FF – Something Stirred
Here is my story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. She also provided the photo.
I was completely stumped (hahaha, that’s the only funny you get this week from me) by this photo. So I bashed something out late in the day.
Copyright Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
Danny looked around him. Everywhere he looked the forest had been transformed into a barren field. He lay down his chainsaw and opened his rucksack. Pulling out his water bottle, he took a long draw and sighed contentedly.
They said we had to preserve the trees. They said they were a valuable habitat. They said they converted ‘cardom diproxide’ to air, or something. He didn’t really listen and didn’t care.
Sometimes he thought, when he cut into a tree, he could hear it scream. So what if it did? It was only a tree.
Deep within the Earth, something stirred.
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Friday Fictioneers
draliman on life 
What have we unleashed this time? That’ll teach us (again).
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I think the whole planet is out to get us this time. I really have to stop ending the world.
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I’ve ended it a few times too, it never ends well!
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🙂
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Another story reminding me of the Gaia hypothesis, the interconnectedness of all planetary life.
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I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s correct, to a certain extent.
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Scientifically, it appears to have little merit, but perhaps spiritually…
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beautiful – the something stirred at the end whispered if the lifeline
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Thanks! I wonder what will happen next.
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I wonder too
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and I try not to read the entires until I write my own….
but glad I found yours cos now I know the prompt is out and I am going to start pondering my approach – but I am not stumped or anything – just want to let the ideas phloem (I mean flow)
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I get the prompt in my inbox early Wednesday, open the picture and ponder it during the day at work. This one though, I couldn’t get an ending for any story. In the end I just gave up, wrote this within the space of one song I was listening to and emailed it to myself to publish when I got home 🙂
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ahhh – I love hearing how people approach the prompt – and sometimes fast is good – and other times even with time you might need to juts make something happen – which it sounds like is what you did .
I also love to chew on the photo for a day or two – but sometimes don’t need to at all…
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Oh I hope he gets what he deserves! Great story!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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I fear we’re all going to get what he deserves. I’m glad you liked it!
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And I hope the earth swallows him up and turns him into compost. 🙂
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Him and everyone else! The Earth just wants us gone 😦
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Don’t like ths sounds of things to come.
DJ
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I fear for the trees.
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I wish they would just leave the trees alone. 😦
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Me too 😦
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Uh oh 😯
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Things are about to go badly wrong 😦
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Good one. Here is mine: https://balconysunrise.wordpress.com/2018/02/01/waiting/
They echo the same sentiment.
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They do indeed! I’m glad you liked it!
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We all know it and yet we do them harm. Poor trees.
Great story.
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Very true.
Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
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Just think of all the trees it takes to make all of our toilet paper. Leaves are much more eco-friendly and sustainable… we really need to switch.
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Yeah, if only they didn’t block the toilet. We need to plant more trees and leave the existing forests alone.
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Ah, the Earth is going to bite him on the backside! Love your callous, willfully ignorant character – sadly, so true to life. Well told
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It is! I’m glad you “liked” him, I tried to make him as uncaring as 100 words would allow 🙂
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You did a fine job there 🙂
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Thanks 🙂
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My pleasure
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Chillingly good.
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Thanks!
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What you sow is what you reap… She’s coming for us! Cool!
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Yeah, we’re all goners!
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Dear Ali,
I think Danny’s about to learn a terrible lesson from Mother Earth. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
I think you’re right. And possibly not just Danny. I’m glad you liked it!
Ali
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Nice, this one gave me a chill! Now I’m dying to know what ‘something’ is and how it’s going to protect the trees from the slaughter.
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The very essence of the Earth, perhaps. Gaia, some might say…
I’m glad you liked it!
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I’m sure glad Danny was only cutting down one tree. I shudder to think how your Earth would react to a forest fire. So far nature has been very forgiving, but…
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I think he’s probably cut down a load of trees. Regardless, it’s the last straw and now he’s screwed 🙂
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I like how you highlighted the environmental and political double-speak.
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
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Well done, writing such a relevant story in response to the prompt. We all need to tread more lightly on the planet – and cherish our trees!
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We do. At least we’re finally growing more in an attempt to be sustainable, but we’re never going to be able to fix all the rain forests.
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Poor Danny, too stoopid to no (Danny’s spelling, not mine!). Great thought-provoking story.
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Thanks! You’ve captured Danny well 🙂
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He should have ended up gasping for breath. Wait. I guess then he still wouldn’t learn his lesson.
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I did toy with ideas like that but I figured a nameless personification of the Earth would be a more fitting end 🙂
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Wonderful ending. “Deep within the earth something stirred.” I like that.
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked my mysterious ending!
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nature will heal itself and exact retribution when it can’t handle the abuse anymore.
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It will. Even if it’s just us struggling to breathe for all the CO2 in the air.
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We’ll never learn, and then Mother Nature will have to take things into her own hands.
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And She takes no prisoners…
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The start of a horror story. He needs to get out of there fast!
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I sense he can’t run fast enough…
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Why do humans think they have the right to destroy nature? Great story.
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‘Cos of money 😦
I’m glad you liked the story!
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And through ignorance and arrogance, great destruction is wrought.
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Yep. Sounds familiar 😦
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Uh-oh. Another “Nature gets even” type of tale. Scary.
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And it will, you know. It will (dum dum DUM) 😦
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I enjoyed your story, the phrase “deep within the earth, something stirred’ made me shiver. There’s balance, but we humans are out of balance how much we take from the earth and I think someday there will be a price to pay. Anyway, just my thought. Good job!! =)
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Your thoughts echo my thoughts 😦
I’m glad you liked my story 🙂
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Omg! something stirred…! He should make a run now. But he is deaf I guess. He couldn’t hear the trees scream and now he can’t hear the earth’s grumble. Nicely done!
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Thanks! I don’t know about deaf but he’s definitely screwed 🙂
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You’ve certainly stirred the imagination!
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What could it be down there? 🙂
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The trees are busy building new shoots and roots to trip him and then strangle him 😀
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That would be poetic justice 🙂
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Purrfect story, Draliman! We can hear that too. It’s really sad 😦 good of Mother Earth to wake us! Extra Pawkisses 🙂 ❤
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We need a wake up call 🙂
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Uh, oh. I see where this is going. He’s awakened a sleeping monster with all that hacking. Later, there’ll probably be a monstrous mudslide with no tree roots to stop it. He’s in trou-u-ble now. Did his parents not own a TV where he could watch these horrors taking place in the news and plentiful disaster movies scaring the wits out of him and giving him nightmares like other kids.This deprived childhood has now led to his present horrible situation. Good writing with a cliffhanger, Ali. 😀 — Suzanne
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Who knew lack of a TV could lead to the pickle he now finds himself him? 🙂
I’m glad you liked it!
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I know that the roots will come up and snare him… pull him six feet under… may he be a good fertilizer…
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Mother Nature loves to recycle…
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Uh-oh … he’s made Mother Nature very angry!
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And that’s never going to end well…
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I think we all need to pay attention to what’s stirring… before it’s too late. Great story!
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Me too, thanks!
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Unfortunately there are actually people who think like that! Great ending. 🙂
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There are. Thanks 🙂
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