AS THE GENERAL SLEPT

 Copyright: Barbara Beacham

This is my weekly contribution to Monday’s Finish the Story, hosted by Barbara Beacham. Every Monday, Barb supplies a new picture prompt along with the first sentence for the story. The original story to be written should have only 100 to 150 additional words. I’ve bolded the first sentence given with the picture prompt. Be sure to click on the little blue frog in the blue box to read the other stories.

The link for all the other stories is as follows:

http://mondaysfinishthestory.wordpress.com/2015/03/16/mondays-finish-the-story-march-16th-2015/

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Word Count: 4+13+150=167 Words

AS THE GENERAL SLEPT by P.S. Joshi

A body suddenly crashed through a plate glass window at the Brigader’s house.

The general shot up like a broken bow string, immediately awake. His responses were sharpened by battlefield experiences. His wife just groaned and rolled over, still sleeping off the alcohol she’d consumed.

The party last night had been a triumph; the front room had been cleaned by the caterers before they left. The general could afford the best as his books about his battle experiences had been huge successes.

He rolled out of bed, slid his feet into his comfortable old slippers, and went to check the living room.

In front of the broken window was a body, bullet hole in the head, handgun nearby. The brigadier’s bodyguard was squatting alongside.

“He’s the one who sent threatening letters, sir. One of your troops who suffered from battle fatigue, and he was aiming at me.”

The general sighed. “Poor man. Wounded since then, and now he’s another war fatality.

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43 thoughts on “AS THE GENERAL SLEPT

  1. I loved your story Suzanne! You wove this so well, that I could actually picture your words in my mind! Thank you for participating again in the MFtS challenge, and I hope that you return next week! Be well… ^..^

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    • Thanks, Hugmamma. I’m so glad you liked the story. You’re very encouraging. I feel I should expand and write longer stories for lit magazines. These short ones are fun though. 🙂 — Suzanne

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  2. Your story is bittersweet. The General, in his last line, sums up the problems vets face. Sadly, the suicide rate among veterans is well about the rate in the general public. More is being done for vets, but still, as the General said, “another casualty of war.”
    Excellent take on the prompt.

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