The Constant River
It’s that time of the week again – Friday Fictioneers time!
Every week a bunch of us write 100 words (or thereabouts) in response to a photo prompt, which this week has been supplied by Erin Leary. The talented Rochelle is our host – why don’t you give it a go?
This week’s other entries can be found by clicking here.
This is something a bit different from me this week. There’s no humour and nobody dies horribly (sort of). I’m not sure I like it, it makes me melancholy. Hey ho 🙂
Copyright Erin Leary
The river flowed sluggishly through the lowland fields beneath the weak light of a watery sun. It had been birthed high in the mountains. It would become part of the great water.
In its travels it saw many things. Trees and grasslands. Mountains and plains. Four-legged beasts and man-things.
Its waters ran red now, red with the blood of many man-things upstream. The river cared little for such things. It was forever. It was constant.
The man-things were temporary. Inconsequential.
The river understood this as it flowed indifferent to Man’s inhumanity toward Man, continuing its long journey to the sea.
Speak to me - I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Click for a random post!
Woohoo!
I totally didn't win!
Share Your World
Friday Fictioneers
draliman on life 
No black humor? Who are you?
Just kidding of course. Well done!
LikeLike
Thanks!
Maybe some black humour or at least a horrible death next week 🙂
LikeLike
I like it, Draliman, while reading I followed the water..but you don’t get me in there at the end 😉 Pawkiss 🙂
LikeLike
I know that some furry friends don’t like going in the water 🙂
LikeLike
I really liked the voice here, and the concept of the ‘man things’. That phrase has just the right amount of disdain to it. Well done.
LikeLike
Thanks. I thought I’d try something slightly different this week.
The river knows what is important and what is not.
LikeLike
I really like this one… I would love to see it evolve into something bigger… 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you! I’m not sure where else I could take it, but worth thinking about.
LikeLike
Lovely rendering of the timelessness of nature and the time endingness of Man.
LikeLike
Thanks, that’s exactly what I was trying to portray!
LikeLike
Ooh, very haunting! The description at the beginning is lovely, and then it was really cool to realize we were in the perspective of the river. And then the mention of the blood was unexpected and intriguing. Awesome!
LikeLike
Thanks! I almost removed the blood, it disrupted the flow (if you’ll pardon the pun) at bit, but in only 100 words it’s sometimes tricky to get it just right. I certainly didn’t want to axe words from the description at the start to improve the flow later on.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
LikeLike
Still waters run deep and deep water runs……… er….. deep. That was a powerful piece 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks!
🙂
LikeLike
From the river’s view. I like that!
DJ
LikeLike
I thought I’d look at things from a more timeless point of view.
Glad you enjoyed it!
LikeLike
Wow that was really good, really gets you thinking about the ‘bigger picture’ as they say. Well done
LikeLike
Thank you! I think that’s why it made me feel a bit melancholy – writing about people being somewhat short-lived and unimportant in the bigger picture.
LikeLike
The humor is in the irony that the people upstream are most likely fighting over who ”owns” the river. A very engaging, thought provoking piece! 🙂
LikeLike
Very possible – the river brings life to the countryside and the people, after all.
I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
LikeLike
beautiful
LikeLike
Thank you!
LikeLike
A poetic write here. I like the realization that the man-thing is temporary.
LikeLike
Thanks – hence my melancholy in writing it, that our lives are nothing compared to the timelessness of nature.
LikeLike
A true statement for sure.
LikeLike
No bodies in the river!?!?!? Why, this is an outrage!!! 🙂
BTW, am I the only one who thinks that picture looks a lot like the background of The Scream?
LikeLike
🙂 please don’t strip me of my smiley face with bullet hole 🙂
Actually, now that you mention it, it does look like “The Scream” (except without the screamer).
Darn, I could’ve done a comedy dialogue with that 😉
LikeLike
This is how I imagine a river might see us. Just one more animal, living here temporarily. I wonder if this river was near the Little Bighorn?
LikeLike
Yes, it deigns to give us water to keep us alive, but in reality we’re only here a short while in the grand scheme of things.
That could have been the battle which supplied the blood!
LikeLike
powerful piece. i liked the river’s indifference through all this
LikeLike
The river knows that we’re only here a short time in the grand scheme of things.
Thanks!
LikeLike
You lie. There is horrible death, just upstream, out of frame. So I guess in a way you don’t lie. Either way, I enjoyed this.
LikeLike
That’s true! I just wasn’t so obvious about it this time. Unfortunately since it was “out of shot” it messes up my 2014 FF “death count” 🙂
LikeLike
Death is death and it was mentioned in a round about way… I say it counts. But my vote doesn’t count for much in most circles.
LikeLike
It does in mine! (ticks death column)
LikeLike
I liked hearing the river’s point of view. We man-things and woman-things too often believe we “own” the planet. But as you (and the river) pointed out, we’re just temporary tenants–and not very good ones!
LikeLike
Not very good tenants at all, but I think the river is patient enough to wait until we’ve gone.
LikeLike
I really like this DR!A different POV,yes but worth pondering-abusing nature is our way but highly possible that nature has her ways to deal with it by ignoring our puny actions-she is more powerful than we give her credit for 🙂
LikeLike
Unless we completely blow the planet to bits, sooner or later nature will recover. And nature is patient 🙂
LikeLike
Could not agree more with you on this DR:-)
LikeLike
To personify the river… a great take… love the perspective and that you tell a much larger story from mens perspective.
LikeLike
I thought it was time that nature had its say.
Thanks!
LikeLike
It sort of reminded me of the writing of James Michener or Jean Auel, who often anthropomorphise the land at times to tell the story of the actual PLACE. That last line is wonderful, darling.
LikeLike
I have to admit I haven’t read those authors, but thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
LikeLike
Excellent stuff – we think we are so powerful, but really, we’re not…
LikeLike
Exactly what I was trying to portray – thanks!
LikeLike
You did it so well!
LikeLike
Thank you 🙂
LikeLike
Loved this esoteric approach.
LikeLike
Thanks!
LikeLike
Welcome.
LikeLike
Oh, it is a bit melancholy. But nicely done. Humans live like we own the earth and are the most powerful beings alive, but even we are slaves to time and mortality.
LikeLike
Indeed we are, but nature will outlive us all. Even though we damage it eventually it will recover (hopefully).
LikeLike
I think so too.
LikeLike
Very clever. Perceptive. We should all take this on board.
LikeLike
I hope we will but it’s not easy when lost in the hustle and bustle of life.
LikeLike
I always thought water would think itself higher than most other things. Well done! I liked this a lot.
LikeLike
We’re just fleeting distractions from water’s point of view – its endless cycle of evaporation and precipitation.
🙂
LikeLike
Dear Ali,
Are you familiar with the song “Old Man River?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh9WayN7R-s The clip’s kind of longish but you’ll get the idea.
I enjoyed your POV in this one. Few stories carry off the anthropomorphic. You’ve done it well, sir.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Dear Rochelle,
Thanks for the clip – I do know the song (at least I recognised it!) and I see how apt it is now I’ve listened to it again.
I’m glad you enjoyed my contribution!
Ali
LikeLike
wew, that photo pretty scary >,<
LikeLike
Quite a lot of people did ghostly stories this week!
LikeLike
This photo has certainly inspired some sinister fiction this week!
LikeLike
It is quite a gloomy and spooky one!
LikeLike
Love It! 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you 🙂
LikeLike
Love this piece & love the way you casually slipped in the blood red river,” … nothing dies horribly in this one” lol 🙂
LikeLike
Nothing dies horribly that we can see, anyway! It was a bit of a departure from my usual stuff but I guess it’s good to try something different once in a while.
LikeLike