Photo by Sue Vincent
The river slowed around the large bend, almost as still as a pond. A fragrant breeze blew through the trees, giving much needed relief from the heat. I could hear a lazy fly buzz past.
I turned towards Kim. “It’s so peaceful,” I said.
She nodded, looking out at the reflections of the trees on the water, not at me.
“It’s nice to be able to find a nice, tranquil corner of the world for a few minutes,” I said.
She just nodded again, still not looking at me.
It was understandable that she would be lost in thought, but on the other hand, I would think she would want some reminder of the loved ones around her. I sure needed the comfort of another living person.
As if reading my mind, Kim edged a little closer and took my hand, though she was still just watching the water. There were tears in her eyes, and yet, strangely, she was smiling.
The green reflections began to turn red and purple. Purple? That was the last color I expected.
The shockwave would soon hit us. We were close enough to the impact site that there could be no escape. The fury of Hell would wash over the land at the speed of sound, erasing everything in its path.
But for one brief fraction of a second as the asteroid made the sky burn purple, I could enjoy the tranquility of the place.
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Written for Sue Vincent‘s #write photo prompt. See this week’s prompt here.
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Note – I was totally uninspired by the serial I just started using these prompts. I’m not sure if I will pick it up later, do it off line or drop it. Time will tell…
Pingback: Photo prompt round-up: Tranquil #writephoto | Sue Vincent's Daily Echo
I love a twist! Nice write, Trent!
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Thanks, Violet!
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Wow! The end comes absolutely unexpected!
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When I write very short fiction I like a little twist. i guess a lot of twist here ;) Though I did drop a few hints.
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How sad. Yet you can feel the calm.
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If I knew it was all coming to an end and that there was nothing I could do about it, i think this would be the way to go – nice and peaceful.
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Sounds like the end of a story to me, but what happened in the beginning?
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Astronomers discovered an asteroid heading towards Earth, but it was too late, an entire region was doomed. Our main characters reconciled their differences, escaped the chaotic city full of panicking people and finally found their place of peace. They died. The end. ;) I end up writing 10,000 words or even 30,000 words for Sue’s prompts. I wanted to keep this one a bit shorter. The slight purple tint near the water made me think of this doomsday….
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I loved it, even though we came in at the end.
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Thanks :)
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Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Thanks :)
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wow! That went sideways quick! I did not expect that. Nicely done, Trent!
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Thanks, Penny. There is a slight purple tinge to the photo, so my mind went in a different direction…
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Nice one Trent
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Thanks.
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Pingback: Tranquil ~ Trent P. McDonald #writephoto | Sue Vincent's Daily Echo
Seeking peace at the end… what else is there?
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Yep, they escaped the panicked city for some peace, for if you don’t find it in the end, you never will…
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Nice stand alone story Trent, and one that will be tricky to turn into a serial this time. There is something calming about their acceptance of fate.
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I just discovered the secret of writing a writephoto story as a stand alone – killing all of the main characters at the end ;) Accepting your fate can be calming. Thanks.
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