IAIN KELLY

OUTPOST

At last a sign that someone was looking for me.

I managed to wave my red jacket in the air before I was pulled to the ground.

Was it enough for the search plane to see me? It continued flying and disappeared beyond the horizon.

Three weeks I’ve been held now, without explanation. The ropes excoriated.

We walked on and came to the shore of a lake. On the far bank the seaplane was moored.

My heart leapt. Salvation.

I saw my captor greet the pilot. Newfound hope died. They exchanged money.

My new owner beckoned me on board.


ted-strutz-plane
Copyright Ted Strutz

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.


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My novel, ‘A Justified State,’ is available now
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Look out for news of the sequel coming in the next few weeks!

79 responses to “OUTPOST”

  1. neilmacdon Avatar

    I can still hope that with a single bound she’ll be free

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      There’s always that chance

      Like

  2. Tannille Avatar

    And?
    So many questions, well done!

    Liked by 3 people

  3. ceayr Avatar

    Another fine mess…

    Liked by 3 people

  4. rochellewisoff Avatar

    Dear Iain,

    The MC’s distress is tangible. Well done.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Rochelle 🙂

      Like

  5. J Hardy Carroll Avatar

    Great twist at the end of this. Well done.

    Liked by 4 people

  6. Colline Avatar

    For a moment there I thought it would be a happy ending! Well played.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      No happy ending this week! Thanks Colline

      Like

  7. Susan A Eames Avatar

    Oh no! Great tension in so few words. Well done, Iain.

    Susan A Eames at
    Travel, Fiction and Photos

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Susan

      Like

  8. patriciaruthsusan Avatar

    Well-written with a great twist at the end, Iain. Slavery of all kinds has to be stopped. It’s heartbreaking. —- Suzanne

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Suzanne

      Liked by 1 person

  9. magickmermaid Avatar

    Hopes dashed again! Great take on the prompt!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      This time at least. Thank you, much appreciated

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Dale Avatar

    So good, Iain. We could definitely feel the captor’s distress, hope and despair.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Dale

      Liked by 1 person

  11. pensitivity101 Avatar

    Nicely done Iain.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Di

      Liked by 1 person

      1. pensitivity101 Avatar

        You’re welcome

        Liked by 1 person

  12. Rachel Bjerke Avatar

    Yikes!! Great twist, Iain!!

    -Rachel 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you so much Rachel

      Like

  13. JoHawkTheWriter Avatar

    Well, at least he is still alive, and so is hope. Nice one Iain.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      True. Thank you

      Liked by 1 person

  14. notestowomen Avatar

    Great story, Iain and with an unexpected twist at the end. Poor man. Hopefully, salvation will find him soon.

    Liked by 3 people

      1. notestowomen Avatar

        You’re welcome 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  15. bearmkwa Avatar
    bearmkwa

    Oh, wow, that is a troubling scenario. Great writing.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you so much

      Liked by 1 person

  16. theministryofshrawleywalks Avatar

    Grim, Im thinking the sex trade, well written Iain

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Could be. Thanks

      Like

  17. 4963andypop Avatar

    Nice process of slowly revealing the severity of his plight, giving him hope and then mercilessly taking it away. I did stumble on the tense in the sentence beginning with I’ve. I found it disorienting to reference the present in the midst of a sea of past tense. Otherwise powerful and grim.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      I take your point, but it works fine for me. Glad you liked it.

      Liked by 1 person

  18. msjadeli Avatar

    The time for action is just as the plane lands — as long as it doesn’t land in another remote location!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Always planning ahead 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Nobbinmaug Avatar

    That’s the ultimate heartbreaker. A lot of hopes have been crushed in a lot of ways. That has to be one of the worst.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      It’s certainly not great… Thanks for reading.

      Liked by 1 person

  20. anuragbakhshi Avatar

    Let’s hope the journey onwards presents her/him with an opportunity to escape, else, all seems lost.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Let’s hope so. Thanks for reading.

      Liked by 1 person

  21. plaridel Avatar

    it doesn’t look good. she’s now viewed as property to be sold or kept at the owner’s pleasure.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      A valuable commodity, unfortunately.

      Liked by 1 person

  22. Danny James Avatar

    Not quite what he expected!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Nope, not the rescue they wanted!

      Like

  23. Sandra Avatar

    Hopes raised and dashed before being consigned to what may or may not be an even worse fate.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Sandra

      Like

  24. Keith's Ramblings Avatar

    Hopes dashed. A sorry story indeed.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Perhaps there is a later chance of escape.. Thanks Keith

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Keith's Ramblings Avatar

        Maybe a mermaid could help!

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Keith's Ramblings Avatar

      Oops – that was supposed to be a reply to your comment on my story!

      Liked by 1 person

  25. draliman Avatar

    To have your hopes rise and then be dashed – worse than no hope at all, perhaps.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Perhaps indeed. Thank you

      Liked by 1 person

  26. granonine Avatar

    Nothing kills the human spirit faster than hopelessness. Really well-written.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Linda

      Liked by 1 person

  27. Brenda's Thoughts Avatar

    A fantastic twist. I felt horrified with her at the end.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Brenda

      Like

  28. pennygadd51 Avatar

    It must be horrifying to be bought and sold as a slave. How on earth would one respond?

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      It’s hard to put yourself in that position. Thanks Penny

      Like

  29. Woman walking Max Avatar

    Feel like I’m there alongside the prisoner – skilful writing to keep us on the edge of our seats. Well done.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you so much

      Like

  30. Alicia Jamtaas Avatar

    Love the waving of the red coat. Such hope! Then, BOOM handed off to yet another captor. Nicely built tension, Iain.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Alicia

      Like

  31. Abhijit Ray Avatar

    Out of frying pan into fire. Misery and trouble continued.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Abhijit

      Like

  32. Laurie Bell Avatar

    Oh no! Deeper into darkness. I fear she wont be seen again. Great take on the piece

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Laurie. Not looking good for her.

      Like

  33. James McEwan Avatar

    Finished with a nice cliffhanger – hope or despair. A kidnapped victim is never a happy one.

    Liked by 1 person

  34. kzmcb Avatar

    Another very real situation, with so much human trafficking, so the feelings evoked are also real. Faultless writing.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you 🙂

      Like

  35. lisarey1990 Avatar

    Great suspense & cliffhanger.

    Liked by 2 people

  36. Dawn M. Miller Avatar

    Oh my…careful what you wish for! :/

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Yep, she may have been better off where she was…

      Liked by 1 person

  37. Nan Falkner Avatar

    Goodness gosh – you certainly can write a clever story! HECK NO! THIS IS A NIGHTMARE! Almost saved and then hope dashed in one second with the exchange of money. Really well done!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you Nan

      Like

  38. magarisa Avatar

    Hope dashed at the last minute… how terrible. Suspenseful and vividly written.

    Liked by 2 people

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