BLACK GOLD

‘This is it?’ Hank spat. ‘What the hell is this?’

‘Ain’t no pot of gold, that’s for sure.’ Kurt answered.

‘A goddamn shack in the middle of a goddamn wilderness. I done told you chasing rainbows was an idiot idea.’

‘You’re right, Hank. I should’ve listened.’

They stood kicking loose dirt. The rain stopped, the rainbow faded.

‘Let’s get goin’.’ Hank got back into the truck.

Kurt gave a mournful look across the flat plain, nothing in sight apart from the mountains in the distance.

Hank hit the horn.

‘I’m coming,’ Kurt shouted. ‘Goddamn rainbow.’

Hank spun the wheels as they u-turned on the dirt track and careened back onto the highway.

The dust settled and silence returned.

A low rumble started under the ground. The loose stones began to jump. Bits of the shack fell off as it’s foundations shook. The tremors reached a crescendo.

The shack blew apart as gallons of black liquid erupted from the ground, a dark geyser pouring the most valuable commodity in the world into the clear skies.


photo-20180115154619421
Copyright @any1mark66

Written as part of Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. The challenge is to write a flash fiction story in around 150 – 175 words, based on the weekly photo prompt. Thanks as always to the challenge host Priceless Joy. For more information visit HERE.

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

41 responses to “BLACK GOLD”

  1. Ha, this is great. Also new look for the site Iain? I like it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Chad – yes, spruced it up for the new year 🙂

      Like

  2. michael1148humphris Avatar
    michael1148humphris

    Hank and Kurt have a lot to learn. Rainbows are magical.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. They certainly are. Thanks Michael.

      Like

  3. Wonder who has the mineral rights? 😀

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Safe to say not Kurt or Hank.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Ah yes. Too bad they didn’t look in the rearview mirror.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Would they even know the value of what they saw? Thanks Janet.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Then Jed Clampett shows up but he’s not shooting at some food… Nice angle on the Texas country side

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Didn’t realise it was Texas until I read your post – fits in nicely with my tale. Thanks 🙂

      Like

      1. Unless you are born in West Texas, you would never know where the picture was taken.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Wonderful. Finally there was a pot of gold.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. And in today’s world oil is more valuable. Thank you.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Neat story, but I have a question. If it had been raining, how was there loose dirt to kick at and dust to settle?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks Barb. I think even with a little rain there would still be loose dirt and stones to kick and a pickup truck skidding about would still kick up a fair amount of dirt and dust even on wet ground.

      Like

      1. Not a country boy, are ya? 😀 Enough rain to bring a rainbow won’t leave anything but nud.

        Like

      2. We’ll agree to disagree on this one.

        Like

  8. A pot of gold! Great, then who gets the mining rights. Good story, Kelly.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Neel – you know it’s not going to be Hank and Kurt.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Hank and Kurt completely missed the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! LOL! Great story, as always, Iain!

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Oh man, there was gold alright: Black Gold. Too bad they didn’t chase the rainbow hard enough. Great story!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yep, if they’d just brought a shovel with them and dug for that pot of gold!

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Great voices. Will they look in the rear view mirror and know what they’ve stumbled on?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Might be better if they never find out 🙂

      Like

  12. A very enjoyable read Iain. As long as they never found out what they’d missed, they’d get over their apparently wasted trip. If they did find out, it would be many times worse than the experience of abandoning a fruit machine only to hear someone else hit the jackpot a minute later.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ha, yep, a large scale fruit machine 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  13. OIL! Wow, they really found gold. Loved their conversation.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Never doubt the magic of a rainbow. They did, and lost out on a fortune.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Wow indeed a fortune alas they dint get to enjoy it

    Like

  16. I remember when I was little and wanted to chase rainbows, great story 😊

    Liked by 1 person

  17. This is brilliant. Wallie laughed so hard the little fellow was sick! I really love your comic tone–again, brilliant. I have to admit, I was very surprised by the story itself but it’s hilarious!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you so much Wallie, glad it amused you!

      Liked by 1 person

  18. This has an easy realistic/comical flow.
    🙂 During his 20’s, my dad chased the Texas oil dream.
    Ellespeth

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you. Did he have any success?

      Like

  19. Now that’s a jackpot. I hope they got into excavating oil 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you – I fear they are not that lucky!

      Like

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