Balloons hung on the streetlight outside the Patriots Diner. Neon shone in the grey dusk. Warm lights inside glowed.
Sam stood behind the counter. A police car sped past, followed by an ambulance. He had stayed open in case he could be of any use. There would be no celebration tonight.
‘The police are now confirming there are 16 dead, including 10 students and the gunman, named as Michael Bradford. We understand he was a student at the school in his final year.’
Sam clicked the radio off, locked the door to the diner and extinguished the bright neon lights.

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.
66 responses to “GRADUATION PARTY”
I wonder how large the total body count will be, come the end of this challenge
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Something about the empty diner has us killing in large numbers this week…
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Sad stories this week! You capture the mood well 🙂
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Thanks Jessie
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Dear Iain,
All too realistic and timely. You wrote it well.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle
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How morbid!
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I’m afraid so, an antidote to the festive cheer 🙂
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I wish there was a warning 😕
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Good story and writing, Iain. Sadly, your story is timely. I hope these are Happy Holidays for you and yours. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Thanks Suzanne. Sorry to be so down at holiday season! Hope you have a Happy Holidays too 🙂
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Oh man. An (unfortunately) all-American story. These things are becoming so common that the word “another” is permanently appended to “mass shooting” in the media. Well told.
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Thanks. Afraid it is very American, we just don’t have the guns over here, but I do think it’s something more than that too, something in the psyche, who knows? Man, it’s a depressing story for this time of year!
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Christmas does seem to be a time for writing something excessively sugary sweet, or depressing. What with Berlin it’s been another brutal year for people losing loved ones at the hands of lunatics. You have to wonder where it will all end.
Merry Christmas,
PaulC.
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Indeed, a lot of the responses this week are lacking in happy holidays feelings… Here’s hoping to a better 2017, but I think it may be wishful thinking. Merry Christmas to you too, Iain
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A tight piece of writing, full of atmosphere.
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Thanks Patrick
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Ah, yes. Unfortunately, this sort of thing is becoming all-too common anymore. You reported well, Iain. This about sums it up.
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Thanks, a bit depressing for this time of year, but it’s the reality I’m afraid…
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Topical, sadly. And all too common. Well done.
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Thanks Sandra
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Really well portrayed for such a limited word count.
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Thanks Louise
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When you think about it, it is such a sad fact that we live in such a beautiful world and still we do such bad things to one another. I liked the focal point of your story.
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I agree wholeheartedly. Thanks for reading.
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You caught the vision of the diner perfectly. BUT, a sad, sad story! Well done.
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Yes I admit it’s a bit of a depressing story this week.
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Heck, that’s ok. Wherever the muse takes us! Merry Christmas.
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🙂 Merry Christmas
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Very powerful story.
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Many thanks
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Everyone is in festive mood but some are preparing for their next target. Happening everywhere. When will it end?
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Sadly this remind me of so many tragic events, and the powerlessness that good people feel following them.
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Thanks Mike, I agree with the powerlessness, there seems to be no way to stop these things happening.
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I love your writing and your style but not the topic and I hope that’s alright. It’s too common these days. Sometimes I feel like I can’t take any more news about another shooting, but then I can. I start to feel numb and I hate that even more. Wishing you a Happy Holiday -forgive me my honesty.
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Thanks for commenting, although I don’t think we should avoid writing about certain things because they make us upset or uncomfortable, especially when it is something that happens in life. I’ll make my next one a happier topic 🙂 Happy Holidays.
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Oh Goodness never avoid these subject. Write about it whenever you feel like it. Some books or some stories have to hurt. I still read publications about WWII, sometimes, when I feel overwhelmed, then I have to close the book for a few days. But I always go back to reading afterward.
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It’s a sad, a horrible situation you write about. And as others say, timely and common. I think it’s important we write about it,. It is not hearing the story repeated that makes us numb to it. We do that ourselves when those people become a statistic not real human beings. Great write.
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Thanks Mandi, glad you appreciated what I was trying to do.
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Chilling and all too real. Great piece!
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Thanks!
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This story is far too near the knuckle for comfort – well done.
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Thanks Liz, I’m glad it made an impression.
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Yet another American tragedy… They are too many to count. One day, we can dream, this will be a nightmare of the past and not a daily occurrence…
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I do hope so Dale, it’s not a happy story to tell, but sadly it is not unthinkable, it happens all too often. Thanks for reading.
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Way too often…
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I’m not sure whether I’m the only Australian contributing to Friday Fictioneers but I am quite conscious of how different things are here reading through the stories. Bad things happen here too but we don’t have the heavy presence of guns and I’m sure that’s helped. We had a big shooting at Port Arthur many years ago and the Australian government almost immediately banned forms of automatic weapons.
I am a firm believer in human kindness and the ability for the goodness in humanity to triumph over such horror. Indeed, as I write two sunflowers are flowering in my backyard which were salvaged from the crash site in the Ukraine where MH17 was shot down. An Australian journalist and photographer brought the seeds back via quarantine. You can read the story here: https://beyondtheflow.wordpress.com/2016/12/22/sunflower-a-christmas-miracle/
xx Rowena
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sad thing to happen on what could have been a happy occasion.
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Thanks
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I like the way you did this story. You stepped back and let it happen as a viewer. Very well done.
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Thanks Sascha
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Very poignant and topical. Nice take on the prompt
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Thanks Michael.
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The mood is quite blue this Christmas. A topical take.
Merry Christmas.
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It certainly is. Maybe 2017 will be merrier. Happy Holidays 🙂
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Gosh such a tragic story. There are good people out there. A good man for staying open wanting to help if he can. So sad. Well told story
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Thanks Laurie
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An all-too-regular occurance it seems. The contrast of the bright lights and balloons against the tragedy nearby was particularly poignant.
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Many thanks.
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This has become so common place we are barely shocked anymore. Your story reminds us of the good.
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Thanks Dawn.
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Grisly, sad and only too timely.
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So sad… Well written.
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Thanks Roger
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Powerful and sad story that happens too much in real life. 😢
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Thank you for commenting. Afraid so.
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