Between – #writephoto

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Photo by Sue Vincent

I had no idea where we were.  Sami, who was our impromptu navigator, said we were someplace southwest of Paris.  We had avoided the big cities.  Actually, we even avoided the villages.  We were afraid we would be sent back, sent back to death.

We had passed through field after field of yellow flowers.  Rasha told us that they were rapeseed.  She is the smartest of us and had been a Uni professor when the University was still in session, before it had been made into a rebel base and bombed.

A little dirt access road ran between two rapeseed fields.  The sun was high and there wasn’t a soul in sight.  We decided to take a break and have lunch.

It was a beautiful place, so full of peace.  I said that I wished we could stop here and live in these fields forever.  Everyone laughed.

Sami, always practical, said, “But what would you do?  What would you eat?  Where would you get water?”  He was always so serious, our Sami.  I just laughed and continued to eat.

Joram had been silent through all of this.  I knew what was on his mind and hoped he wouldn’t speak, but he finally did.

“Better the fields than what awaits us at the coast.  I hear that it is almost impossible to get to Britain.  They have been putting people into refugee camps that are almost as bad as the one we left in Turkey.  Worse, when winter comes.  We may have come all of this way for nothing.”

“Shhh,” I said.  “Let’s not think of that now.  Let’s not think about what is happening back home either.  Let’s just relax and think about the beautiful fields.  Think about this time now, when we are in the middle of our journey.”

Rasha nodded.  “We are always in the middle of that big journey from cradle to grave.  It makes no sense to worry about the ends, only the middle, the between.  Let us live for now, amidst this beauty.”

I sat back and tried to enjoy the noon sun, our time between dusk and dawn, but clouds rolled in, both across the sky and my mind.  Joram had planted the seed of a storm, and the world felt obliged to provide us one on the outside.

When the first drop hit, we broke our makeshift camp and ran for the woods ahead.  It had been pleasant in our little land between the yellow rapeseed flowers, between past and destiny, war and interment, but we had to move on.  Despite what Rasha said, the world always moves on.

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This was written for Sue Vincent‘s weekly #writephoto challenge.

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I think this is the third story about Syrian refugees.  The first was in 2014.  I guess they could all be connected, in one big journey from the city being destroyed in the first to this, were they are going to try their luck to seek refuge in the UK.  (From March 16, 2014 – Our Story)

38 thoughts on “Between – #writephoto”

    1. trentpmcd Post author

      Thanks Alexis. I’ll admit, most of the stories I post, particularly for the challenges, are pretty much unedited first drafts. If you only found one typo, I did unusually well ;) I’ll go back and take a look.

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    2. trentpmcd Post author

      Thanks, I did two quick corrections – a comma between “practical” and “said” and then the added “you” that I missed. (The comma separates out the clause “always practical”.)

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        1. trentpmcd Post author

          We do see what we want. I have started to read some works aloud and am surprised at how many things I catch! I self-published a book, The Fireborn, last year. I had 3 people help me with editing. I did an out loud read through a few weeks ago and found hundreds of mistakes! Good thing about self-publishing is I could instantly update to the newer version.

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          1. Alexis Chateau

            Hundreds? Wow! That’s why I tell the authors we work with not to trust their editing to themselves and friends. My friends rarely ever catch my typos, unless it’s super obvious. The more subtle ones tend to go unnoticed.

            When I’m finished with the Moreau Witches, I’m hiring two editors to go over it after the beta readers and myself.

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            1. trentpmcd Post author

              I’m not sure if it was really Plural – hundreds – but there were a lot, too many. I’ve been looking into professional editing and it is expensive. I’m not sure what I’ll do with The Halley Branch if I self publish – not sure I can afford the expense.

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              1. Alexis Chateau

                Well you can email Shadow with a budget and he can see how best to stretch it. Some professional editing is better than none at all. My advice would be to stock up on all the free editing you can get done first, and then send it our way when you think there’s nothing left to edit and you’ve caught it all.

                I helped a professional book editor edit his recent book, and he was appalled at the many mistakes I found. But also grateful! Makes me worried about my own work lol

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                1. trentpmcd Post author

                  As I get closer in I might do that. I was also talking to a friend who has a friend that does proofreading/editing, which is a little different than what most of the editors I was looking at do. Anyway, I will keep you guys in mind.

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                    1. trentpmcd Post author

                      I haven’t talked to the person directly yet and still keeping all options open, but I do want something more than an ex-English teacher that I had…

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                    3. trentpmcd Post author

                      The ex-English teacher (OK, my mom ;) ) did a great job on my short stories, but obviously missed tons of little typos on The Fireborn. I’m sure she’ll still be happy to help, but i do need other eyes. Swapping is a good idea.

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                    4. Alexis Chateau

                      There are pros and cons to being edited by people who know us. The problem is they know our communication style and hence our writing style. So they sometimes read what they know we mean to say. On the other hand, over time they figure out what typos we tend to make and catch them better than strangers.

                      I’m sure she’ll be glad to help out too! 😄

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  2. Pingback: Photo prompt round-up: Between #writephoto | Sue Vincent's Daily Echo

  4. rivrvlogr

    Those mid-ranges – cradle/grave, dusk/dawn, past/destiny – are well played, as they are played out in the story, with the characters between “back home” and Britain. And though they are midway to the far horizon, the path itself has the rapeseed on either side, and so is a midpoint. You’ve worked this well..

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  6. Pingback: Between – #writephoto | Trent’s World (the Blog) | Sue Vincent's Daily Echo

    1. trentpmcd Post author

      I had thought about it, making it so it could just as easily have been about WW2 or some other time when there were a lot of refugees, but decided to pin it down just a little. My other stories in the series are also a little vague, trying to capture a little of the universal suffering that occurs in war.

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  10. willowdot21

    Nothing is simple, the refugees are pushed through Europe not one of those countries want them. They just want to push them on to us. There is nothing magical about Britain, we are sinking. Truly falling apart and sinking. 💜

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      It isn’t easy. We (the world) has created a situation where there are more refugees than there have ever been, but at the same time,it has occurred at a time when we (the world) is tightening our belts because resources are strained and, as you said, nobody wants them. A tough situation all around.

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      1. willowdot21

        Sadly this has always been the case from when who ever it was that the first refugees started their quest for a home. In the Bible, Adam and Eve,the Egyptians, the Jews, anyone who is different. It always has,is and will be the harsh truth. God help those who are in that position. I don’t know the answer Trent and I don’t hate anyone but truly we do do what we can but it is not enough. I meant no harm or to aportion blame just stating the truth. 💜

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        1. trentpmcd Post author

          It is a difficult question and I have no answers. It is one of the big political issues on this side of the pond, too. Of course, the best solution would be to end the brutal wars, but I can’t see that happening any time soon…

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