Ashes to Ashes
It’s Friday today and that means it’s Friday Fictioneers time! As I write this there are already nearly 100 stories of roughly 100 words each up on the link page, can you believe? I was going to post my story yesterday, but I just got a PlayStation 4 so I’ve been a bit distracted 🙂
This week’s photo has been contributed by Friday Fictioneerer Jennifer Pendergast and the whole challenge is ably hosted as always by Rochelle. To read the other stories for this week, click on Bracken (the little blue froggy).
Copyright Jennifer Pendergast
Randolph raced through the shade towards the welcoming light beyond the archway. Three months he’d been a captive. Abused, mistreated. His neck hurt; he rubbed the wounds as he ran.
And the hunger! They’d given him a sickly red liquid to drink, but always the hunger returned.
What had they done to him?
He burst into the sunlight, his shout of triumph becoming a scream as his skin blistered. His pursuers stopped short of the archway, staying in the shade. Flames consumed his body and his view of freedom disappeared as his eyeballs liquefied.
His ashes blew across the field on the summer breeze, free at last.
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 
Poor Randolph 😦 Great story, but poor fella.
(Playstation 4…FIFA?)
LikeLike
Possibly a mercy for him – certainly for his prospective future victims 🙂
FIFA is available on PS4, but I’m more into games where you get to shoot things in the head. Go figure.
LikeLike
Wow, two assumptions ruined in one post: that all vampires written about today sparkle, and all PS4s in Europe can only play FIFA. 😉
LikeLike
Damn modern sparkly vampires. Damn them I say.
LikeLike
Truly horrifying! That sickly red liquid wasn’t red wine by any chance, was it? 😦
LikeLike
I’m sure it was red wine (shakes head) 🙂
LikeLike
Awww, Randolph, honey! Baby vampire now ashes 😦
Now I need to watch Near Dark – best vampire bursting-into-ashes-in-daylight 80’s movie ever!
LikeLike
He never stood a chance. “Don’t go into the light”!
I haven’t actually seen that – just checked it out on Amazon, it’s cheap and looks good – one for the list. My faves are “From Dusk Till Dawn” for hilarious gratuitous violence and “John Carpenter’s Vampires” for true vampire horror.
LikeLike
Near Dark is one of the best out there for its genre – even better than so many that came before and after it. You’ll even see at least 3 alumni in here who ended up in Aliens!
LikeLike
That’s settled then. I’m putting in an Amazon order soon, I’ll give it a whirl. And I just noticed it’s directed by Kathryn Bigelow!
I just realised I left “Lost Boys” off my vampire list 🙂
LikeLike
Yes! She did an awesome job here. Just remember that it’s a bonafide 80’s movie – but for that decade, it’s still a great vampire tale – P.S. no glittering vamps found here! 🙂
LikeLike
I don’t think Randolph is human? Is he?
DJ
LikeLike
Nope. Not since he was taken captive. Now he’s not a vampire either, just a sad little pile of ashes 😦
LikeLike
Poor baby vampire. Such a short trip into eternity!
LikeLike
He didn’t last very long, did he? Maybe someone should have mentioned his transformation to him.
LikeLike
YUK! I hope the wind doesn’t blow this way, Draliman. Pawkisses for the weekend 🙂
LikeLike
It’s okay, it’s blowing out to sea 🙂 Have a lovely weekend yourself!
LikeLike
Al, How could you. Letting poor Randolph run into the sun like that when you knew he was a vampire. It looks like he wasn’t one of the sparkly kind. Well written. Go back now and enjoy your PlayStation 4. 🙂 —Susan
LikeLike
I knew, unfortunately he didn’t 🙂 I wouldn’t mind seeing a few of those sparkly vampires bursting into flames.
Just spent an hour and a half playing Killzone. Shot some baddies. Will read others’ stories tomorrow, it’s bedtime!
LikeLike
I know now who you remind me of. Anthony Horowitz! Seriously Drali.. waiting for that book! 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks!
There’s a huge difference between flash fiction and a novel 😦 Maybe one day…
LikeLike
Eeek. Captivating, yet disturbing. A well written piece.
LikeLike
Sorry for the late reply – your comment fell into my spam folder 😦
Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it. “Captivating yet disturbing” sounds exactly what I was going for 🙂
LikeLike
Totally adorable vampire tale. Turned it on its head. Can’t help but feel sorry for the poor chap. I guess his makers should have explained things a bit more…
LikeLike
A quick induction course would have been good. Heath and Safety saves lives!
LikeLike
Yikes! The price of freedom is steep.
LikeLike
Poor guy 😦
LikeLike
A gory tale very well narrated.
LikeLike
Thanks! Less blood, more ash this week.
LikeLike
Short, sharp and excessively nasty. So well written.
LikeLike
Thank you! “Excessively nasty” is my thing 🙂
LikeLike
Dear Ali,
Ak. The idea of his eyes liquefying is more than a little disturbing. Your descriptions are vivid. I rather enjoyed this (dare I say that?) I can’t help wondering if it’s XBOX inspired. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Dear Rochelle,
I had to do major editing but I was determined to get the eyeballs in 🙂
My inspirations are many and varied but include the Xbox!
Ali
LikeLike
Aaaa. Gruesome. But at least he was finally free the drift with the wind and never be harmed again. Good job.
LikeLike
That’s what I was thinking – freedom rather than death, or “second death” or however it works with vampires.
LikeLike
Great story Draliman, and yes it’s gruesome too. Melting eyeballs? Yuck, Well – Ta-Ta until next week – sweet dreams! Nan 🙂
LikeLike
I always have sweet dreams, melting eyeballs notwithstanding 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it!
LikeLike
well at least he didn’t sparkle!
great description.. specially with the eyeballs liquefying. great classic vampire tale.
LikeLike
I won’t be having with any of these new-age sparkly vampires. I’m a traditionalist 🙂
LikeLike
Great descriptions – particularly enjoyed liquifying eyeballs.
LikeLike
Thanks – I was determined to get the eyeballs in no matter what else I had to edit out.
LikeLike
Ha.. yes that’s what happens to the undead… it’s hard to learn to drink blood….
LikeLike
Sooner or later they all burst into flames or collapse to ashes.
LikeLike
aww, gee . . . just when you think life will get better, a solar tragedy. that’s a powerful group he escaped from!
LikeLike
Not the escape he hoped for but freedom nonetheless.
LikeLike
Very creative. I did not see this coming. Good descriptive wording.
LikeLike
Thanks! I like to build up to a surprise at the end.
LikeLike
I wish this would happen to Bat Boy so we’d quit seeing him on those tabloid covers….
LikeLike
I’ve Googled Bat Boy and wow – what a freaky-looking thing! I heartily agree with you.
LikeLike
Free at last! I love a happy ending 🙂
LikeLike
Happy-ish 🙂
LikeLike
darkly delicious, yet again 😉
LikeLike
Ooh, that has a lovely ring to it – “darkly delicious” 🙂
LikeLike
Strangely, it fits the photo perfectly. I really enjoyed this one.
LikeLike
Glad you enjoyed it. I tried to think of things that could go wrong when entering the sunlight and I thought “vampires”.
LikeLike
Humph, you are incredibly mean and self-centered in your treatment of Randolph. All about you writing a great flash fiction. WTG.
LikeLike
I’d apologise to him but unfortunately he’s dead 😦
LikeLike
I don’t like vivid icky stories at all, but your concluding line redeems this one. I can’t resist a good line like that one 🙂
LikeLike
Most of my flash fiction wouldn’t suit you then I think! I felt that this one needed a more thoughtful ending after the rather gruesome previous lines.
LikeLike
Didn’t know where the story was headed, but nailed me with surprise! Great job!
LikeLike
Thanks! For some reason “shade to sun” says “vampire” to me 🙂
LikeLike