It started with the dead fish floating in the river.
Then the cows in the fields started to get sick and the dogs started acting wild.
Then a doctor at the local hospital started noticing the cancers.
Something wasn’t right.
It was in the water. The water that they washed in, brushed their teeth with, cleaned their clothes with and cooked with. It was in the water that they drank.
They could see the smoke stacks. Ten miles up river, billowing into the sky.
The factory employed most people in the town. We took them at their word.
We shouldn’t have.
Written for Friday Fictioneers 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.
My first two novels are now widely available from several online stores. Just click on the appropriate link to have a browse and find out more:
A JUSTIFIED STATE – THE STATE TRILOGY BOOK ONE
PAPERBACK:
AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE BOOK DEPOSITORY
Also available from ABEBOOKS
eBOOK:
AMAZON (KINDLE) BARNES & NOBLE (NOOK) KOBO SMASHWORDS Also available from APPLE BOOKS
STATE OF DENIAL – THE STATE TRILOGY BOOK TWO
PAPERBACK:
AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE BOOK DEPOSITORY
Also available from ABEBOOKS
eBOOK:
AMAZON (KINDLE) BARNES & NOBLE (NOOK) KOBO , SMASHWORDS Also available from APPLE BOOKS
Iain Kelly 
An all too true tale of woe, Ian. I would like to think we are more careful about those kinds of pollutants now, but who really knows.
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I think many are, but equally there will still be those who are not unfortunately. Thanks Violet.
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Love this. A perfect start to a longer story.
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Thank you Colline.
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Chilling, Iaim. And all too real
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Thanks Neil
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Dear Iain,
Reads a bit like a current new story. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Afraid so. Thanks Rochelle.
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Graphic description of something that has been happening for far too long.
And if we’re not polluting water, we pollute the air.
Nicely grim, Iain
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We can’t help but pollute by our very existence. It’s really a matter of limiting how much.
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Ominous beginning. Dead fish are never a good sign.
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Thanks J Hardy
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Pollution has taken over everything.
This will happen in the future… a reality worldwide soon…
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It has already happened in places unfortunately. Thanks Anita.
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What a scary scenario.
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And yet all too real. Thank you
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It is!
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Well written, Iain, catching the progression of symptoms through which the pollution becomes known. In the interests of accuracy (I used to write and enforce environmental permits in the UK) this wouldn’t happen nowadays in the UK. There are a few places in Europe where it might, as a result of criminal activity. It could happen in the USA, although it is unlikely. There are places in China where it is reported as happening.
In fact, UK rivers have greatly improved during the last 30 years.
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Thankfully times have changed, but I imagine there are a lot of developing countries where this is and will continue to occur for years to come. Thanks Penny.
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It sets heavy on the heart, your story. Grimly good.
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Thank you.
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An all too commonplace occurrence in recent history, but thankfully not so much now. At least, not in the west.
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Let’s hope not anyway, I’m sure there will be a new scandal along sometime soon. Thanks Sandra
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A very familiar story worldwide. Man killing man by killing Nature. Very well written Kelly.
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Thanks Neel
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Very well written… I thought this was supposed to be fiction 😉
Scary situation that should never exist but does…
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It seems more often than we think. Thanks Dale, hope you had a nice break 🙂
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So true.
It was great and, as always, never seems long enough!
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and that’s way I always have an RO in my house.
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Very wise
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Chilling and all too real.
I’ve read the first two of your “State of” books. Iain. and they are outstanding. The second was better than the first, so I’m expecting stupendous things from the third 🙂
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Thanks Linda. Interestingly, of those that have read both the books, it seems to be about 50/50 in terms of which one they prefer – so I hope that means they are both decent! Editing the final book 3 now, so hopefully it will arrive in a couple of months to finish the story! 🙂
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Just watched “Dark Waters.”
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Yep, saw it a couple of weeks ago, and when this prompt came along, it brought it to mind.
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I’m thinking Erin Brockovitch.
This is all so possible Iain.
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Yes, there have been a few films that have dealt with this sort of scenario – which makes you wonder how common it actually is…
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scary.
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That template has been stamped across the globe. Just north of me they have been clear-cutting land, bulldozing it clean, and planting acres of blueberry bushes. They saturate the land with pesticides and fertilizers which sink down into the water table. The move to the creek, which flows south, through my property, a wildlife sanctuary, going to the lake a few miles down that empties into Lake MI, where the city gets its water. All water is connected. We are doomed to the fate in your story.
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We have been drinking polluted water for generations now. Let’s hope it never gets this bad!
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Dumb-asses killing off their work force.
Good one.
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Yep, and amazingly it actually does happen! Dumb indeed.
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All-the-time.
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the damage has been done. i wonder how they go from here? it’s a situation that becomes too familiar nowadays.
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I’m afraid so.
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Million bucks on a cover up!
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Obviously 😉
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They say that water is the giver of life. Sadly that’s not always the case.
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Not if humans have anything to do with it! Thanks Keith
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Time to call in Erin Brockovich it seems. Trust must be earned, not given freely.
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Thanks Jo
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All too close to real-world situations. Nice one!
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Not really fiction at all actually.
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It is a shame that this still happens when we have the technology to prevent it. It goes to show the power of greed. Well told Iain!
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It’s incredible the lengths some people and corporations will go to for sheer profit over everything else.
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Oooooo this is horribly scary and probably so very very true in many places. I think those inspections are worth their weight in gold!
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If anything the regulations should be stricter, but at least we now have them.
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Ah go to sleep now, it’s all right. The man is only writing fiction.
And doing a darn good job of it too.
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I wish it was just fiction. Thank you
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What? The factory pumping pollutants into the air is unrepentantly responsible for environmental degradation, cancer, and death? I don’t believe it. Good one.
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Some people would still deny the obvious.
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I can relate to this Iain. As children we lived and played near a brook that changed colour dependent on what dye the shoe factories were using that day. Looking back I think we must have been lucky not to get ill. Well told
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It’s incredible that communities didn’t spot these dangers sooner. Thanks Michael.
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Chilling, Iain. And yet this is exactly the scenario that meets so many people across the world, affected by an industry that’s poisoning them. Well told tragedy
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Thanks Lynn, based more on fact than fiction really.
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Sadly, I’m sure you’re right
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You know what they say, never drink downstream from the herd.
Your story has been a sad truth at many places around the world. Well told.
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Thanks Russell – good advice.
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Ooh I like it! You and I had a slightly similar theme to our stories this week.
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Thank you 🙂
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So true, sad how the world works these days.
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Thanks Susan
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Sadly happens far too often…great story.
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Thank you Cheryl
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Scarily realistic. Haunting images.
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Thank you
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