The way was clear, the route less so.
They could all picture it. The blue skies, the light glinting on the water, the sand between their toes.
And they had been told this was the way, so they followed.
Many were soon lost, or sacrificed, or dismissed. The leaders had no time for weakness or doubt. They pressed on for the promised land, pursuing a distant memory.
No one could reclaim it in the end. It was gone, along with belief. Had it ever existed in the first place? No one could be sure.
On the beach, he waited silently.
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.
Also linking to Fandango’s One-Word Challenge for today: Route.
For those who haven’t yet read my trilogy of novels, The State Trilogy is now available on Amazon in one collected volume on Kindle and in paperback. Three books in one (with a modest saving compared to buying them all individually!).
Iain Kelly 
Wonderfully atmospheric, Iain. There is something very human about pursuing a goal whose route is unknown
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Thanks so much Neil. We’re very goal orientated as a species.
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I like the casual ‘or sacrificed’.
Great voice, Iain
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Thanks CE, yep, plenty of expendable followers along the way.
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A distant memory, you have got me thinking.
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Thanks Michael, glad it got you thinking.
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Your story is symbolic for life itself
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Thanks Sadje 🙂
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You’re welcome
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Wow, life summed up. ‘They had been told…’ And the enigmatic ‘he’ waiting on the shore. Great story.
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Thanks so much for the lovely comment 🙂
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Much said, Iain.
We follow a route thinking it’s the only way- because we have been told.
We wait, but do we get what we had set out for?
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Very few reach the promised land. Thanks Anita
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Dear Iain,
A lot of story in 100 words. I could feel the sand between my toes and dense silence amid the ocean waves.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle, as always 🙂
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Lovely atmospheric writing. A true explorer at heart…
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Thanks Dale, looking forward to being allowed out to explore again soon!!
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I hear you! Enough already!
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Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die
I remembered those lines while reading this. Nice one.
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Appropriate lines. Thank you
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Nice prose passage, Iain.
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Thank you
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You’re welcome.
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I enjoyed this very much Iain. Good take on the prompt today.
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Thank you Di, much appreciated
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You’re welcome Iain
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I have so many questions! Love the atmosphere in this, bleak but powerful.
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Thank you, much appreciated 🙂
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Hopefully as he waits on the shore he will think of new path to pursue.
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I’m sure something will spring to mind 🙂
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The promised land., somewhere many of us wonder about. An emotive piece indeed.
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Thanks Keith, at the moment I would take a trip to the beach as the promised land!
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A tragic feel to this one, reaching toward a goal that never was. The ending was perfect!
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Thanks Brenda 🙂
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I promise you, I wrote mine BEFORE I read yours :). There is the same sense of desolation, You can feel it in the pit of your stomach.
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Must be something in the picture. Thanks Linda
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Absolutely loved this one. And since I’m out of words at the moment, I’ll just leave it at that.🤗
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That’s all I need to hear 🙂
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I’m wrapped in your blanket of milieu.
Bravo, Iain. As always, unfolding a vision with your words.
Be Safe 😷 … Isadora 😎
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Thanks so much 🙂
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I like this. It has… hmm… a quality of supernatural existence… existential… oh, hell, I can’t find the word I want today. E-ether… something. Oh, well, I enjoyed reading this today. Something to think about…
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Enjoyment is enough. Thank you.
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ethereal… that’s the word. Had to stop thinking about it to find it.
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🙂
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Perhaps the atmosphere will offer new hopes and dreams. Great poetic prose.
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Thanks so much. Beach, sea, sunshine – there’s always hope if you can find it.
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I bet that none of the leaders was sacrificed or dismissed… Great atmosphere, Ian, and so true.
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Of course not! Thanks Gaby.
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A shame they lost their belief in the end, it was something to hold on to. Though they sounded pretty cold-blooded about their pursuit of that belief.
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I think it’s fair to say some of the most devoted believers are also some of the most cold-blooded and intolerant of people. Thanks!
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A poignant, tending to rather grim tale. History shows us many “sheep’ ready to follow some dream — and charismatic visionaries ready to lead, or use, the gullible.
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Yes, it’s an enduring fact of human history. Thanks Christine.
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he could wait forever. it doesn’t matter for someone who believes.
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Let’s hope he isn’t disappointed in the end.
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This is a great line: “The way was clear, the route less so.” That’s the perfect opening. It takes us right into the contrast between belief and reality.
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Thanks, I liked it!
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A mysterious piece that feels very poetic. Love the words you chose to paint that picture.
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Thanks so much
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Powerful testament to the need for mercy if we are ever going to make *real* progress. I’m with the guy waiting on the beach and with those who progress that way, all of which feels very Zen to me. The whole reflection feels a bit Zen koan to me. In the best way.
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I could do with a bit more Zen. Thanks Anne
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This is very haunting, Iain.
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Thanks Liz
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Good story with plenty of atmosphere and suspense.
Ronda
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Thanks Ronda
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A mysterious promise. I wonder if he’ll ever see the promised land?
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I’ve got to be honest, I don’t fancy his chances!
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What a fascinating story! It has a spiritual dimension – or, perhaps more accurately, it considers a spiritual quest with a great deal of scepticism. Well written, Iain!
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Precisely that Penny, thank you.
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