
PHOTO PROMPT © J Hardy Carroll
The kids’d a been looking forward to the party for ages.
Got em dressed in their finest and had em outside to play games and drink the last of the soda while Derek packed up what he could and destroyed the rest. They weren’t getting our things, no way!
“Fireworks for your birthday,” I said when the sky lit up and the ground shook. The kids clapped at each new blast, but I could tell they were getting closer.
“Going to Nana’s,” I lied as we got in the car.
No going back, I thought as I stroked Em’s hair.
***
Word count = 100
Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo © J Hardy Carroll. Read more or join in by following the InLinkz “linky“.
Always nice when you can protect your kids and let them have fun at the same time!
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Yes, it helps keep the kids from panicking and gives a little peace of mind in all of the chaos.
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The enemy is invisible but the tension is palpable. Wars damage more than property and homes.
https://ideasolsi65.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-dark-horse.html
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Yes, the lives touched by wars are far more important than properties and homes. Thanks.
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cool
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Thanks
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A very timely piece of writing, Trent. I sort of had the feel of the Mexicans, Guatemalans and others traveling to come to the states. The struggles of the journey and all that’s left behind. The father stroking his daughters hair, as if the mother was already gone, and he was going to meet her; perhaps. A very emotionally touching story.
Isadora 😎
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Thanks, Isadora. It could be refugees anywhere, but i was thinking of a place being invaded by an enemy army, no matter who “the enemy” happens to be – another country, rebels, their own country…
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Aaahhh … I can see that now that I’ve reread your story. Great story …
Isadora 😎
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Thanks, Isadora :)
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Your anecdotal snippet about war brings home the horrors of war succinctly minus the gory details. Very well written, Trent.
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Thanks, Neel.
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Yes, it’s so tragic. Regular fathers, mothers and kids are the victims of the power struggles and tyrannical regimes that never seem to go away. Well told.
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=It is sad that there are more refugees now than any time since WW2 and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. Thanks.
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Intriguing story, who’s coming, where they going, will they escape?
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“Enemy troops” are coming, whoever the enemy is. Where will they go? I’m not sure, wherever war refugees end up going…
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After reading the comments i can see i would have lost my bet. I took the announcement of fireworks literally, and assumed the “them” that was getting closer was a feared person or the police, not an explosion. So there you go! Two stories for the price of one!
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I just answered the last comment without seeing this one :)
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You create an interesting tension between this character’s love for the children, and his nervousness about being discovered. Much is left unsaid but I’d lay money on a dad who stole his kids back from his wife who was granted sole custody. He just seems too decent to be a pedophile with a child farm. Anyway, you got my attention!
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Thanks! It was meant to be the family running from advancing troops – the “fireworks” are really artillery and bombing. They are trying to keep the kids calm as they prepare to flee the invading army.
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A much bigger story brews. At least they took the time and effort to keep the children calm and not terrfied. Works for them and the childen. Very well done!
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It’s easier to make an escape when the kids aren’t panicking. Thanks.
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Fun in the wake of terror. Nice job. Hope the kids never knew.
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It is hard to keep the kids’ innocence, but hopefully it is a very long time before they understand the full ramification of the events playing out.
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An attack by enemy forces, Dereck did good by leaving the place with kids.
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Yes, and the little lie to the kids was to keep them calm while they left.
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Really clever stuff, trying to make the child believe that this is all a game and fun is so well executed. Love it
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Thanks. Anything to keep the panic from setting in…
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Very well told Trent. I wonder how often this happens these days…way too often 💜
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Thanks. Yes, with all of the refugees around the world, I’m sure occasionally the kids are “tricked” into behaving,but they can only stay innocent for so long before reality catches up.
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Yes and then they are never able to trust anyone again 💜
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It is an awful situation when people are ripped from their homes.
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Oh! It is awful and when I see these people being bombed, homeless, stateless my heart truly bleeds.💜
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I couldn’t help but think of “Life is Beautiful” where the dad creates stories so the son doesn’t know what’s really going on.
Well done.
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Good story, Trent.
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Thanks.
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Good story, Trent. At least they had somewhere to go. Many refugees become homeless or end up in tents in a muddy field. Our world is in a big mess. Well done. —- Suzanne
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I’m not sure they do have a place to go – Nana’s house is already gone, so they may end up in a camp or worse. Yeah, there is a huge issue with refugees. The world seems to have little sympathy for the people uprooted from their homes by violence and war. Thanks.
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Sorry. I must have missed the part where he said: “I lied”. The last refugees from ISIS were mostly women and children. The women are malnourished and the children are sick. Some have died. It’s terrible. No one wants them being they were with ISIS. :( — Suzanne
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I know, it is a horrible situation. They are still people…
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I’m sure they won’t be fooled for long. But let them keep their childhood for just a little longer.
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They won’t be fooled for long, but it was a lie to help them get out smooth and efficient without having to worry about frightened children….
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Some kids won’t buy into the well-intentioned lies we tell them. And to think our children will be growing up and heading into this cruel world one day.
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Sometimes little lies for their own good is not really for their own good. Sometimes the parents think they are doing the right thing, but in this case it is so they can get out of there efficiently without worrying about frightened children. As to this cruel world, unfortunately true refugee children have already seen too much of that cruelty.
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I guess one does what one must do … Nicely done!
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Pack up the car and leave with as little fuss as possible… Thanks.
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:) If that’s what it takes, that’s what one does …. preferably without fuss (to not scare the kids, that is).
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I’m amazed that you managed to come up with something so ominous and deep and almost heartbreaking from such a plain and simple photograph. Bravo. This 100 word business has me stumped, but you manage it charmingly.
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I really like the 100 word challenges. It makes me sharpen my words and my story. I’s a great exercise. One of things I discovered is that for me I have to either give the story a big twist at the end or have it say some bigger “truth” for it to have any impact. Short and sweet might be fine, but you smile, go on and forget it. I think that’s why so many Friday Fictioneers stories are dark or have a high body count – they need that impact. I do write these stories very rapidly, so it is also first thought, but I do try to make them a little deeper.
Which brings us to this story – Thanks! That is kind of what I’m aiming for :)
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Yes it’s very good to hone those editing skills. There was certainly an impact!
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Hmmm, some nasty people around this week.
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I think Friday Fictioneers tends to go dark pretty often. At least I didn’t have any child abuse in mine, just the destruction of cities ;)
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How long before they twig that it wasn’t fireworks for their birthday? The lengths we go to to try and protect our children from the cruel world around them.
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You’ve managed to convey a lot in so few words. Well done.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thanks, Susan.
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What they don’t know, they can’t worry about. Nice one Trent.
My story – ‘A stab in the dark’
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Right, time enough to worry later. Hopefully…. Thanks.
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One way to have a party. It’s good that kids can be distracted.
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Smooth out that transition as much as possible, keep everyone calm.
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What a wonderful gift to give his child. She will learn to fear later, because we all do, but for now he is protecting her in the best way he can. Good write.
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As gentle of a transition from normal to refugee as possible. Hiding and fear will come later, but it doesn’t have to hit all at once. Thanks.
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Dear Trent,
I like the way they made a party of it. Easier for the children that way. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Yes, make the transition from normal to refugee in the easiest way possible…. Thanks.
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Now that’s how to do war in 100 words. Well done, Trent
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Thanks, Neil. Sometimes big wars are better seen from small perspectives.
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In fiction, yes. In history, not so much
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In history you need both – the plain facts with thousands of nameless soldiers doesn’t give the flavor of the conflict as much as a few small personal snippets. The cold numbers sometimes don’t tell the story the way a small first hand account does – thus why The Diary Anne Frank is so powerful and so popular.
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What is war to children, but fireworks? If we cannot keep their hope and some innocence, where is their future?
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Did you ever see the Italian movie Life is Beautiful? It is about a little boy who survived the concentration camps of WW2 because he thought it was all a game. It was somewhat controversial, of course given the subject matter, but well made.
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I thought of that film when I was commenting! It’s one of those I’m so glad I watched, but can’t watch again.
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Agreed – I saw it and don’t need to again…
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Oooooo! Ominous! I like this, Trent! :)
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Thanks, Penny!
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