© Kent Bonham
“You’re not in Kansas anymore.”
“Avi, you can’t believe how many times I’ve heard that since making aliyah.” Morris sounded annoyed but admired how well the native Israeli spoke English. Half the time he struggled to find the right Hebrew words in a conversation.
“Hey, what do you think of that girl over there? Maybe she wants a ride.”
Avi knew Morris was married, but loved to tease the shy American. Neither noticed as she reached inside her shoulder bag. They were both killed in the explosion along with seven schoolchildren who had stopped to admire the car.
I wrote this for the Rochelle Wisoff-Fields photo writing challenge. The idea is to use the image above as a prompt to craft a piece of flash fiction no more than 100 words long. My word count is 98.
When I saw the image was titled “VW in Israel” and the Kansas license plate in the back window, I started writing without a clear end in mind. The story just formed itself.
To read more stories based on the prompt, go to InLinkz.com.
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Shocking !
Great story, James.
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Thanks. Yes, terrorism is shocking and tragic.
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Man…we just got lots of sad stories in the Fictioneers this time around. Well done, ol’ chum!
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Thanks, Miles. It’s funny what comes to mind on the spur of the moment when viewing these photo prompts.
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A tragic ending, especially the children as well. Great bit of drama.
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Drama that’s all too real, Iain.
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Horrifying.
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Agreed.
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What is really so eloquent about this story is that it happens. A lot. And it’s tragic.
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Very true.
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I can’t press like, yet this was a great story,
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Not sure why you can’t see a “Like” button since apparently others have. Glad you liked it anyway.
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Wow! Welcome to the modern face of terrorism indeed. Very shocking and all too possible in today’s reality.
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It’s all too possible because it’s already happened so many times before.
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Wow, James! You didn’t mess around. I see it did all come together. Nice job.
The truth is, it is actually very safe in Israel. I have been there many times and have many friends who live there. You just got to be aware of your surroundings. Like here.
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That’s what my wife says. She’s been there at least twice. I haven’t had the opportunity to visit yet. Still, terrorism is a threat and people have died. We can’t forget.
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Oh, absolutely. I agree. I’m headed there in October. I once took off during a blood moon, texted Rochelle with a picture of it from KCI and said, “I’ll be in Jerusalem for many days, staying just a few blocks from the Old City. Should He come back, I’ll be sure to post pics.” 😀
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Good story but so very sorrowful! Poor children caught in the middle of a creepy maniac’s reign. Nan
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It’s no uncommon, Nan. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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Wow, what a twist! I was completely shocked and taken aback, I really didn’t see it coming at all.
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That was the idea, Jade. Thanks.
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Dear James,
Kent beat me to it. I’d say they’re safer in Israel than Kansas. 😉 Good story nonetheless.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you, Rochelle.
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Well, not entirely safe: http://www.ktvb.com/ext/news/nation-now/clashes-erupt-in-jerusalem-over-access-to-contested-shrine/277/nationnow/1YMbJit3vyg2kywYsuqmAC
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Great scene. Sad, unexpected and realistic.
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Indeed.
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Horrible, I thought the way you conveyed how victims of terrorism are just going about their innocent lives, right up to the end was superb. The normal to the horrific all in a split second
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That’s usually how the horrific occurs. Everything is normal until that critical moment. Thanks for reading, Michael.
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Sad. Very much like the daily news. Always someone killing innocent people. It breaks my heart.
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Reality is stranger than fiction I guess. Yes, very sad.
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