It’s Wednesday-Friday! Thanks to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields we have this intriguing photo prompt taken by Björn Rudberg. I can’t wait to read what the other Friday Fictioneers saw in the picture.
The boys studied the map.
One pointed north. “The Dragon’s Back. We’re on track.”
“What’s with the sign?”
“Don’t know. Don’t speak a da language.”
The boys laughed,
one less heartily than the other. “Looks to me like it’s saying don’t go this way, turn back.”
“Don’t be a sissy-boy.”
One’s face turned red.
“Come on! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
The boys revved the engines of their four-wheelers.
One of them had learned to pop his front tires off the ground. “Go!”
The boys sped around the corner, into the wall of rocks deposited by last night’s landslide.
Next time pay attention.
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But they’re boys! Thanks, Larry.
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Unfortunately since I was a boy too, I know exactly what you mean
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A story fitting for boy racers the world over.
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I did a few wacky things when I was young, but nothing like the neighborhood boys. Thanks, Iain
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Boys will be boys. To them signs are a challenge – or at least created to be ignored. Good story.
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And a little bit of showmanship. One-upping seems to be a great past time of young people (Heck, oldsters too.)
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ugh – so sad to have them “run” into the wall of rocks – and darn youngens – their brains are still developing til they are 24 and we know a handful of teens that have accidents on little 3 and 4 wheelers.
actually – I guess it was the 3-wheelers that we prone to tip and we do not see them anymore….
anyhow, I also like the peer pressure you depicted – that face red and groupthink shuts down the wise youngen many times – they should have listened
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Thanks so much for noticing the peer pressure. I think many people do things because they don’t want to appear to be “chicken.”
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oh so true!!!!
and maybe more so with boys – well girls too – but so true (and leads to much demise – argh)
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A deeply moral tale, Alicia
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Lesson learned the hard way, that’s for sure. Thanks, Neil.
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This is how young men win the Darwin Award.
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Ha! so very true! Thanks, Alice.
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😀
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This seems familiar. I did a few daring (stupid) things when I was young and gladly survived. =) Engaging story!
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Thank you!
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I get a Wile E.Coyote vibe from this. Rev, turn, wham!
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I hadn’t seen it that way but, yes, it does have a bit of that feel to it.
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I hope the impact caused the boys nothing worse than bruises! You did a good job including the peer pressure. It’s a shame that sissy-boy is still such a potent insult – but it is, and you were right to use it.
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Thanks, Penny! I think the boys will just have a few cuts and bruises, and will hopefully come out smarter.
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To be a teenager and survive is truly a miracle. Actually the landslide around the corner was pretty much how it was.
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Really? What fun! Or not so much for our boys. How we make it through teenage years is a mystery. Love this picture, Bjorn.
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Ouch. Hard way to learn a lesson.
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Indeed!
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Spray it on a comb or brush, lightly. Works great 🙂
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Oh dear. Comment was meant for the person in the queu just above you 🙂
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No worries!
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A tragic and cautionary tale. Why do the “invincible” young never listen? Nice one!
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Because “they will live forever!” unlike us oldsters. Thanks, Ali
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Go story, Lish. At that age, we like to be bold. We feel twelve-feet-tall and bullet-proof. That came through.
One critique (if you don’t mind). I recommend giving the hesitant boy a name. You could call him Robbie, or something like that. I think it would make it more personal for the reader and help them connect with what he’s feeling inside.
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Thanks, Russell, I don’t mind the critique at all! I purposely wrote it that way as an experiment (I was waiting for someone to mention the style) and love the fact you took the time to let me know it needs some tweaking. Much appreciated.
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Whoah! Let’s hope they lived to learn from their experience, daft lads. Liked the dialogue here, Lish – very believable
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Thanks, Lynn. (If you have the time – please look at the above discussion Russell and I had. I would appreciate your input. It was difficult to arrange the dialogue and perhaps ….)
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I do understand Russell’s point. I don’t really have a problem with unnamed characters myself, but I’ve read critiques where absence of a name is picked up on, or inclusion of a name applauded for this reason – to help readers identify with the character. As I say, I don’t mind an unnamed MC for a short story, I can still identify with them if I’m put in their head by the writer. But also, it might help with the slight issue of ‘one of them’, ‘one’s face’ etc.
I guess what I’m saying is, many people do seem to like having named characters. Not sure if all that rambling helped, but that’s my two penn’orth 🙂
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Your rambling helped very much! I would never attempt this with a longer piece. It was hard enough to arrange in 100-words. Thanks for your time! I truly appreciate it.
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My pleasure. Yes, tricky over a longer story, you’re right. Love your writing., always Lish
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Dear Lish,
Some people never learn to take directions, do they? Good one.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I know, right? Especially boys. Well, maybe that’s not so true. Sometimes I do color outside the lines. Thanks for reading.
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Whoopsie! Boys will be boys.
Click to read my 100 Word Story!
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They sure will! Thanks, Keith.
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Ah how indomitable young men believe they are. You captured that well, Alicia.
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Yes! They certainly do. Thanks, Sandra.
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I can associate with your characters, just like young boys, they know it all. Carefree and full of bravado.
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Perhaps we shouldn’t lose that through time, just channel it in a different direction. Thanks, James
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It’s the penis. Those who have one cannot see past anything.
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Right? You made me laugh ~ Thank you, Dale.
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So very glad I did! And you did because you know it’s so true… Most welcome, Alicia!
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Awwe, when will young blood learn to think.
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Never? That would be my answer. 😉
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Such enthusiasm cut short. Great how you set this up. I wonder if the reluctant one held back and will be able to help the others. An unsettling, and death-full ending, I imagine to this one.
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At least a broken bone or two. Thanks, Sarah Ann.
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Silly boys.
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For sure!
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Boys will be boys! 🙂(
Great take on the prompt .
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Thank you, Moon.
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OUCH …. but – I guess boys will be boys. That ‘Sissy-boy’ gets them going each and every time.
I like the landslide twist. I haven’t read any that had thought of it including me. Clever !!!
Isadora 😎
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You are so kind, thank you!
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Ouch! I did so many stupid things when young, guess I am just lucky to be here. Its that feeling of being invincible which we learn later is not true. Nice one.
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Survival of the fittest at that age. Thanks, subroto
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This is really good. Very authentic.
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Thanks so much.
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A well told story – love the way you do the dialogue between the boys – gets over a real sense of their ‘attitude’. Good one.
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Thanks very much. I appreciate your stopping by.
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Ouch! Great story Alicia. Those peaks would definitely be called ‘The Dragon’s Back’ on any map worth following. It’s a shame their adventure came to such an abrupt end!
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Boys! What can I say? Thanks for stopping by and leaving a reply, Thom.
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Ouch! Hopefully they hadn’t gathered enough speed to do real damage.
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I think they just learned a lesson. Thanks, Sascha
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Wow….
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😉
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