.
I stare into her eyes, see my own reflected, dull with fear and horror.
‘If they find the body,’ she says, ‘if the police come, we must say that I did it.’
I shake my head.
‘No, I cannot lose you…’
‘You can, you must,’ she argues, ‘there is no choice. They can never know the truth. You will think of our daughter, and her children, and say that I did it.’
I shake my head again, muttering under my breath.
But I know I’ll do as she says.
Sound Bite Fiction 
Aha! And now I know what all the others are talking about 🙂
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Good one! I read it four times!
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Still confused, Dawn?
I might start a club…
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as always, mothers know best.
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Very true, Plaridel
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Sometimes, it’s hard to accept the reality and get practical. Nice post 🙂
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Mothers tend to be good at that.
Thank you
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A mother’s sacrifice, nicely done.
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Thank you
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Oh, what to do? Tell the truth or live the lie forever. I thought only politicians had managed to solve that one.
You leave me searching my soul – could I keep the secret or would I use the knowledge to my own advantage – a devious sort you see.
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Against your own daughter?
Really, James, you are a cad and a bounder
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There seems to be a lot of death and destruction among the Flash Fictioneers this week. 😳
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Only one body here, and it’s off-stage!
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Pithy and real!👌👌👌
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Good comment, thank you
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And nothing to do with eggs! It is a prompt, after all ….. 🙂
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Hey Trish, eggs are people too, y’know
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Intriguing story CE. Makes me ever more curious.
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Thank you, glad it piqued your interest
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Oh! I would love to know more. Very well done. (Not a very original comment, but it’s so true!)
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Thanks, Alicia.
As to more…
We’ll see
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Mothers will sacrifice anything for their children.
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I’ve never got that idea Liz. I’m a mother of three grown children, and I’ve never felt like that 😦
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As a mere man, I’m not getting involved in this!
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I felt very brave putting that out there! 🙂
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I thought so, but we have a dissenting voice!
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The lengths people go to protect their loved ones. Sounds like the daughter is responsible for her lover’s (or some other 3rd party) death. I think this plan will only cause more pain. Nicely done!
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Keep guessing, Fatima!
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What a terrible choice to be faced with.
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A mum’s gotta do, Ali…
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Number 1!! I’m 37 and have aged slightly since last week! well done you, so many unanswered questions, good stuff, leaves me wanting more.
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Smiling, having fun (sup-p-per troup-p-per)
Feeling like a number one!
I like to leave you wanting more…
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Often family obligations can lead to impossible problems like this
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Ain’t that the truth, Larry
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A difficult choice. Hi, another good, chilling tale.
Ronda
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Thanks, Ronda
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My first thought was, but what if the daughter does it again? My second was how much I’d look to hear more of this story. Well done.
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Interesting how our minds pick such different paths.
On verra
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Add some more words and if Rochelle has a go tell her it’s my fault – please?
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Oh no, I’m feart o’ her, Keith
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CE, it looks like you’ve been given a job to do and write a longer version of this. There so much mysery in here, which draws mew in, and yet I also want answers and I hope the voice in this story comes through this okay.
Best wishes,
Rowena
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We’ll see.
No promises.
Thank you.
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I’m trying to decide if the Mother of the title is the victim or the perpetrator. Either way, she might not want anyone to know what she did, but we all want to know more.
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I did a quick edit, Iain, which might help.
Cheers
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A mother sacrificing herself for her children. A fine example to all parents.
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Innocent person is ready to sacrifice her life. The protagonist is ready to abide by her wish!
Love makes us do such things.
But, shouldn’t they just tell the truth? Maybe that person was harming them and they had to get rid of her/him? Police must know the reality.
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Thank you, Anita, you make me laugh!
I have only 100 words.
What they can/must/should do is outwith the scope here.
Rochelle resorts to manic violence if I use even one extra word…
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As it is the story is intriguing but I am thinking how did that spring up from that photo 😕 Nice and dark!
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Laughing.
Okay, I never explain my thought processes for two reasons.
1. No one’s business but mine
2. I often have no idea
But, on this occasion, I will tell you a story I heard recently, which may or may not explain things.
A lady is in a supermarket in a country where she speaks not a word of the language.
She stops a couple with a trolley, and lifts out a box of eggs.
‘Mama?’
They take her to where she can buy chicken.
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Good one 😀
However, I shall not stop asking because how a person saw what he /she saw is equally interesting to me. You will have to bear with my curiosity 🙂
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This is a great piece of flash, leaving the reader wanting more
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Cheers, Mike
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Dear CE,
This one is shrouded in mystery. I’m not sure who did what, but I want to know more. A snippet of a much larger story. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you, m’lady.
I have added quotation marks, which might make it clearer
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Very deep and intriguing.
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Thank you, glad you found it so
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‘Tis usually the way. Intriguing take.
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Thanks, Anthony
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Good ominous tone in this. Well played.
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Thank you, sir, much appreciated
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Agonising
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Tricky, eh, Neil?
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Wow this leaves me wanting to know more. The psychology is intriguing.
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Thanks, Tannille, glad it worked for you
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