tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121598442487844102024-03-26T18:45:32.308+05:30an oblique viewa random collection of poems, stories and ramblingsi b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.comBlogger359125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-48392720075684540322024-03-26T16:52:00.000+05:302024-03-26T16:57:40.478+05:30<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A to Z April Challenge<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It was in 2016 that I took part in A to Z Challenge. It was quite
a demanding exercise to post a story inspired by the letter of the day on all
days of April; of course, Sundays were excluded. Effort was to make every story
different and interesting. I also read a lot stories and commented on some of
them. And I did finish the contest.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year again I have
thought of accepting the challenge. Let’s see if I can manage to write 26
interesting stories. And I am keen to read stories posted by other bloggers. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But I am keeping my fingers crossed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-17584336368884643992024-03-23T20:21:00.001+05:302024-03-23T20:21:08.050+05:30<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Safety<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCutGJZU1Vj2DYgYpwkZbATgHKM_nsByiA0Bbv6dcrl_tve3WHk1XxnW2dO3DPJbYD1p2AdjEqOHgu4a7KvrQqOgZZCwQNdLwZKRImHBefPigN47PFMlZ5ktGwd0NYraVej-3XWBv3IHJLwOa3LsMJ0ij44hYAY9aY76YDRP5aZX190s1eDek1GZcpExHY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="928" data-original-width="1196" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCutGJZU1Vj2DYgYpwkZbATgHKM_nsByiA0Bbv6dcrl_tve3WHk1XxnW2dO3DPJbYD1p2AdjEqOHgu4a7KvrQqOgZZCwQNdLwZKRImHBefPigN47PFMlZ5ktGwd0NYraVej-3XWBv3IHJLwOa3LsMJ0ij44hYAY9aY76YDRP5aZX190s1eDek1GZcpExHY" width="309" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“It’s an illogical order. I just can’t believe that they have
actually issued this order.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Well, it may appear illogical, but they say it’s for everyone’s
good. They want to make sure that everyone is safe…. that every law-abiding
citizen is safe.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“They should pull up the police, the judicial officers. They
must ensure that every criminal gets convicted and quickly. But they won’t do
that. They would rather put us in cages. It’s…. it’s…….” She was so furious
that she couldn’t even find appropriate words to express her anger.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It was an impotent rage. They did comply with the order. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">*******<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Word count 101<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A post for <a href="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/party/f800ba0ab6554e98a006bc2519ea228f" target="_blank">Friday Fictioneers</a> on a picture post.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Photo prompt @ Roger Buultot.</span><span style="font-size: 20.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-44961741990137584312024-03-17T18:52:00.002+05:302024-03-18T08:29:33.619+05:30<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 107%;">First Time<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5eiYCTRa5XifRQ5u2NSddIZti_2mE0z0GfwBy9F7gFtxINGdzgKZtSSH1UEnXfeCRn_102dQAG1f9uvvfOXO_6FmHenqHhzNwmcIe2eUrqMy7mA3qDuydbLeqdquLljJ6CtU22krRlQbpFMB8xW2kvvnOxjHUQuEWSVXzVLIPy0nJhIOZ6rRr1nQVxkd0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi5eiYCTRa5XifRQ5u2NSddIZti_2mE0z0GfwBy9F7gFtxINGdzgKZtSSH1UEnXfeCRn_102dQAG1f9uvvfOXO_6FmHenqHhzNwmcIe2eUrqMy7mA3qDuydbLeqdquLljJ6CtU22krRlQbpFMB8xW2kvvnOxjHUQuEWSVXzVLIPy0nJhIOZ6rRr1nQVxkd0" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 107%;">None of us had ever seen a sea. It was an amazing experience,
almost overwhelming. The waves were rising and rushing, one after another,
eager to wash us away towards the endless expanse of blue water. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 107%;">But some of us were not even looking at sea. A few were looking
furtively at the people enjoying the warmth of winter sun, others stared
unabashedly. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 107%;">Then, two of the boys, youngest in the group, pointed to one
side of the beach and silently mouthed two words. Whoever understood them ran in
that direction, their eyes popping out of their heads. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 107%;">
</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 107%;">********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 107%;">Word count 99<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 107%;">A post for <a href="https://rochellewisoff.com/">Friday Fictioneers </a>on a picture post.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 200%;">Photo prompt @ Rochelle Wisoff Fields<o:p></o:p></span></p>i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-74566675454849400142022-02-24T13:35:00.002+05:302022-02-24T13:35:28.179+05:30<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The Owner<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQXDf3lactzPRihr6w-leu58Lu00j2vaPLIkMO-ubtf-sP7pgqup3CuLtQ6bL8pPmFsud99aVSAuCcPjfxgiscsg-PrbD0so9h-wlma9M2N4rd8v672lp4ncSu_Lz4adiaP5f4dmpZjxy_Hm84BoeHsX8YIkUjDzBU9C1LIt1_9sR5Bs1Dr4GWVWngZA=s727" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="727" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQXDf3lactzPRihr6w-leu58Lu00j2vaPLIkMO-ubtf-sP7pgqup3CuLtQ6bL8pPmFsud99aVSAuCcPjfxgiscsg-PrbD0so9h-wlma9M2N4rd8v672lp4ncSu_Lz4adiaP5f4dmpZjxy_Hm84BoeHsX8YIkUjDzBU9C1LIt1_9sR5Bs1Dr4GWVWngZA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">He slipped, unintentionally, and
dropped the tray on the elegant but arrogant looking gentleman, unaware that he
was the owner of the prestigious hotel. He was not even allowed to apologize and
was kicked out. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">He wiped his eyes and decided that
one day he would own this place. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Twenty years later he stepped in
that hotel and was utterly disappointed. There was nothing that even remotely reflected
its glory of early days. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he was not
going back.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Where can I meet the owner of this…..place?”
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The haggard looking man stopped wiping
the counter and said, “I am the owner.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">*************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">A post for <a href="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/party/bcdb6bf473a3473b9d44d88616793b16">Friday Fictioneers</a> on a
picture prompt<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Word count 101<o:p></o:p></span></p>i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-36318152808970085702022-02-21T10:19:00.001+05:302022-02-21T10:19:19.382+05:30<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Crime Scene<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqd2-raV0JeQOpgoOrIqi1xcBJuIUguIvRJIbc2QKIVeVV0ZaxmOy8KCxuuU1snhDobufaD92ErPpdffE3U7wNrZHsFZbRrxHrh0ia3drN_RHYTqMvqsy4G6vGIKc3jFytfOyt5uoEjJ-18aldP4pukY9Hrt3Gmo6pQWyx_ufzsSrdBeFc5tHlyfzTYQ=s1024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqd2-raV0JeQOpgoOrIqi1xcBJuIUguIvRJIbc2QKIVeVV0ZaxmOy8KCxuuU1snhDobufaD92ErPpdffE3U7wNrZHsFZbRrxHrh0ia3drN_RHYTqMvqsy4G6vGIKc3jFytfOyt5uoEjJ-18aldP4pukY9Hrt3Gmo6pQWyx_ufzsSrdBeFc5tHlyfzTYQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">She had just finished reading another
book. She pondered, was it really worth the effort? Or was it just a waste of
life?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">She smelled the next book. No, it
won’t make her a better cat.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">She looked at old man and felt a
deep sense of regret. None of the books had helped him. If only he had learned
that sometimes it’s better to use your legs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">She climbed down, taking care not
to step on the blood. She didn’t want to leave her footprints. She couldn’t resist
a smile; she had read something about crime scenes in a book.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">***********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">A post for <a href="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/party/dd2fe593b305455aa4249f9c473aa72d">Friday Fictioneers</a> on a
picture prompt<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Word count 101<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-56821293830542370382022-02-12T17:26:00.002+05:302022-02-12T17:26:34.697+05:30<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Moon-rover<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCIAE6S84GwPjiOrUgIuBZHd_vx0UAAOmvHUZlP43HEd1QbGUg4ABuvYDVQxnkOWiuopzd_prgNuxe2_cuWEcd7wEER4lmZnHPQowXG_3Kssl7CsM7YnvsBHdJRTGGhcTRtLxyMHGLnkq3r0ch5QhBIhnvDMite2iTZrfrdonBj-R7Kyy3j-YEwCtduQ=s1024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCIAE6S84GwPjiOrUgIuBZHd_vx0UAAOmvHUZlP43HEd1QbGUg4ABuvYDVQxnkOWiuopzd_prgNuxe2_cuWEcd7wEER4lmZnHPQowXG_3Kssl7CsM7YnvsBHdJRTGGhcTRtLxyMHGLnkq3r0ch5QhBIhnvDMite2iTZrfrdonBj-R7Kyy3j-YEwCtduQ=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Yes, that’s the Moon-rover; my
grandpa invented had it.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“You must be joking.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“I knew you won’t believe it. But it’s
true, my grandpa made it. It was driven on the Moon by the astronauts,” little boy
claimed, proudly. His friend seemed unsure.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Can I climb on it?” friend asked.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“No!” little boy almost shouted.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">In the evening grandpa called him,
“Why were you making a fool of your friend? I heard everything.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“He always keeps saying that his
father had been to the Moon.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Perhaps he is telling the truth.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“I know his father. He drives one
of our school-buses.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">***********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">A post for <a href="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/party/15a0410dbc7c484281cd511f2c4db9ae">Friday Fictioneers</a> on a
picture prompt<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Word count 101<o:p></o:p></span></p>i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-62553360629761102502022-02-03T12:15:00.001+05:302022-02-03T12:15:40.643+05:30<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Shah Jahan</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">*</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhImtxBU7etJtUYS2mrfVEmDGmfHURbjsGQN07EFpczGvdIn9wNjOQ7JvJD9rXF037w1zRK3ka2t4dMNE_j7yGAhNMZv13qWPJ6wXEoWsaHc4e5qdax2ZkEF7PfuUf_7nJXQArTvQ1arlM886VMMGvRYO2rqfMHbNQ42SvYafJNR2yN96XR2Ohx9TepXA=s960" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhImtxBU7etJtUYS2mrfVEmDGmfHURbjsGQN07EFpczGvdIn9wNjOQ7JvJD9rXF037w1zRK3ka2t4dMNE_j7yGAhNMZv13qWPJ6wXEoWsaHc4e5qdax2ZkEF7PfuUf_7nJXQArTvQ1arlM886VMMGvRYO2rqfMHbNQ42SvYafJNR2yN96XR2Ohx9TepXA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">He lifted his eyes to look at the
magnificent building. He felt a deep pain within. He wanted to cry but somehow
managed to swallow his tears and cursed himself, “Why did I come here?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Then a horrifying thought flashed
through his mind, “What if someone recognizes me? There must be people in there
who had worked for me.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Good evening, sir.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">He shrank back. She knew him. But
he couldn’t place her. <br />
“I….I was your personal secretary,” she muttered, hesitantly.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“We miss you…. if only your son had
not been……”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He moved away. He didn’t want to hear the
word. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">(</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">*</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Shah Jahan was a Mughal emperor who had been imprisoned
by his son in Agra fort)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">*********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">A post for <a href="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/party/efcd60263d164623a2368b3f639dbdcb">Friday Fictioneers</a> on a
picture prompt<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Word count 101</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-87874370563018689362022-01-28T09:00:00.001+05:302022-01-28T09:00:26.784+05:30<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Stained Glass<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdPhon-eIozsgzEX51N0eNBdzf6omLi_U0UVb5QxNM3J0iDGY6a-yxYfmzFU7YDhHdPNoC_ZJID6D4FXwOnApCfU7kZFBtnah3K4H5K84ckRHvxhU2YpxZPmRzk41yVoyOcC-jEI1ofw8oDGSG0E3uJWSXruUBZ7syOdh0NU0xyrJ6k3Us7SH2XdyULQ=s1024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdPhon-eIozsgzEX51N0eNBdzf6omLi_U0UVb5QxNM3J0iDGY6a-yxYfmzFU7YDhHdPNoC_ZJID6D4FXwOnApCfU7kZFBtnah3K4H5K84ckRHvxhU2YpxZPmRzk41yVoyOcC-jEI1ofw8oDGSG0E3uJWSXruUBZ7syOdh0NU0xyrJ6k3Us7SH2XdyULQ=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">He was too stunned to say anything.
He couldn’t believe his ears. He somehow managed to say a few words… usual
words.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Hello, how are we?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Good, you haven’t forgotten it.
You are shocked, no? You were sure that I was…..”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“No…..but….”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Let’s meet….same place. They
altered it, now it’s a fantastic…..”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">He didn’t respond. He felt a tremor.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“What fun it was, to be young and…….
reckless?” Suddenly Rayaan sounded cold and unemotional.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">He wasn’t listening. He was back in
Stained Glass and the brawl. He had wounded Rayaan, fatally. All these years he
was sure Rayaan was dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">******** <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">A post for <a href="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/party/617a722d6654430f831eb2c64ed67951">Friday Fictioneers </a>on a picture
prompt<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Word Count 100</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-28167955083852402752022-01-21T12:09:00.002+05:302022-01-21T12:09:33.540+05:30<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Genius<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgb-x08vVc-AXoLqBBFaXHfhkoTr2QziXRtxt4ERHJgLk5WF3IUQMqGEGiarzjNFYiUhp_x9MszOIZYHSXbDBWfEMdKEdXfH_3egXep-sBHHj8C0SIcwqatIHy1HW9hM6gooqNeUctpQs3xO6bKoYdY3fRj7I8s3l-Q6f9dW-58K3JqBtrhz9eSPpLDtQ=s960" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="811" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgb-x08vVc-AXoLqBBFaXHfhkoTr2QziXRtxt4ERHJgLk5WF3IUQMqGEGiarzjNFYiUhp_x9MszOIZYHSXbDBWfEMdKEdXfH_3egXep-sBHHj8C0SIcwqatIHy1HW9hM6gooqNeUctpQs3xO6bKoYdY3fRj7I8s3l-Q6f9dW-58K3JqBtrhz9eSPpLDtQ=s320" width="270" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The kid was riffling through ‘For
Kids’.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Grandpa, who writes these
stories?” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“People like me.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“No?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Yes. There’s one in here written
by me.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“You write stories!”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Will you believe that this one is
my hundredth story?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The kid was surprised and overjoyed.
Then he asked, “How many days did it take to write them all?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Ten years.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“That long…….”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Yes.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“I could write ten stories in a
day.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“You’re a genius.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Next morning the kid came rushing
to grandpa.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“I did it. Guess how many stories I
wrote last night?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Ten?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“I wrote thirteen.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“I told you, you’re a genius.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">***********<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">A story for <a href="https://rochellewisoff.com/">Friday Fictioneers</a> on a
picture prompt<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Word count 101</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-30037857539232345282022-01-14T23:09:00.002+05:302022-01-14T23:09:19.625+05:30<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The Bridge<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHHblABkGMFu7kqR9HIuZas6E_m6veb5JTehrQP_bT__EsK5k040clwexCkCPF-AOr2jY_gwkYbGJSUo4E_5h-BDpTCiiTj_SY-LCOJsvn0qTHOe9_TdtY-ZNTc6oK2OI8xGFgW0ICwupWUmNWMtI51N_6LAo0FlqkVhc67_PXv3VCCm4LwIpyccPOkA=s960" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="960" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHHblABkGMFu7kqR9HIuZas6E_m6veb5JTehrQP_bT__EsK5k040clwexCkCPF-AOr2jY_gwkYbGJSUo4E_5h-BDpTCiiTj_SY-LCOJsvn0qTHOe9_TdtY-ZNTc6oK2OI8xGFgW0ICwupWUmNWMtI51N_6LAo0FlqkVhc67_PXv3VCCm4LwIpyccPOkA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Both of them, the old man and the
child, were intently looking at the horizon. Where does it end? Both of them
were wondering. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Grandpa, is it very painful, this
surgery?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Well, they inject some medicine.
One is not conscious of anything.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“You will miss me.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“No, you will be always with me.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Where does it end, grandpa?” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“I don’t know, honestly.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“It’s such a beautiful day. I wish
I could touch the sky.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Dam it. We will cross the bridge
…….” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Perhaps it may never come?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The old man got up. The child felt a
tremor when he touched grandpa’s hand.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">****** <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">A post for <a href="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/party/dee418ad31ad4fa293bde25a6d85468f">Friday Fictioneers</a> on a
picture prompt</span><span lang="HI" style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><o:p></o:p></span></p>i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-80836664997505281842022-01-07T13:18:00.010+05:302022-01-07T15:56:28.267+05:30<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The Prodigal
Father<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihF7nBFTGtGiyJ7B632Jb3Xdzr0I61cWpTswLkN6ZTs45S6PTk8fixXjtZiQAtev_Mqh_OqXGLIrk7TYGGf90GCEYVuToTJ51Bv5Jvjv4H8-7S87HkgtBEhO27nYw6Sbest-_y_qQxPgzIVkh2Y-n-rCynDC-Ua9OoddfxEj5nh3zG9O3OI7_ceQHTAA=s824" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="615" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihF7nBFTGtGiyJ7B632Jb3Xdzr0I61cWpTswLkN6ZTs45S6PTk8fixXjtZiQAtev_Mqh_OqXGLIrk7TYGGf90GCEYVuToTJ51Bv5Jvjv4H8-7S87HkgtBEhO27nYw6Sbest-_y_qQxPgzIVkh2Y-n-rCynDC-Ua9OoddfxEj5nh3zG9O3OI7_ceQHTAA=s320" width="239" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“So you have become a great man,
the artist we never had….in centuries. Even the king is impressed. Funny! Did
he give something w…?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“It doesn’t matter; I am doing what
I wanted to do. But I learnt it the hard way. And you know why. If only you had
sent me to the school….”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Does anyone buy these things? Or
perhaps you think your creations are priceless?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“It doesn’t ……..”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Father cut him short, “It does. You
are penniless, no?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Why should I worry? I am going to
inherit everything?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Well, you are in for
disappointment….one more time…I squandered everything away.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">**************<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">A post for <a href="https://rochellewisoff.com/" target="_blank">Friday Fictioneers</a> on a
picture prompt.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Word count 101</span><span face=""Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"" lang="HI" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-28064712046065462682022-01-02T18:22:00.001+05:302022-01-02T18:22:04.234+05:30<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: 18pt; text-align: center;">The Hotel</span></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxtAqAkHz3UBZqupgdR1XJeFWAFJ35ShcYuW76kc4eDb-Lqpc2KDjMSh8RSrnYBni1R5_luh7zRIVFDSeKcjmUIrTh9UrxDqk0oHo-Cg3vsLv4Mb9dHPNUFYd3Z21Ki3z3NTGBUy607Ad/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="682" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxtAqAkHz3UBZqupgdR1XJeFWAFJ35ShcYuW76kc4eDb-Lqpc2KDjMSh8RSrnYBni1R5_luh7zRIVFDSeKcjmUIrTh9UrxDqk0oHo-Cg3vsLv4Mb9dHPNUFYd3Z21Ki3z3NTGBUy607Ad/" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“He is there… I saw him…he was
looking down at us.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Don’t try…..I am not in a mood for
jokes.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Look at that window on second
floor…corner room…he is still there… behind the curtain.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">I tried, but I could find no one, “You
are scared of him even when he is…..”Somehow I could not utter the word.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“I had warned you but you wouldn’t ….you….I
isn’t scared of him, I am scared of you…..’ <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Perhaps he was right. I was in no
mood to share the booty with anyone.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Happy new year.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The husky voice sent shivers down our
spines. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 114%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A post for <a href="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/party/a575c8535064488bb63a0cf1cd4b1c25" target="_blank">Friday Fictioneers</a> on a picture prompt. </span>i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-7389675682064670922021-12-26T18:38:00.002+05:302021-12-26T18:38:37.392+05:30<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The Gift<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTzRVbxM-YzY70zHZa_J8XqiFNz77xXe0b-RAdrg0lFm59qlDnjkjKEx7jcBjfCR2NU3zwdkWTHI3eb031PKv4QUE_1g5KcNegSDQcT3pdcdN62xV-vquhF6U-TRGzjcO8TtFM5bKiO3E5sYrBdmOuJsOie_gtxqLCLtImlzcy7a63H4iug2HhI8Y2tA=s691" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="691" data-original-width="517" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTzRVbxM-YzY70zHZa_J8XqiFNz77xXe0b-RAdrg0lFm59qlDnjkjKEx7jcBjfCR2NU3zwdkWTHI3eb031PKv4QUE_1g5KcNegSDQcT3pdcdN62xV-vquhF6U-TRGzjcO8TtFM5bKiO3E5sYrBdmOuJsOie_gtxqLCLtImlzcy7a63H4iug2HhI8Y2tA=s320" width="239" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Stop, stop….” the kid shouted. The
car stopped. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“What happened?” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“He was there?” he pointed to a
tall building. “I saw him, he was waving at me.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Who? Who was there?” papa was
annoyed. They were already late. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“The Wizard…. Wizard of Oz.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“No, not again. Please stop reading
that book. You already read it ten times.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“You think it makes me addled
brained?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“Kid?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“…. he was there.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">They finally reached their home.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">“What’s that?” the kid pointed to the
Christmas tree near the door. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">It surprised him. They hadn’t
ordered it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">There was a card too, ‘Keep
dreaming, Kid. The Wizard.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">************ <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A post for <a href="https://fresh.inlinkz.com/party/41a359039c064f2badf93b675451c1c6">Friday Fictioneers</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Word count 103<o:p></o:p></span></p>i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-87394080095096721582021-12-18T13:33:00.008+05:302021-12-18T14:03:39.006+05:30<p> </p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">The Will</span></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPIU8KbW0kWKXYLaJL4sraw5yMV1QHeoiXG3RCbxi9_K51DL_yL6XgBJG78h_sLHmeHTsTNk3P9NlqqCQydfuuPMuO5hQjVDAXAIlLqlGJrR1YbWOB0xuGOpA1PYIUEFBVIUBS9isfhKl2dVEQDcUJ4S9gSwhYDJJ3TxX64tsR0z3V5OLs4vgfmDa0Kw=s1024" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPIU8KbW0kWKXYLaJL4sraw5yMV1QHeoiXG3RCbxi9_K51DL_yL6XgBJG78h_sLHmeHTsTNk3P9NlqqCQydfuuPMuO5hQjVDAXAIlLqlGJrR1YbWOB0xuGOpA1PYIUEFBVIUBS9isfhKl2dVEQDcUJ4S9gSwhYDJJ3TxX64tsR0z3V5OLs4vgfmDa0Kw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">When uncle’s Will was read, Sandy
and I were dumbfounded. But everyone else was joyous. And they had a hearty
laugh at our expense.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Uncle loved his vintage car-it was
a 1951 Cadillac. I too was in love with that car and wished to own it one day. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Uncle was proud of his wine
cellar-it was a treasure. No one could enter it except Sandy. He was always
praying that uncle would give it to him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">But uncle had willed otherwise. I inherited
the wine cellar. Sandy got the Cadillac. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Everyone laughed. I am a teetotaler
and Sandy can’t drive. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">**********<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">A post for <a href="https://rochellewisoff.com/2021/12/15/17-december-2021/">Friday Fictioneers</a></span><span face=""Arial Unicode MS","sans-serif"" lang="HI" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-58605897896330512282019-03-04T20:40:00.005+05:302019-03-04T20:40:41.012+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Place<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><img height="180" src="https://rochellewisofffields.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/thoreau-nm.jpg?w=600&h=338" width="320" /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“That’s the place, I am sure, I am so grateful… you took all the trouble
to bring me here. That’s the place. No doubt about it…..”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The young man looked at the old haggard face and, and for a moment, felt
sorry for him. His worst fear had come true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“It’s here that I met her first…..I remember everything so clearly.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“But you came here to kill someone?” the young man whispered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The old man trembled and looked at the young man; his eyes became
lifeless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“I was wondering you resembled ….” the old man said and stopped
abruptly. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">***************<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A post for <a href="https://rochellewisoff.com/">Friday Fictioneers</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Word count 99<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-71110757903984262372019-02-19T18:48:00.001+05:302019-02-19T18:48:17.168+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Top Window<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><img height="320" src="https://rochellewisofffields.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/jhc-asylum.jpg?w=600" width="180" /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The young man entered the lane nervously. For a few moments he was
scared to look at the house. And when he did raise his eyes, his knees became
weak. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Nothing had changed and that hurt him harder. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He kept looking at one top window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Even today he was standing at the same spot. But that day, he had been
looking at a beautiful bird sitting on top of the house. Suddenly, to his utter
shock, someone fell from one of the top windows. She was his mother. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He never learnt the fate of his father; but he rarely missed him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">**************<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A post for <a href="https://rochellewisoff.com/">Friday Fictioneers</a> on a picture prompt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-74612627318327621032019-02-09T12:51:00.002+05:302019-02-09T12:51:42.088+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Laptop<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><img height="400" src="https://rochellewisofffields.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/bonfire-anshu.jpg?w=600&h=600" width="400" /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He laughed as loudly as he could. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He could not believe that everything had happened faultlessly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He had spent hundreds of hours brooding over it; reading every kind of
material he could find on internet; worrying that somehow he was bound to make a
silly mistake and get caught. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">But in the end it was nothing but a child’s play. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He looked at the burning dead body and laughed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">His phone rang.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Hello, has it been done?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘What do you mean?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘You didn’t switch off the laptop. I could see and record everything.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">His hands trembled, his nightmare had come true. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">*************<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A post for <a href="https://rochellewisoff.com/">Friday Fictioneers</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Word count 101<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-90081937650180496732019-02-02T14:32:00.002+05:302019-02-02T14:32:28.717+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Wilderness<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><img height="202" src="https://rochellewisofffields.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/from-renee-heath.jpg?w=600&h=304" width="400" /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He knew that they had lost their way but he was too scared to tell her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Are you sure that we are not already lost in this wilderness?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Why do you think so?’ he asked timidly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘One, you never do anything right. Two, we didn’t meet even one trekker
for last three hours.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Few minutes later they were in front of a camp. He looked around but no
one was there. Surprisingly, the campfire was still smoldering. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Let’s get out of here, now!’ she screamed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">But he didn’t move. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Suddenly he felt that he could end it here; once and for all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">***************<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A post for <a href="https://rochellewisoff.com/">Friday Fictioneers</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Word count 102<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-75504559340591318812019-01-27T19:28:00.004+05:302019-01-27T22:04:55.569+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Deserted Car<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><img src="https://rochellewisofffields.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/Teds-Car-in-the-Woods.jpeg?w=600&h=450" /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Every deserted car has a tale to tell,’ Jimmy said in an ominous voice.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">His friend wasn’t impressed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘What’s the tale this car is telling?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Jimmy pretended to seriously ponder for a few seconds, ‘I think someone deliberately
left this car here to hide something…..perhaps a dead body….. I saw a movie…..the
goons killed a girl and left her in the boot of a car…’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Let’s go and check…. there may…. in this car also’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Jimmy felt scared but reluctantly followed his friend. He had to act
bravely; he was two years older.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The friend opened the boot of the car and shrieked in terror. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">**************<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A post for<a href="https://rochellewisoff.com/"> Friday Fictioneers</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Word count 105<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-21007154483912078522019-01-19T17:41:00.005+05:302019-01-19T17:41:45.008+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Broken Door<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><img height="400" src="https://rochellewisofffields.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/dales-broken-door.jpg?w=600&h=923" width="260" /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There was something about the house that disturbed her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Are you sure that it’s a suitable place….? I mean it’s quite isolated
and…….”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Don’t tell that you believe the rumour….”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">She was about to say something but they heard a knock at the door. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It was an old man.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“I live close by. I just dropped in to tell that the door is broken,”
old man pointed to the main door. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">But it wasn’t broken. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">They looked at each other, suspiciously. The old man glared at them and left,
in anger. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">To their horror he just walked through the closed door. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">***********<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A post for <a href="https://rochellewisoff.com/">Friday Fictioneers </a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Word count 101<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-75095800097502677622019-01-03T10:43:00.003+05:302019-01-03T10:43:30.972+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Fence<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><img height="400" src="https://rochellewisofffields.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/Russell-quarry.jpg?w=600&h=800" width="300" /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Kid, don’t go near the fence; it’s electrified.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘But why this fence? And why electrified?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘It’s for our safety.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Our safety? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Yes, they are protecting us. And they mean to do a pretty job.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Protecting us? Why? From whom?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Well, I too have often wondered. But I never found out.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘They are fooling us.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘I guess you are right.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Three men appeared. They looked like clones.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘The robots are here, grandpa.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘You have again not paid your taxes.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘I need a little time,’ said the old man.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Your time is up.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">They lifted the old man and pushed him towards the fence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">************<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A post for <a href="https://rochellewisoff.com/">Friday Fictioneers</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Word count 102<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-45188865476385463822018-12-27T12:06:00.002+05:302018-12-27T12:06:52.860+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Everlasting<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><img height="233" src="https://rochellewisofffields.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/goats_and_graves_3_randy_mazie.jpg?w=600&h=438" width="320" /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The goat looked at the grave and slowly went around it. There was
something about it that fascinated him. Apprehensively, he came closer and
tried to decipher the words on the stone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">To his utter shock it was his grave. Suddenly everything came back to
him; the glory and the bloodshed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He had himself chosen his burial ground. It belonged to an equally proud
and vicious man. He had that man and every one of his tribe butchered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">He had to have a grave that would make his memory everlasting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The goat looked at the dogs sniffing at the grave and moved away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">********<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A post for <a href="https://rochellewisoff.com/">Friday Fictioneers</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Word count 103<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-79436707586872855212018-12-21T09:25:00.000+05:302018-12-21T09:25:08.805+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Shoes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><img height="320" src="https://rochellewisofffields.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/adamickes-childsboots.jpg?w=600&h=800" width="240" /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘What do you think, Detective?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘I have a witness who says that this man came here in a coach and when
the coach left he committed suicide.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Are you sure he was not trying to fool you?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘I have no reason to doubt him. See that gun in the dead man’s hand.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘I’m sure he was murdered.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘How come?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Elementary! The dead man is elegantly dressed but surprisingly his feet
are shoeless and spotlessly clean. He was murdered elsewhere and his body was
dumped here.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘He fooled me….I think he was carrying a pair of shoes…it must be him….’
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Perhaps something precious was hidden in the shoes….’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">***********<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A post for <a href="https://rochellewisoff.com/">Friday Fictioneers</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Word count 107<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-20698260170063768552018-12-13T11:49:00.001+05:302018-12-13T11:49:11.845+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The God of Soldiers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><img height="320" src="https://rochellewisofffields.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/photo-15.jpg?w=600&h=800" width="240" /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘That’s the replica of Mars…..’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘I can’t believe it……’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Yes, my grandpa made it for me….. He loves me so much…’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Does he tell you funny stories?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Of course, I never miss my… my mom and dad.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘But he keeps shouting at you?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘No, no. Never!’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Did he love your mom?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Yes, always.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Why did he make this…? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mars?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘He was a soldier. And Mars is the god of soldiers. He says Mars saved
his life, many times.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Still?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The boy was about to say something, but the colour faded from his tiny eyes.
The grandpa was staring at him from the upper window.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">*****<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A post for <a href="https://rochellewisoff.com/">Friday Fictioneers</a> on a photo prompt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Word count 104<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-712159844248784410.post-56289104708115719582018-12-07T14:59:00.005+05:302018-12-07T14:59:46.289+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Tunnel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><img height="258" src="https://rochellewisofffields.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/rr-tracks-at-harpers-ferryc.jpg?w=600&h=389" width="400" /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Why do you keep pestering mama? She can’t tell you anything? You are
too small to understand.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The little boy looked at his sister. She was not smiling; that troubled
him. Mama was always crying; that pained him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘When will papa come?’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘I don’t know!’ she almost shrieked. Then she felt sorry for him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘I want to go to papa!’ he shouted back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘You can’t!’ she blurted, unknowingly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Papa!’ he screamed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘Stop! He can’t come. He is gone to the other world.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">‘I will go to him….through that tunnel…. you once told me that the
tunnel opened into another world……..’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The sister stood speechless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">**************<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A post for <a href="https://rochellewisoff.com/">Friday Fictioneers</a> on a photo prompt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Word count 104<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br /></div>
i b arorahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161315866262492520noreply@blogger.com18