A NARROW ESCAPE

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Fireworks--Vijaya Sundaram

Photo Copyright: Vijaya Sundaram

Here we are for another week. Today we’re watching fireworks in the night sky. Our hostess for this weekly gathering is the talented and gracious author and artist, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. We’re the Friday Fictioneers group. Our challenge this week and every week is to write an original story with no more than 100 words not including the title. It’s supposed to have a beginning, middle, end, and follow the picture prompt for the week. This week’s prompt was provided by Vijaya Sundaram. Thanks, Vijaya.

To read the other stories by the group members, just click on the link given below, then on the little blue frog in the blue box.

The link for this week’s stories is as follows:

https://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2016/08/31/2-september-2016/

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Word Count: 100 words

A NARROW ESCAPE by P.S. Joshi

Maggie had decided to go to work for her father-in-law at his novelty factory. The work wasn’t hard, and the pay wasn’t that bad. Besides, being the boss’s daughter-in-law, she doubted she’d be fired.

After starting work, she began to notice disturbing things. Several of the other employees were missing at least one finger. Also, she developed a cough.

When she’d worked there several months, she was aware of a gradual turnover rate of workers. She finally worried so much she turned in her notice.

Two months later there was a chemical explosion and fire that gutted the place.

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35 thoughts on “A NARROW ESCAPE”

    • Thanks, Iain. She probably didn’t because it was a relative. She wasn’t sure what was happening as she knew little of chemicals. She also was not even a high school graduate and didn’t know what resources were available to help people in the workplace. No one advised her. I’m pleased you liked the story. —- Suzanne

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    • Thanks, Sandra. I didn’t see her as setting the fire because she was more a victim than an arsonist. It was also the business of her husband’s father, a family business. I saw it as a tragic accident because of all the chemicals involved, an explosion. I’m pleased you liked the story. —- Suzanne

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    • Thanks, Liz. Even though she needed the job, she just couldn’t take the dangers of it. There had been other accidents with the chemicals as some people had injuries. Chances are unless the owner set the fire for the insurance there was another accident so someone probably got injured. Most workers probably got out before fire swept the place. I’m pleased you liked the story. —- Suzanne

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  9. This felt like a small time factory in Asia, or then again it might have been a Victorian match factory in England ! For me this was a good take on the photo prompt. Mike

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    • Thanks, Mike. I actually got the idea from the place an older cousin of mine worked in the U.S. in the late 50’s. There are some terrible places in India also. You can find them many places I guess if you look hard enough. I’m pleased you liked the story. —- Suzanne

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    • Thanks, Yarnspinnerr. I read the link you included. It’s a shame, but customers are going to continue to buy those goods from discount stores like Walmart as long as they get them cheap. Pressure will have to be brought on those discount stores owners from an outside source. In the U.S. many of them hire undocumented aliens who they know won’t report them for fear of being deported. It’s a vicious circle. I’m pleased you liked the story. —- Suzanne

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    • Thanks, Gabriele. You’re right. I got the idea from what an older cousin of mine went through in the late 50’s. She led a hard life and that marriage didn’t work out. The poor woman later died of cancer, and I’ve often wondered if working with those chemicals had anything to do with it. I’m pleased you liked the story. —- Suzanne

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    • Thanks, Rochelle. I got the idea from what an older cousin of mine went through in the late 50’s. She didn’t lose a finger, but years later died of cancer. I’ve wondered if the chemicals had anything to do with it. I’m pleased you liked the story. —- Suzanne

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    • Thanks, Bjorn. I got the idea from what an older cousin of mine went through. She led a hard life. That marriage didn’t work out as the son she was married to caused her a lot of problems. I think many people just quit like she did. I’m pleased you liked the story. —- Suzanne

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