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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Look out for news of the sequel coming in the next few weeks!

79 responses to “OUTPOST”

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

    Liked by 3 people

    1. There’s always that chance

      Like

  2. And?
    So many questions, well done!

    Liked by 3 people

  3. Another fine mess…

    Liked by 3 people

  4. Dear Iain,

    The MC’s distress is tangible. Well done.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Thank you Rochelle 🙂

      Like

  5. Great twist at the end of this. Well done.

    Liked by 4 people

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

    Liked by 3 people

    1. No happy ending this week! Thanks Colline

      Like

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

    Susan A Eames at
    Travel, Fiction and Photos

    Liked by 4 people

  8. 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

  9. Hopes dashed again! Great take on the prompt!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. This time at least. Thank you, much appreciated

      Liked by 1 person

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

    Liked by 2 people

  11. Yikes!! Great twist, Iain!!

    -Rachel 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Thank you so much Rachel

      Like

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

    Liked by 3 people

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

    Liked by 3 people

      1. You’re welcome 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

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

    Liked by 3 people

  15. Grim, Im thinking the sex trade, well written Iain

    Liked by 3 people

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

      Liked by 1 person

  17. 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. Always planning ahead 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  18. 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. It’s certainly not great… Thanks for reading.

      Liked by 1 person

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

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Let’s hope so. Thanks for reading.

      Liked by 1 person

  20. 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. A valuable commodity, unfortunately.

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Not quite what he expected!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Nope, not the rescue they wanted!

      Like

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

    Liked by 3 people

  23. Hopes dashed. A sorry story indeed.

    Liked by 3 people

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

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Maybe a mermaid could help!

        Liked by 1 person

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

      Liked by 1 person

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

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Perhaps indeed. Thank you

      Liked by 1 person

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

    Liked by 3 people

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

    Liked by 3 people

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

    Liked by 3 people

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

      Like

  28. 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

  29. 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

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

    Liked by 2 people

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

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks Laurie. Not looking good for her.

      Like

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

    Liked by 1 person

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

    Liked by 2 people

  34. Great suspense & cliffhanger.

    Liked by 2 people

  35. Oh my…careful what you wish for! :/

    Liked by 2 people

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

      Liked by 1 person

  36. 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

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

    Liked by 2 people

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