Cold as Ice
August 4, 2021 at 9:13 am 45 comments
For Friday Fictioneers 100-Word Challenge: 6 August 2021
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| Photo Credit: Jennifer Pendergast |
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The first time he saw her, Connor just knew. Despite the differences in their upbringing, he felt that Laila was the one.
Connor pursued her with all his heart, but she remained cold as ice. He found that Laila was like a fruit up so high that the only way to claim it was to cut down the tree that brought it forth.
When Laila turned him down, however, he didn’t have the heart to force her to break away from the tradition and culture that defined her.
Laila would eventually become the woman he loved and could never have.
Entry filed under: Blogroll, Daily Post, friday fictioneers. Tags: 100-word challenge, fiction.
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Musings of a Random Mind 
1.
neilmacdon | August 4, 2021 at 9:18 am
I sense a deranged murder spree on her family coming
2.
plaridel | August 4, 2021 at 9:40 am
neil:
moving forward, anything can happen.
3.
msjadeli | August 4, 2021 at 9:21 am
I got worried when I read, “He found that Laila was like a fruit up so high that the only way to claim it was to cut down the tree that brought it forth.” Nice building of suspense where anything could have happened after that. I’m glad he chose to simply suffer with the reality of the situation. I also hope he goes on to find someone who he can love and who loves him back without reservation.
4.
plaridel | August 4, 2021 at 9:40 am
msjadeli:
it could have ended differently but decided on a different route at the last minute. 🙂
5.
msjadeli | August 4, 2021 at 9:45 am
Your story is probably one of the few this week that won’t end in death or near-death 😉
6.
plaridel | August 4, 2021 at 10:09 pm
msjadeli:
darn, i feel vindicated then. 🙂
7.
msjadeli | August 5, 2021 at 7:11 am
🙂
8.
athling2001 | August 4, 2021 at 11:35 am
Whew, for a moment there I thought the story was going to take a dark turn. Well done.
9.
plaridel | August 4, 2021 at 10:08 pm
anne:
i’m glad you liked it. thank you for reading.
10.
Shweta Suresh | August 4, 2021 at 12:31 pm
For a second there, I thought he was going to butcher her and throw her body into the river!
11.
plaridel | August 4, 2021 at 10:06 pm
shweta:
thank goodness, he exercised good judgemnt and didn’t do her harm.
12.
Shweta Suresh | August 5, 2021 at 2:53 am
True
13.
plaridel | August 5, 2021 at 8:09 am
shweta:
🙂
14.
GHLearner | August 5, 2021 at 2:25 am
I’m really glad that you chose the unrequited love ending instead of ‘destroy family and fortune and make her dependent on him.’
A much saner solution. I like it. 🙂
15.
plaridel | August 5, 2021 at 8:09 am
gabi:
under the circumstances, it was much preferable cognizant of the 100-word limit rule. 🙂
16.
GHLearner | August 6, 2021 at 12:59 am
Saved by the word count! 🙂
17.
plaridel | August 6, 2021 at 8:28 am
gabi:
yay! 🙂
18.
Sandra | August 5, 2021 at 2:54 am
That was a worrying conclusion…
19.
plaridel | August 5, 2021 at 8:08 am
sandra:
i know.
20.
James McEwan | August 5, 2021 at 3:04 am
You have illustrated the pain that grips us by the throat.
21.
plaridel | August 5, 2021 at 8:08 am
james:
what a generous comment. thank you.
22.
Mason Bushell | August 5, 2021 at 6:42 am
I think we all have a woman like that. Well done!
23.
plaridel | August 5, 2021 at 8:08 am
mason:
unrequited is much too common. fortunately, we learn to live with it and somehow learn to move on.
24.
Mason Bushell | August 5, 2021 at 8:22 am
Yup we do. I’ve never had love and likely never will and yet I’m just fine as a recluse.
25.
plaridel | August 5, 2021 at 8:48 pm
mason:
it looks like you haven’t met your match yet. better watch out. 🙂
26.
Mason Bushell | August 6, 2021 at 1:39 am
Lol, maybe.
27.
plaridel | August 6, 2021 at 8:27 am
mason:
you can bet on it. 🙂
28.
Mason Bushell | August 6, 2021 at 11:27 am
I hope so, it’s awful lonely in this little village.
29.
plaridel | August 9, 2021 at 11:48 am
mason:
hopefully, it won’t be for long. 🙂
30.
Keith's Ramblings | August 5, 2021 at 9:04 am
Seems it was never meant to be. I can’t imagine him ever moving on though. A tale many can relate to I’m sure. Well done plaridel.
31.
plaridel | August 5, 2021 at 8:47 pm
keith:
truth to tell, i know it full well 😦
32.
pennygadd51 | August 5, 2021 at 2:17 pm
Your story raises so many fascinating questions. Did he really desire Laila, or was her inaccessibility part of the attraction? To what extent was he attracted by her culture? What else was going on in his life? Well done!
33.
plaridel | August 5, 2021 at 8:46 pm
penny:
interesting questions. i guess i need more than 100 words to answer them to your satisfaction. 🙂
34.
draliman | August 6, 2021 at 12:25 am
I can’t help thinking from “cut down the tree that brought it forth” that he’s about to wipe out her family…
35.
plaridel | August 6, 2021 at 8:28 am
draliman:
he had a change of heart at the last minute.
36.
rochellewisoff | August 6, 2021 at 4:04 am
Dear Plaridel,
Hopefully there will be someone who’ll love him back. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
37.
plaridel | August 6, 2021 at 8:27 am
rochelle:
hope springs eternal. 🙂
38.
elmowrites | August 6, 2021 at 7:11 am
I was expecting a different ending from that cutting down the tree line… maybe FF is turning me into a horror reader!
39.
plaridel | August 6, 2021 at 8:27 am
jen:
gotcha! 🙂
40.
Liz Young | August 8, 2021 at 10:18 am
Sad, but maybe they wouldn’t have been happy with such different backgrounds.
41.
plaridel | August 9, 2021 at 11:48 am
liz:
yes, it could be a blessing in disguise after all.
42.
Tannille | August 8, 2021 at 9:47 pm
Sad story. We always want what we can’t have. A quirk in human nature.
43.
plaridel | August 9, 2021 at 11:48 am
tannille:
based on personal experience, i totally agree.
44.
granonine | August 9, 2021 at 9:02 am
I’m glad you didn’t turn him into a mass murderer :). Sad story, but cultures are different, and not many are truly willing to let go of the one they grew up with.
45.
plaridel | August 9, 2021 at 11:47 am
linda:
well said.