His Favourite Place
It’s Friday Fictioneers, hosted as always by the talented Rochelle. This week’s picture comes courtesy of Danny Bowman – my (roughly) 100 word story follows.
Have a look at all the other great entries here, and why not give it a go yourself?
Andriy mopped the sweat from his brow as he looked out over the stunning landscape.
What rugged beauty, he thought. Much like my native Ukraine.
He had emigrated to this land years ago, quickly finding work in a job he was eminently suited to. It was these moments of solitude however, surrounded by such incredible views, that he lived for.
Bracing himself, he dragged his burden to the edge of the cliff and pushed it over. For a moment he wondered what the poor sod had done to deserve such a brutal end, but then shrugged and settled down to enjoy the view.
Woah…. is that how they deal with dead bodies in the Ukraine? (Don’t answer that in light of recent world events)
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The setting was actually a fluke. I remembered a TV series with similarly rugged scenery and Googled it to find out where it was filmed.
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Your stories always make me laugh or smile. Which means there is probably something really wrong with me…
Seriously, good job on this one.
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Well, I’m the one writing them so we can be “a bit wrong” together 🙂
I’m glad you enjoy them.
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That snuck up on me. Nice!
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Good stuff – my goal was to paint an idyllic scene (as much as possible given the word limit) and then – introduce “the dark”.
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You’re good at that.. 🙂
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🙂
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You could write scripts for Criminal Minds. Give the world the chance to enjoy your deliciously twisted vision 🙂
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Funnily enough I’m currently working my way through Criminal Minds on my internet TV thingummy. Hikers could find remains at the bottom of the cliff… Hotch and his team spring into action!
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Okay, that’s two hit men stories so far this week. You guys are on a roll–or at least your victims are 😉
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Yes, I just read Adam’s.
Seemed like a good place to dump a body…
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Loved your story. You say a lot in a few words.
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Thanks! It takes a lot of thought sometimes to fit it all in and still make sense.
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fabulous insight into a psychopathic mind!
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I’ve been watching too much Criminal Minds recently 🙂
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it was a good story.
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🙂
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Another darkly disturbing treasure 😉
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Thanks! Quite a few “darkly disturbing” stories this week.
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Hmmm, did he do the killing, or did he simply dump the body. Either way, you’ve done a good job in few words.
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Thanks. I not sure myself – killer or clean-up man? Either way, it doesn’t seem to bother him!
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Aha! One of those stories that seem to write themselves and don’t tell us all the details 😀
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With these things I often just get a basic idea, in this case a juxtaposition of the rugged beauty of the landscape and a dark deed. I’m often not sure myself of all the other details!
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Very nice – I love the dark twists you so expertly weave into your stories, my friend! Well done!
~A<3
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Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I like to introduce a dark twist here and there!
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Your guy and my guy should get together for lunch some time. I think they’d get along.
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Birds of a feather! The stories they could tell.
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Yes, I agree with Marilyn, you could write for Criminal Minds. No rainbows and butterflies for your group of fans.
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Just darkness and death here. No butterflies unless they’re carnivorous 🙂
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It’s a job, someone has to do it… Nice one. 🙂
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That’s true. There’s always someone who needs disappearing 🙂
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Disturbing – I love it! 😉
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I don’t think the guy has a conscience at all.
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I’d keep him busy, I should post him my list. I love the matter of fact delivery of the deed and his casual approach to life.
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It certainly doesn’t look like he’s going to lose any sleep over it. Evidently he’s very good at compartmentalising.
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Well done and well-twisted. I thought that it was great he found somewhere like his home country and then…. Maybe they could use him back home right now. 😦
janet
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Yes, I think it would be better if he went away. Of course, there would always be someone else to fill his shoes.
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A hitman with a love of home and beauty–for some reason, I picture him smoking a cigarette (to quote Frasier’s Daphne Moon “I don’t know why…but I would guess it’s in keeping with the dichotomy of his personality).
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Funnily enough, I almost had him shrug, then light up a cigarette.
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definitely twisted. loved his indifference to the corpse and his appreciation for the scenery 🙂
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That’s what I was going for! I guess it’s important to enjoy you’re working environment 😉
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My God! I was starting to believe that this would end as calmly and pleasantly as it had begun… but then you delighted me with the unexpected end! Glad our man didn’t stand and brood for long. Might as well enjoy the view while its as picturesque, eh? 😀
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It was quite a job keeping any hint of the ending secret. I desperately wanted to call it “Body Dump” but that would have given it all away!
I don’t think our man is one for deep thought, he just likes his scenery 🙂
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Dear Ali
What a delightfully disturbing story. This man isn’t big on conscience is he? Glad he found a job he’s suited for. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
I certainly don’t think he’ll lose any sleep over his dark deed(s)! I guess there are always employment opportunities for a man with his particular “talents”.
Thanks for reading!
Ali
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Mindless killing?Better and better,lol!DR,loved how you took the reader to a beautiful landscape and then whoosh comes a dead body-wonder if he killed or was he only disposing it for someone?Seems the latter-no wonder he,” settled down to enjoy the view.”-perks of such a job,eh? 😉
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Yes, I think he’s probably the “clean-up operative”! Maybe he’s called in to remove all trace of the deed.
He could probably have just dumped the body in the river, but then he’d miss the view 🙂
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Lol-that he would 😉
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he must be a real professional. 🙂
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He certainly seems to enjoy his job!
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Haha, I had a sense that something was about to go amiss. I haven’t been a part of FF for any stretch of a long time, but from what I’ve read, the innocent almost always turns dark. And I sure as hell am not complaining!
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The more innocent and serene it appears at the start, the darker it gets towards the end 🙂
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Very dark. Are his skills a function of being from Ukraine?
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Sadly I think these skills may be found in all countries.
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Woah! Wasn’t expecting that gruesome end!
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That was the idea 🙂
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Perfect!
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🙂
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It’s a dread to do the wet job.. but hey the mob pays well…
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So I hear… 😉
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Oh, whoa!! Okay, at first I thought we were simply enjoying a nice view! Chilling turn of events there. Great story!
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I thought a nice little twist was in order!
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Well you know we all need a job, might as well be one we are good at. I liked it, but then I love Criminal Minds too. 🙂
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It’s always good to do a job we enjoy 😉
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I love that he managed to enjoy the view while carrying out what would be considered by most to be gruesome work. We are all susceptible to being overcome by the beauty of nature.
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Even psychopaths can have an eye for beauty.
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Very well done. Loved it.
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Thanks!
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Andriy is always one to look on the bright side, I feel. At least he felt something for the poor sod, however fleetingly. Enjoyed this a lot.
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Maybe he’s starting to question his work – there might be hope for him yet!
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Clever writing and story telling, that went in a direction I didn’t see coming. That said, knowing your stories, I should have. 😉
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I liked the idea of the contrast between the beauty of the landscape and the terrible deed of body-dumping!
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That was a clever take on the prompt. Well done with a twist near the end. He seems like a hit man with a love of beauty, odd combination or conditioning.
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I guess even hit men can appreciate the finer things.
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That ending snuck up on me! You’re good!
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I tried very hard to make all “lovely” and not give any clue to the horrific deed he was about to casually do.
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It was perfect! Classic Draliman story – the ending always sneaks up on ya! 🙂
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Yay 🙂
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