It was a forsaken place. Ten miles of scrub and baked grit between us and the nearest city, a scouring wind that carried nothing but silence. A stack of weathered concrete blocks had been dumped by the roadside, their hollows a haven for scorpions and vipers.
‘What do you think?’ Sol rested a boot on one of the blocks, slapped dust from his trousers. ‘Got some of the materials already. From the previous build, you know.’ He stared out over the site, hat flapping in his hand.
A heat haze of desperation rose off him. He stank of it. I would never have got the call if he hadn’t tried every other option first, not with our shared history.
He flashed me a grin, that might once have charmed, but I now saw it for what it was – flash.
I shrugged. ‘Nothing for me here,’ I said.
***
Written for What Pegman Saw, the prompt that uses Google Street View as its starting point. This week we visit Hadera, Israel. See here to join in.
Word Shamble 
This is excellent. Visceral details and a moving camera add texture and weight to a compelling scenario. Great work.
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Thank you, Josh. I really appreciate the comment
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Lynn, this is perfect. It’s a Fabergé egg of flash fiction – precious materials, perfect proportions and wonderful decoration. Brilliant!
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Oh, Penny, what a joyous comment to read – thank you! I truly appreciate your encouragement and support. Hope all’s well with you.
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My friend just got back from Israel and called it “a complex country full of feral cats and lots of trash.”
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Complex isn’t the half of it, eh? I wanted to visit at one point – all that history, all that impact on the world, the root of so many things. But knowing a little more now, I’d be intimidated I think. Thanks for reading, Bill
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Dear Lynn,
As usual, you are the empress of detail and description. I find myself wiping the dirt and grit from the back of my neck.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Bless you, Rochelle! Thanks so much for the encouraging comment 🙂
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You’re always welcome, Lynn. ❤
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☺️
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I like your pov’s reaction. Brief. Honest. Bears no counter-argument
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Many thanks, Crispina 🙂
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🙂
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I am utterly in awe at this, Lynn.
You describe the place, the situation, the man and the coup de grace in masterly fashion.
Superb
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Aw, thank you so much, C. You’re always such a sweet reviewer! So glad you liked it. You’re comment made me smile
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Laughing here, it’s not often I get called ‘sweet’!
But I try to be honest.
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Ah, there you go, being sweet again 🙂
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