Photo prompt for Friday Fictioneers 20 June 2014 ©Mary Shipman
Below is this week’s 100-word story for Friday Fictioneers.
The photo prompt is courtesy of ©Mary Shipman
To find out how to get involved in this weekly writing challenge, click here
To read other contributions, click here
Genre: Fiction
Item 401: Letter found among the brickwork during renovation of government buildings
Transcript:
Dear friend,
Writing this letter is surely my last act but I must warn everyone.
Our new leader has terrible plans.
I overheard him while I was cleaning the office next to his. I left as quietly as I could but there was a guard outside his door and my efforts to appear hard of hearing were pitiful.
I fear for this country. I fear for all countries. Most of all I fear for my own kind. Never have I heard such raw hatred in a man’s voice.
I hear their footsteps on the stairs.
God save us all.
Yours si
©Siobhan McNamara
siobhanmcnamara 
Very dramatically constructed. Well done.
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Thank you Sandra 🙂
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As Sandra said, well done.
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Thank you 🙂
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Beware! This is a good cliffhanger story.
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Thank you Alicia 🙂
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Ouch.. I just hope the letter is not being written as we speak..
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Thanks Björn, I left the date to the reader’s imagination 🙂
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Whew, this one jolted my heart rate. Awesome tension building and such a powerful voice. Brrr that gave me chills! 🙂
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Thank you 🙂
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Really different. Well done.
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Thank you 🙂
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Wonder whats gonna hit all of us – 🙂
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Who knows …. 😉
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Great tension!
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Thank you 🙂
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Oh dear, the ending says it all. Good story, Siobhan, presented creatively.
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Thank you Karen 🙂
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Tantalising! I wonder what this poor chap discovered, and if the person who found the letter will investigate?
I love the letter-format of this – very clever.
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Thanks draliman 🙂
I have my own ideas about the answers to those questions, but I decided to leave it as open to the reader as possible, especially as Friday Fictioneers has such an international range of contributors and readers
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Siobhan, Great story creatively done. I could just see the poor person writing it. He/she must have survived long enough to stick it into the crevice. Because of the usage of words and beautiful script, I would imagine it was either sometime at the beginning of the 20th Century or before. Also, the building was being renovated, so it was an old building. Well written. I agree that it would be a great beginning for a longer story. 🙂 —Susan
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Thank you Susan, I was going for an older feel but at the same time trying not to be too specific. I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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I love it when people try out different ways of bringing us their 100 word stories and this one was a winner. The cut off before finishing was nicely done too. Great stuff.
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Thank you, I’m glad it worked 🙂
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Dear Siobhan, Wow, what a neat idea to write a letter! Fantastic idea! Very well done and entertaining. I wonder what was happening? Awesome and thanks! Nan 🙂
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Thank you Nan. I’ve never tried the ‘letter’ format before to tell a story, so I’m glad it worked 🙂
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Siobhan, Out. Of. The. Park! This is so creative, fun and well done! I could feel the anxiety and tension mount, and then the name trailing off… wonderful! The format is so original for FF… Brilliant!
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Thank you for you lovely comment. I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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Intriguing! The narrator discovered when writing a last warning letter. Great ending.
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Thank you 🙂
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Dear Siobhán,
Your use of the letter form is quite effective. Wonderfully tense and dramatic.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you Rochelle 🙂
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Great approach. I just hope that leader has been superseded by someone less evil.
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Thanks Patrick, I hope so too!
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