IAIN KELLY

THE SOURCE

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.

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Copyright CE Ayr

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:

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75 responses to “THE SOURCE”

  1. Violet Lentz Avatar
    Violet Lentz

    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.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      I think many are, but equally there will still be those who are not unfortunately. Thanks Violet.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. Colline Avatar
    Colline

    Love this. A perfect start to a longer story.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you Colline.

      Like

      Reply
  3. neilmacdon Avatar
    neilmacdon

    Chilling, Iaim. And all too real

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Neil

      Like

      Reply
  4. rochellewisoff Avatar
    rochellewisoff

    Dear Iain,

    Reads a bit like a current new story. Well done.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Afraid so. Thanks Rochelle.

      Like

      Reply
  5. ceayr Avatar
    ceayr

    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

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      We can’t help but pollute by our very existence. It’s really a matter of limiting how much.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  6. J Hardy Carroll Avatar
    J Hardy Carroll

    Ominous beginning. Dead fish are never a good sign.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks J Hardy

      Like

      Reply
  7. Anita Avatar
    Anita

    Pollution has taken over everything.
    This will happen in the future… a reality worldwide soon…

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      It has already happened in places unfortunately. Thanks Anita.

      Like

      Reply
  8. Sadje Avatar
    Sadje

    What a scary scenario.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      And yet all too real. Thank you

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Sadje Avatar
        Sadje

        It is!

        Liked by 1 person

  9. pennygadd51 Avatar
    pennygadd51

    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.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      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.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  10. Snow's Fissures and Fractures Avatar
    Snow’s Fissures and Fractures

    It sets heavy on the heart, your story. Grimly good.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  11. Sandra Avatar
    Sandra

    An all too commonplace occurrence in recent history, but thankfully not so much now. At least, not in the west.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Let’s hope not anyway, I’m sure there will be a new scandal along sometime soon. Thanks Sandra

      Like

      Reply
  12. neeltheauthor- author of WHEN LIFE THROWS THOSE CURVE BALLS Avatar
    neeltheauthor- author of WHEN LIFE THROWS THOSE CURVE BALLS

    A very familiar story worldwide. Man killing man by killing Nature. Very well written Kelly.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Neel

      Like

      Reply
  13. Dale Avatar
    Dale

    Very well written… I thought this was supposed to be fiction 😉
    Scary situation that should never exist but does…

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      It seems more often than we think. Thanks Dale, hope you had a nice break 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Dale Avatar
        Dale

        So true.
        It was great and, as always, never seems long enough!

        Liked by 1 person

  14. The Writer's Village Avatar
    The Writer’s Village

    and that’s way I always have an RO in my house.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Very wise

      Like

      Reply
  15. granonine Avatar
    granonine

    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 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      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! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  16. scr4pl80 Avatar
    scr4pl80

    Just watched “Dark Waters.”

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Yep, saw it a couple of weeks ago, and when this prompt came along, it brought it to mind.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  17. pensitivity101 Avatar
    pensitivity101

    I’m thinking Erin Brockovitch.
    This is all so possible Iain.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Yes, there have been a few films that have dealt with this sort of scenario – which makes you wonder how common it actually is…

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. pensitivity101 Avatar
        pensitivity101

        scary.

        Liked by 1 person

  18. msjadeli Avatar
    msjadeli

    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.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      We have been drinking polluted water for generations now. Let’s hope it never gets this bad!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  19. Dawn M. Miller Avatar
    Dawn M. Miller

    Dumb-asses killing off their work force.
    Good one.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Yep, and amazingly it actually does happen! Dumb indeed.

      Like

      Reply
      1. Dawn M. Miller Avatar
        Dawn M. Miller

        All-the-time.

        Liked by 1 person

  20. plaridel Avatar
    plaridel

    the damage has been done. i wonder how they go from here? it’s a situation that becomes too familiar nowadays.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      I’m afraid so.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  21. Tannille Avatar
    Tannille

    Million bucks on a cover up!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Obviously 😉

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  22. Keith's Ramblings Avatar
    Keith’s Ramblings

    They say that water is the giver of life. Sadly that’s not always the case.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Not if humans have anything to do with it! Thanks Keith

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  23. JoHawkTheWriter Avatar
    JoHawkTheWriter

    Time to call in Erin Brockovich it seems. Trust must be earned, not given freely.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Jo

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  24. draliman Avatar
    draliman

    All too close to real-world situations. Nice one!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Not really fiction at all actually.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  25. Russell Avatar
    Russell

    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!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      It’s incredible the lengths some people and corporations will go to for sheer profit over everything else.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  26. Laurie Bell Avatar
    Laurie Bell

    Oooooo this is horribly scary and probably so very very true in many places. I think those inspections are worth their weight in gold!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      If anything the regulations should be stricter, but at least we now have them.

      Like

      Reply
  27. D. Avery @shiftnshake Avatar
    D. Avery @shiftnshake

    Ah go to sleep now, it’s all right. The man is only writing fiction.
    And doing a darn good job of it too.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      I wish it was just fiction. Thank you

      Like

      Reply
  28. Nobbinmaug Avatar
    Nobbinmaug

    What? The factory pumping pollutants into the air is unrepentantly responsible for environmental degradation, cancer, and death? I don’t believe it. Good one.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Some people would still deny the obvious.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  29. michaelwynnauthor Avatar
    michaelwynnauthor

    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

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      It’s incredible that communities didn’t spot these dangers sooner. Thanks Michael.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  30. Lynn Love Avatar
    Lynn Love

    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

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Lynn, based more on fact than fiction really.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Lynn Love Avatar
        Lynn Love

        Sadly, I’m sure you’re right

        Liked by 1 person

  31. Russell Gayer Avatar
    Russell Gayer

    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.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Russell – good advice.

      Like

      Reply
  32. cathrynanne24 Avatar
    cathrynanne24

    Ooh I like it! You and I had a slightly similar theme to our stories this week.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  33. susanmehr Avatar
    susanmehr

    So true, sad how the world works these days.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Susan

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  34. Cheryl McCullough Avatar
    Cheryl McCullough

    Sadly happens far too often…great story.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you Cheryl

      Like

      Reply
  35. magarisa Avatar
    magarisa

    Scarily realistic. Haunting images.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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