IAIN KELLY

NEW BOOTS

Seeing him sitting by the road she felt she had to do something.

His boots were gaffer-taped around the toes. A few doors along was a shoe shop.

He smiled and followed her.

The staff in the store were her only hope now, the only witnesses to have seen them.

Would he like a hot meal and then she could drive him to the local shelter?

The rope bit into her wrists, the gaffer tape over her mouth made her gag.

In the dark shadows she saw the gleaming new boots approach, clacking on the dusty wooden floor.


dadsshoes
Copyright Anonymous

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 stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.

123 responses to “NEW BOOTS”

  1. Varad Avatar

    Yikes! That took a real hard turn to the left pretty quick. Nicely done, Iain

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Varad

      Like

  2. neilmacdon Avatar

    The new boots were a lovely touch, Iain

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      One must try and look ones best, no matter what the occasion.

      Liked by 2 people

  3. kasturi Avatar

    Goosebumps! This was so scary! Well done once again. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Kat 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Reena

      Liked by 1 person

  4. violaetcetera Avatar
    violaetcetera

    Turns out to be a very surprising story. Like it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Viola

      Like

  5. michaelwynnauthor Avatar

    What a fantastic and sinister turn. She was only trying to do a good deed

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Some times good deeds are misplaced…

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Susan A Eames Avatar

    Wow – that was chilling and powerful. Totally unexpected! Thank you for surprising me.

    Susan A Eames at
    Travel, Fiction and Photos

    Like

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      You’re welcome Susan

      Like

  7. Kelley Farrell Avatar

    Didn’t see that turn coming! Well done

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Kelley

      Like

  8. granonine Avatar

    Oh, no! We knew she was in trouble when the last people to have seen them were in the shoe store. Evil man, evil plan.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Planned or opportunist, I haven’t decided…

      Liked by 2 people

  9. J Hardy Carroll Avatar

    Dark bit at the end.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
  10. rochellewisoff Avatar

    Dear Iain,

    Disturbing turn of events those. Nicely done.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Rochelle

      Like

  11. Bettina Avatar

    Wow! Good stuff Iain. Makes you think twice about doing a good deed.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you 🙂

      Like

  12. ceayr Avatar

    Excellent, IaIn.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you CE

      Liked by 1 person

  13. subroto Avatar

    Disturbing and scary. Remind me not to help anyone 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you, be careful out there!

      Like

  14. Jelli Avatar
    Jelli

    Ouuu, disturbing and a bit scary, too.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you 😉

      Like

  15. Anita Avatar

    So, the tape meant for that.
    Scary tale. Hope she escapes…
    Well narrated, Iain.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Well, she is still alive, so there is hope.

      Liked by 1 person

  16. pennygadd51 Avatar

    A clever and pitiless story. I admired the way you used the gaffer tape twice. Well told, Iain.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Penny

      Like

  17. joyroses13 Avatar

    Wow! Hadn’t seen that coming, good job! Will there be more? 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Joy, I hadn’t planned more – I’ll think on it 🙂

      Like

      1. joyroses13 Avatar

        🙂 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  18. yarnspinnerr Avatar

    A perfect flash. It is sinister. scary and leaves you wanting more.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you so much

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Rowena Avatar

    Hi Iain,
    Philosophically, your flash and mine go quite well together, because I’ve footnoted mine with a missile you could say about the need for community and to be there for each other and yours just shoots the guts out of that and I’m left asking: “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to talk to strangers, let alone not give strangers a lift in your car??!!”
    That is a real dilemma for many of us. How much do we help strangers, while also being mindful of our own safety? Perhaps, the airlines have it right when they say to save ourselves first but not to ignore the needs of others.
    There was great suspense in that last line with the echo of his footsteps on the floorboards and their power and fear. The very boots she had bought him out of kindness. Well done.
    Best wishes,
    Rowena

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Rowena, you are right. It is tempting to help those we see in need, but in the world today, for whatever reason, we tend to be cautious about approaching strangers and offering help – perhaps because of the way the media reports the odd case that ends badly, rather than the many that end innocently.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Rowena Avatar

        Iain, I remember when my grandparents told me back in the 1990s I think about people pretending to be broken down and then robbing people what an outrage it was to all of us and that sense of common decency to pull over and help. They stopped doing it. I have driven across the Nullarbor Plain and lived in Geraldton 6 hours North of Perth and in these places people always stop because being broken down could ultimately kill you in such isolated areas. That was about 20 years ago now and I hope it hasn’t changed.
        Best wishes,
        Rowena

        Liked by 1 person

  20. pensitivity101 Avatar

    A chilling tale Iain.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      1. Iain Kelly Avatar

        Apologies, Lyn was the next comment down!

        Like

      2. pensitivity101 Avatar

        I don’t mind Iain. (I’m Di btw). 🙂

        Liked by 2 people

  21. Lynn Love Avatar

    That’s a dark end for your Good Samaritan. Chilling at the end – Those boots

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      1. Lynn Love Avatar

        My pleasure

        Liked by 1 person

  22. Brenda's Thoughts Avatar

    Nicely written with a surprising, chilling twist. I like it! A warning to always be cautious. =)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Brenda

      Liked by 1 person

  23. Michael Avatar
    Michael

    Now the tape on the boots makes sense, great story Iain

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Michael

      Like

  24. writingdreamwords Avatar

    that turned dark really fast. great story!

    Liked by 1 person

  25. Courtney Wright Avatar

    Well she didn’t see that coming, huh?? I love the twist at the end! Well done! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Courtney

      Liked by 1 person

  26. Liz A. Avatar

    Well, that took a dark and creepy turn…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      I know, I was so close to writing a happy story…

      Like

  27. Alicia Jamtaas Avatar

    Sometimes being kind turns around and bites you in the butt. Deliciously dark turn at the end. Kudos.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Not that I advocate minding your own business and ignoring those that are suffering, but sometimes…!

      Liked by 1 person

  28. Alice Audrey Avatar

    And here I thought she was going to kill him.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      She may still if she gets the chance…

      Like

  29. Alana Mautone (@RamblinGarden) Avatar

    That really hit, and hit fast and hard. A total turnaround – well done.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Alana

      Like

  30. Keith's Ramblings Avatar

    Wow, that waa rapid change of direction! Great tale Iain

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Keith

      Liked by 1 person

  31. shivamt25 Avatar

    Nice twist😅

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
  32. Nan Mykel Avatar

    Yikes! Surprise!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      And not a pleasant one. Thanks Nan.

      Like

  33. draliman Avatar

    Yeeks, no good deed goes unpunished…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      That’ll teach her…

      Liked by 1 person

  34. spicedmullings Avatar

    Yeech! 😱
    Good turn deserves another. Not a bad one!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      I guess no one told him that!

      Like

  35. gahlearner Avatar
    gahlearner

    Evil! What a great twist. I absolutely didn’t see that coming. The clacking of the new boots is extra creepy.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Gabi

      Liked by 1 person

  36. Laurie Bell Avatar

    Oh no… all for helping him. What a creep. Hope she escapes

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      And takes the shoes back off him!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Laurie Bell Avatar

        Hope she takes more than that…

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
  37. lisarey1990 Avatar

    Chilling. Nicely done.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Lisa

      Liked by 1 person

  38. James McEwan Avatar

    Yep, you can never expect a good turn in return from someone with gaffer tape. I wanted to both laugh and cry. A complete story ready for a crime novel.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks James, much appreciated

      Liked by 1 person

  39. liz young Avatar

    This is deeply scary. Well done.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
  40. syncwithdeep Avatar
    syncwithdeep

    This took me off my nerves.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you 🙂

      Like

  41. Dale Avatar

    No good deed goes unpunished… horrid turn at the end there!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
  42. Nan Falkner Avatar

    Yikes! This story seems a lot longer than it is and I can almost hear crescendo music in the background! Cool!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
  43. Ms W Avatar

    That took a terrible turn! A very well executed twist!

    Liked by 1 person

  44. Donna B. McNicol Avatar

    Another deliciously dark tale!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Donna 🙂

      Like

  45. athling2001 Avatar

    Great twist! Never expected that.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Glad it caught you by surprise 🙂

      Like

  46. Woman walking Max Avatar

    I loved the swerve in your story line- one minute she’s helping him – next she’s the victim. Well constructed story Iain- good one.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you so much

      Like

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