At the end of the secure tunnel the gate had been left open.
Jess stood at the other end of the tunnel and tried to judge the distance. A hundred metres?
She edged forward. Glancing up above the walls at the steel fencing, she sensed she was being watched.
A sudden flurry outside – snarling, shrieking and motion. No point in caution now. Jess sprinted along the tunnel, straining to get there before they could get in.
Jess grabbed for the gate just as they reached it on the outside. It was wrenched away from her, but she held on. She had to protect those left inside. If she could just force the latch closed…

Written as part of the Friday Fictioneers challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above).
To read more stories based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.
Dynamic opening there… like an old time Saturday serial. Nicely done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many thanks – now just have to figure out what happens next 🙂
LikeLike
No kidding. Nice cliff hanger.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Iain,
Intriguing. Glad you were able to get the prompt. Those first few hours this morning were a little dicey without it. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
PS I dare you cut the extra 14 words.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You had us all poised over our keyboards – can I keep the extra 14 words because I was waiting longer for the prompt… please… 😉
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh, all right. If you’re going to whine about it. 😉 I’ll give you that. After all…
LikeLiked by 1 person
It actually works not bad if you just lose the last 14 words
LikeLiked by 2 people
Very true, although I wanted to keep the idea that she was doing this to protect others. Will try harder for next week (hangs head in shame).
LikeLiked by 2 people
In that case lose the first 100
LikeLiked by 2 people
Perfect for the 14 word story challenge.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Cool dude, Iain!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope she got the latch locked down without the loss of her fingers. 🙂🙂🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like a good cliffhanger, thanks Mike
LikeLike
Ooh, that had a bit of a Hunger Games feel for me – tons of action and threat in every phrase! You took us with you on that one, Iain. Nicely done 🙂
LikeLike
Ack! Cliffhanger.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always leave them wanting more 🙂
LikeLike
Great job. High tension, fast pace, and surprise ending. At least for me it was a surprise. I figured at the beginning that she wanted “out.” But the revelation at the end was perfect.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Sandra, I never thought of it as a surprise ending, but now you say it, it does work that way 🙂
LikeLike
Not a very secure tunnel if the gate is left open! Great cliffhanger. Thanks for keeping us on the edge of our seats.
LikeLiked by 1 person
How did the gate get open is the question you should be asking…. Thanks Alicia 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, I did ask that, too, but didn’t really want to know. “Something wicked this way comes.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly 🙂
LikeLike
Great cliffhanger but a little confusing for me. Why the gate was left open and what she was doing at the other end ? What happened next?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I leave it to you to imagine why the gate would be open and what happens next, can’t fit it all in to the 100 words!
LikeLike
I did enjoy this, and I agree with one of the comments above – It seemed just like the opening to a cop show!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many thanks 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice! Now why did I think zombies?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Definitely could be something along those lines – you’re the first comment to mention them. Many thanks 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this take.
At first I thought she was trying to escape, great turns and twists in the tale.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many thanks, much appreciated and glad you liked it 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great action piece! Wild animals, zombies…? Nice!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, unspecified but I had some sort of zombie thing in mind. Glad people are getting that now 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nicely done thriller.
But not zombies, please, you are better than that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, I take that as a compliment. I’m entering the Halloween season for this week only, so I’ll leave it as unspecified monsters…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe it is just me, but I feel that zombies, like vampires, are often a cop-out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think your right, there is also an overload of blogs and writing out there.
LikeLike
Those darn gates. Someone’s always leaving them unlocked.
Great job building tension and suspense.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, this seems like a particularly bad gate to find unlocked – probably some silly mime making off with an invisible box again.
LikeLike
There have been a surprising number of reported sightings of that wretched invisible box.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You can’t leave it like that! I really hope she gets the latch shut!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Clare, I do like a good cliffhanger to leave you guessing! 🙂
LikeLike
Oo, brave Jess! Great tension going there — I’m worried for them all!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Joy – it’s not looking good for them…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, this has a great pace and tension. Like Sandra, I thought at first she wanted to escape and think it is a great twist.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many thanks 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I too thought she tried to escape. I love it when you play with my mind. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, I do try and make it interesting. Glad you appreciate my efforts 🙂
LikeLike
Great sense of tension and fear in that last paragraph. Scary. Great piece
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Laurie 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pardon the pun but great opening with the open gate and so many possibilities in this story.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pun pardoned. Thanks for commenting 🙂
LikeLike
Love the tension you created. My heartbeat increased a tad there!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Dale 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Whoa, action packed! Go Jess, go!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Jade 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
i guess zombies guarding the walls are after her. they’re more menacing because they look like donald trump.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Steady on, I don’t want it to be that scary!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good work, high tension indeed and good old fashioned cliff hanger, they still haven’t invented anything to bet it
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Michael.
LikeLike
Great action packed opener, well done 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Helen
LikeLike
Wow what wasn’t gated up? I love how you give just a hint of it. I get this Jurassic World feeling, like raptors going to get them if they don’t shut this gate and fast! Great write!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dinosaurs, I love that idea 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Leaving the villain(s) to our imaginations is a good idea…the fear factor can be personalized with our own favorite nightmares. Good cliff hanger.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many thanks.
LikeLike
Exciting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the action and suspense as she makes for the gate – and the twist at the end was a great surprise. Terrific.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Margaret
LikeLike
Nice job building suspense and creating a sense of dread. You’ve got us all wanting to know what happens next!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Dawn – I’ll have to decide what does happen next myself!! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You got me holding on to the edge of my seat!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, that’s the effect I was going for 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very intense! Definitely makes me wonder and sympathize with her, though we don’t know the exact nature of the danger. I like it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Emily 🙂
LikeLike