photo by Ales Krivec via Unsplash
In sight of the church, within the toll of bells we slept, not seeing, not hearing, just feeling – though we knew what would happen if … .
Then came the heavy tramp of boots on the boards, on the ladder, in the straw where we lay, bodies curled together like seeds in pods, snails in shells – you screaming, dragged by the hair, the stench of the flames as the boards, the straw, our life together burned.
In sight of the church, in the toll of the bells we wept.
Written for Sonya at Only 100 Words’ Three Line Tales. See the pic and write a tale. Visit here to write your own and to read the other stories.
It seems many of use ended up on the same theme–interrupted lovers. Though, yours is a bit harsher than the others. Chilling!
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I’m not know for my warm and cuddly endings, I’m afraid 🙂 Thanks so much for reading
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Ooh! Very dramatic—love it!
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Ah, thanks so much Jane 🙂
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Like snails in shells, how evocative. And then so quickly erupting into danger! Seems like they knew the risk, but still, I hope it was worth it.
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So do I. Thanks Joy 🙂
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Wow – that first line, and then the repeat, with the final word changed, from SLEPT, to a rhyming WEPT… Lovely…
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Thank you Jane. Wasn’t sure if it read as a bit cliched or clumsy. Glad you liked it x
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Nope – neither cliched or clumsy…
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🙂 Thank you
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So sad…as another writer wrote for the prompt this week, evocative of WWII – but likely even of the wars occurring worldwide today. I just finished ‘The Night Trilogy’ by Elie Wiesel, so all this imagery hits me more deeply as I reflect on his horrifying experience.
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Echoes throughout the years of atrocities – the same stories repeated over, the same crimes happening to new people, destroying new lives. Tragedies we should be able to avoid but don’t seem able to
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I echo your voice on this…I’ve been reading novel accounts of past atrocities, trying to piece together next steps…
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It seems simple, doesn’t it? Don’t kill people. But when it comes to land and religion and cultural differences, it seems this is a tall order for many of us
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Indeed…
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