As Time Went By

For Friday Fictioneers 100-Word Challenge: 26 May 2023

Photo Credit: Amanda Forestwood

 
It was a tough climb. Some steps were slippery because of the previous rain and threatened to throw him off balance. It was Mom who kept him going. She had been a constant source of strength and encouragement as they went up together.

Standing at the summit, all he could see was a barren landscape filled with weird rock formations and patches of greenery. Boring. He wished he could have stayed at the lodge and played video games instead.

After his mom passed, however, his perspective changed. It became one of the moments he’d remember fondly as time went by.
 

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Where’s the Rice?

For Friday Fictioneers 100-Word Challenge: 19 May 2023

Photo Credit: Liz Young

 
Marrying someone of a different race can be challenging due to cultural differences and expectations. One has to be really in love to keep the relationship going. Otherwise, it goes to the chopping block.

One day, Meghan spent hours meticulously preparing dinner. It was her dad’s favorite dish.

It was almost ready when her new husband of Asian descent arrived home from work.

“Sweetie, I smell something good,” Reuben said as he kissed her. “What’s for dinner?

“It’s barbecue ribs cooked in the oven and mashed sweet potatoes.”

“Yummy, but where’s the rice?”

Reuben slept on the couch that night.
 

Short-lived

For Friday Fictioneers 100-Word Challenge: 12 May 2023

Photo Credit: Jennifer Pendergast

 
He was a loner who spent most of his free time in the computer lab.

Life was dull and bland until the new girl in school came along. By chance, they met in the library and hit it off right away. They realized that they had more in common and soon became inseparable.

She had added color to his dreary existence, but their happiness was short-lived. He discovered that she was hiding a dark secret about her past, and that changed everything. Now he didn’t know what to do. He had to choose to follow his heart or his head.
 

Street Art on the Wall

For Friday Fictioneers 100-Word Challenge: 5 May 2023

Photo Credit: Dale Rogerson

 
Since her family moved to Brooklyn, the village where she was born and raised is still much on her mind.

Layla finds solace in reliving bits and pieces of the village in the neighborhood she now calls home.

Street art on the wall of an abandoned building has become a metaphor for wildflowers she remembers as a kid. Like wildflowers, it grows and thrives in unexpected places, transforming the urban landscape with its vibrant colors.

It may take a while before Layla can fully adjust to the new environment. With a steely determination, however, she knows it will eventually happen.
 

Freedom

For Friday Fictioneers 100-Word Challenge: 28 April 2023

Photo Credit: Brenda Cox

 
The floating restaurant reminded him of the time his family fled Vietnam. It was a far cry from the overcrowded boat they used for their escape.

Looking back, it was amazing how they survived and ultimately found a new home in the U.S.

Suddenly, Trung heard his girlfriend’s voice.

“You seem lost in thought,” Kelsey said. “What’s on your mind?”

Should he tell her about the starvation, pirate attacks, bad weather, and rough seas they endured during that dangerous journey? Absolutely not.

“I’m just wondering what I should order on the menu.”

“Choose wisely,” she advised. “You’re footing the bill.”