BEYOND THE GATE

Photo Copyright: Al Forbes

This story was written for Sunday Photo Fiction–May 21st, 2017. Each week the host, Al Forbes, provides a picture prompt donated by himself or one of the other writers in the group. The challenge for each member of the group is to write an original story or poem with no more than 200 words, not including the title and inspired by the prompt. This week’s prompt was from Al Forbes himself.

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

The link to the other stories this week is as follows:

https://sundayphotofictioner.wordpress.com/2017/05/21/sunday-photo-fiction-may-21st-2017/

Genre: Dystopian Fiction

Word Count: 200 Words

BEYOND THE GATE by P.S. Joshi

Chand and his Section Ten patrollers were now in a desolate land on the edge of their assigned territory. The single good thing about this area was the lack of mutants. There were no caves for miles, nowhere to hide.

Up ahead there was a stone wall. It seemed to have been part of a compound at one time, perhaps used during the Greatest War that ended about two hundred years before.

As they approached they saw words on the gate in the wall,  TRAITOR’S GATE. There were terrifying stories about people crammed into walled areas as punishment for doing even the slightest act considered as disobedient. Anyone trying to escape was shot on sight.

Before peace came, some mutants climbed the walls and killed captives before the guards could shoot the creatures. They were bloodthirsty and didn’t  think about getting out, only in.

When the war ended, there was insufficient medicine and caregivers to save many prisoners so they rapidly died. The bodies were burned to keep the ravenous mutants who roamed the area during the war and hid in bombed-out buildings from consuming the remains.These appalling places were deserted, falling to ruin as seemed fitting to all.

Note: An ominous feeling still hangs over the place even after two centuries. The patrollers, even though hardened, are reluctant to enter the area. Strange rumors circulate about continued unnatural occurrences even though the place is thought to have been deserted.

SAFETY IN NUMBERS

 

Photo Copyright: Sandra Crook

Here we are this week sitting together near a large columned building. We’ve gathered to discuss our original stories for the week. This is the Friday Fictioneers group. Our hostess for the gathering is the talented and gracious author and artist, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. The challenge for each of us this week and every week is to write a story with no more than 100 words, not counting 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 Sandra Crook. Thanks, Sandra.

To read the other stories by 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/2017/05/03/5-may-2017/

Genre: Speculative Fiction

Word Count: 100 Words

SAFETY IN NUMBERS by P.S. Joshi

Chand and fifty other Section Ten patrollers stared at the huge crumbling building, its walkway partly covered with pieces of broken masonry.

He thought it must be over two hundred years since the Greatest War. Who could keep count?

Soon they’d have to find a place to spend the night safe from mutants who preyed on wild animals, any lone human they found, or even their own wounded or dying.

Hardened patrollers parked their trucks on cleared parts of the walkway and set up a guard.

Howling started. It wasn’t wild animals. Ravenous, drooling mutants crept from deep caves.

TYRANNOSAURUS REX–THE HUNTER

 

NOTE: If anyone is interested, there’s a literary magazine, CQ INTERNATIONAL, that started a short story competition in the last issue. There’s going to be the second competition. The magazine is online and free. The entry for the competition is also free. The winner’s story is published in the next edition. The magazine is published in the UK, and the editor is Paul White. The link is as follows: http://shoutout.wix.com/so/5LGgR6hs

This story was written for Sunday Photo Fiction–April 24th, 2016. Each week the host, Al Forbes, provides a picture prompt. The challenge for each member of the group is to write an original story or poem with no more than 200 words and inspired by the prompt.

To read the other stories written by group members, just click on the little blue frog in the blue box.

The link to the other stories this week is as follows:

https://sundayphotofictioner.wordpress.com/2016/04/24/sunday-photo-fiction-april-24th-2016/

Genre: Prehistoric Fiction

Word Count: 4+198=202 Words

TYRANNOSAURUS REX–THE HUNTER by P.S. Joshi

The massive Tyrannosaurus hid in the tall growth, her mate nearby. They watched the unaware, ravenous Hadrosaurids munching on vegetation, their duck-like bills opening and closing on the tender plants. Back at the nest was a young rex, also dependent on a successful hunt.

Her mate moved first. He sprang forward. She followed. The terrified warning cry of the Hadrosaurids thundered–too late. Each rex grabbed a plant eater by the neck and wrestled them to the ground.  The herd took off and galloped across the plain, dependent on numbers and tremendous speed for safety.

The female ripped a huge mouthful from her kill’s bone and headed back to the nest. Her mate watched over the remainder as he gorged.

At the nest, she dropped a dripping mouthful near  the baby and started to eat. Following her example, he bit in, ripped a small piece off, and started to chew. He’d done this before.

She turned, left the baby, and ran back to the main kill. Her massive head lowered, she started to repeatedly rip the lukewarm flesh, her sharp, strong teeth grinding bone and meat into one mass. It slid down her throat to fill an empty stomach.