IAIN KELLY

SIGHTSEEING

Another boat trip, thought Marcus, as he slumped into a window seat.

‘Come on, this is a great way to see the town. There’s so much history,’ his mother said. Marcus looked at her pointedly as he placed the headphones into his ears and turned on music – loud.

One more summer and he would be old enough to go on his own holidays with his friends – sun, sand and the rest – instead of being dragged round on dull sightseeing trips of British towns.

The tour guide began droning on about some historical building as they moved down the river. Marcus couldn’t hear the detail over his music.

Gradually he realised the guide had stopped speaking and was staring out the side of the boat, looking pale and shocked. So was everyone else. Marcus glanced over and saw the police divers hauling the naked, dead body out of the water, a red slit across herΒ throat.

Finally he had an interesting story to tell about his holiday when he got back to school.


photo-20170109154625698
Β© The Storyteller’s Abode

Written as part of Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. The challenge is to write a flash fiction story, in aroundΒ 150 words based on the weekly photo prompt. For more information visitΒ HERE.

To read other stories based on this week’s prompt, visitΒ HERE.

46 responses to “SIGHTSEEING”

  1. Mike Avatar

    This story is so up to date and has powerful imagery. I wish I had written it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Michael.

      Like

  2. joyroses13 Avatar

    Great job! This made me think of the TV show Bones! Have you seen it?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      I haven’t seen that one Joy, one to look out for. Thanks for commenting.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Michael Avatar

    Good one Iain, there’s always going to be something interesting to report back on…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Michael, I do remember when you got back to school and everyone had different stories from their holidays. Never one like this though, thankfully!

      Liked by 1 person

  4. yarnspinnerr Avatar

    As Mike says … powerful imagery here. Great write.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Many thanks.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Singledust Avatar

    that would make any young boy’s holiday the most exciting in the bragging circle. You captured the essence of a bored young man coming home like a war hero to tell his tale.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks, he’ll certainly be telling his friends about it!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Joyfrida Avatar

    Yeah, nothing screams a good holiday than having a dead body story to tell your friends. This story is very cool.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Joy, not sure I would want to go on a holiday with you…! πŸ™‚

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Joyfrida Avatar

        πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

        Liked by 1 person

  7. angietrafford Avatar

    It is certainly more interesting than your average boat trip!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Angie πŸ™‚

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Priceless Joy Avatar

    Great story, Iain! Sad that it took something so gruesome to peek his interest in the boat tour. This sounds so much like teens and how they act.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks PJ – with more words I would have included him taking out his smartphone and getting gruesome pictures to show his friends…!

      Like

      1. Priceless Joy Avatar

        LOL! That would certainly be something a teen would do!

        Liked by 1 person

  9. Lynn Love Avatar
    Lynn Love

    Nicely written Iain – the teens viewpoint is very strong. This is my son when I drag him on another boat trip round Bristol harbour – fortunately, never seen a body though. Walked past a trail of bloody footprints one day, but that’s another tale! Very good as always πŸ™‚

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Sounds like an interesting starting point for a story! Thanks Lynn.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Lynn Love Avatar

        My pleasure πŸ™‚

        Liked by 1 person

  10. Nancy K. Avatar

    You always nail these, Iain. This would be a perfect opening to an episode of Law & Order: UK. Or Taggart. Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Nancy, I hadn’t thought of that but it is exactly like the start of a Taggart episode πŸ™‚

      Liked by 1 person

  11. neelwritesblog Avatar

    Nice topical story told told with your usual elan, Lain. Liked the timeliness or shall we say timelessness of the tale.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Many thanks Neel

      Like

  12. Daylight | Powered by Robots Avatar

    […] again, I “blame” Iain Kelly, since reading his work, including his response to this challenge has inspired me to write more flash […]

    Liked by 1 person

  13. James Avatar

    Challenge accepted. Look at the InLinkz page.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Excellent James, will take a look.

      Like

      1. James Avatar

        Where do you find all these different “challenges?”

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Iain Kelly Avatar

        Just following other blogs and also using the WordPress reader and searching for writing challenges. I stick to 3 or 4 that I do regularly, and others occasionally if I can find the time. All good fun and a good excuse to keep coming up with writing ideas.

        Like

  14. Graham Lawrence Avatar
    Graham Lawrence

    Perhaps he’ll become a forensic scientist. Great story!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Ha, perhaps, if that’s what inspires enthusiasm in him! Thanks Graham.

      Liked by 1 person

  15. Lorraine's frilly freudian slip Avatar

    What a “What I did on my summer vacation story!” He’ll be the “in” kid in the class for a while at least. Interesting story with great twist at end.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Lorraine!

      Like

  16. mandibelle16 Avatar
    mandibelle16

    That would indeed be a very shocking scene to see. But I suppose a bored teenager might think more of what his friends would think of his story, then the terribleness of a murder. Great write Ian!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      That’s exactly it Mandi!

      Like

  17. luckyjc007 Avatar

    He was relieved of his boredom, but at a price of someones death and the heartache of probably family and friends. He will have plenty to talk about when he gets home and may be a bit more interested in taking another trip…not looking for something so tragic, but perhaps open to the possibility of seeing something unusual again. Wonderful story .

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Hopefully as he grows older he will learn something from it and not just be concerned with his own holiday experience! Thanks for reading.

      Liked by 1 person

  18. afairymind Avatar

    Such a typical teenager! At least he now has an interesting story for his friends, even if it is a rather gruesome one. Great story, Iain. πŸ™‚

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Many thanks πŸ™‚

      Like

  19. momtheobscure Avatar

    Teens are so damn hard to please! I find sun, sand and the rest of it all a bore – but such a gruesome sight would be intriguing for morbid curiosity.

    Liked by 1 person

  20. milliethom Avatar

    Well, that certainly added a bit of spice to an otherwise dull holiday! Lol. Much as I love historical sites, I know that most teenagers find them all a great big yawn. Very well written, Iain. πŸ™‚

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Millie – when he gets older he might appreciate the history more!

      Like

  21. creatingahome Avatar

    I will take a dull holiday over this disco very please.

    Liked by 1 person

  22. lingeringvisions by Dawn Avatar

    Well, that’s certainly an interesting POV!

    Liked by 1 person

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