PHOTO PROMPT © Amanda Forestwood
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Demetrius saw that Charles and Diane had chosen two human-pulled rickshaws rather than self-driving e-shaws. They were meeting with Mr. Phoebe at his estate near Zhuxian Park. This should have been an easy kill, but where were the drivers?
The bounty hunter walked down the street pretending to be a western tourist. There they were. Not just drivers but bodyguards. They were vaping near the service entrance.
He released the brake on the first rickshaw and watched it roll downhill. One driver would be gone for awhile as Dem killed the other and then slipped inside for his real prey.
Once again it’s time for Rochelle Wisoff-Fields 21 July 2023 edition of Friday Fictioneers. The idea is to use the image at the top to inspire the creation of a poem or story no more than 100 words long. My word count is exactly 100.
There were a lot of directions I could have taken this. I thought about a tale of intrigue in Shanghai or Hong Kong in the 1930s or 40s and even looked up locations where rickshaws have been used historically.
I also found out that electric rickshaws are pretty common and the market is growing dramatically.
That didn’t sound exciting, so I fell back on my futuristic bounty hunter Demetrius Lauer who this week is in Macao (or rather Macau).
To read other stories based on the prompt, visit Inlinkz.
To read more of my work, try the SciFi/Fantasy novelette ICE.
At the end of time, the world is hot and men travel the vast oceans in merchant sailing ships. Captain Ki-Moon Yong of the Star of Jindo has discovered a new horror at the bottom of the world. Can he and the Star escape disaster long enough to warn a disbelieving world?
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It almost seems too easy – I wonder if there will be a hitch in his plan!
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A longer story may tell. Thanks.
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My guess? More guards inside
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Oh, probably so. Thanks.
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Nice slice of intrigue, James.
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Thanks.
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You’re welcome.
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Charles and Diana? Vaping? In public? Huh. I didn’t think Royals were supposed to do that sort of thing 🙂
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The names just popped into my head. I wasn’t even thinking about the “Royals.” Oh, and it was the bodyguards/rickshaw drivers who were vaping by the service entrance. Diana and Charles were inside with Mr. Phoebe. 😀
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It’s hard for me, even after so many years, to think of Charles and Camilla, instead of Charles and Diana.
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I have to admit that I don’t have much of an attachment to the Royals.
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Neither do I. Diana was just such a tragedy, like Princess Grace of Monaco.
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You can’t beat a good bounty hunter story.
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Thanks. I agree.
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This bounty hunter appears to be above the law, but then I am not sure Mr Phoebe and friends are up to. Some how I am tending towards Demetrius getting topped, killing the body guard was sloppy. Great story of suspense though, a good read.
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Thanks. Dem lives in a world that’s not quite reality and somewhat futuristic, so the “rules” for the bounties he collects may be a little different than what we’d consider “legal.”
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That was intriguing and very different.
My apologies to the group for missing the note about the word limit. I overstepped big time!
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You might want to put that apology on Rochelle’s blog if you haven’t already. No worries. We’ll skip the arrest this time. jk 😉
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That was the first thing I did; thanks for the suggestion. I wanted to contact everyone in the group individually because you all did such great work getting your stories done in so few words. I think this is the first time I’ve made such a blunder!
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The bounty hunter will always get his man 😃
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I think there’s a woman involved, too. Thanks.
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Why are bodyguards always so careless? Does it come with the job? Nice thriller though.
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Thanks. I suppose they didn’t want the rickshaws to runaway.
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That’s what the bodyguards get for “lolly-gagging” on the job (haha). So much intrigue in so few words. Nicely done, James. The beginning of an action thriller bounty hunter saga.
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Thanks, Brenda.
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The end of the ride and the bounty hunter wins.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hopefully. Thanks.
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