The excitement of the small group on the ferry was palpable. Finally they had arrived! Not only would they experience island life, but would also explore their family’s roots. The hotel manager did not share their excitement. He knew why their grandparents had left – and the islanders did not welcome the family’s return. Their arrival would open old wounds and stir up the embers of hatred. Standing on the dock, he had a choice to make: treat them as any other group of tourists; or begin to pay them back for the crimes committed against his family.
What choice do you think the hotel manager makes?
© Colline Kook-Chun, 2018
(This post was inspired by Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rochelle. The challenge asks for bloggers to write a story in 100 words or less in response to the photo prompt.)
Heck I’m just the reader. That decision is the author’s alone
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As a reader, you do make predictions. And it is always interesting to see what people’s predictions would be.
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I hope he’s too old to do any harm lol
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Even old people can do harm though 😊
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Very true. Guess they’re stealthy. Lol
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And experienced 😊
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Oh, he’s definitely going to take revenge here 🙂
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I think so too. It is human nature, isn’t it? Especially when your loved ones have been harmed.
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Dear Colline,
Tough choices. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you so much Rochelle.
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I think he may wait until he sees that the same old family traits of greed, ruthlessness etc are present in the visitors – and then the mayhem will start!
BTW I’m rather with Neil on this one, about asking your readers what comes next. Sure readers make predictions – but isn’t it the author’s role to guide those predictions – or open new possibilities?
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I am a blogger – and the point of blogging is to create an environment for interaction. Thus the question.
If I were an author of a novel sharing an extract of a story, the aim of my post would be different. I would also know where I wanted the story to go.
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Great flash and Good question! The story could continue in any number of ways, from cruel vengeance to closure and forgiveness… Perhaps next week’s prompt will give you the answer?
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I tend not to focus on completing stories I have created for the writing prompts – an act many are encouraging me to rectify 😊
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Quite frankly, I feel it is unfair to make a family pay for the parents’ crimes…
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I agree. But unfortunately it is something that happens frequently.
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Sadly
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This is like “The Lady or the Tiger,” and leaves one feeling a bit frustrated because the puzzle will never be solved 🙂 I hope the hotel manager decided to let sleeping dogs lie. No point in stirring up all that old hatred.
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Sometimes, though, people cannot see past the haze of hatred to the benefit of starting a relationship afresh.
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Sad and true.
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I’m assuming the family is unaware of what ‘ole Granny and Gramps got up to in the past. He should treat them well but take them for as much money as he can. Though on the other hand….
Click to read my 100 Word Story!
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They would have to be – or they would never dare visit!
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Oooh you’ve set up an interesting scenario here! No revenge please – it doesn’t solve anything!
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It certainly doesn’t Christy. Instead it seems to increase the feeling of hatred.
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I sure hope you turn this into a short story or maybe even book-length. What an intriguing concept!
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I just need to get past that hurdle of self-doubt and do it as I have never written a very long piece of fiction.
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Write a little bit when you have time. Or, be a plotter and identify the key ways in which the man takes his revenge. Then write a short synopsis of each incident. Then take it from there. (Easy for me to say, right?)
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Thank you. I like your suggestions- makes the idea more manageable.
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I can see this plunging into darkness. I imagine the young people laughing and full of life and the old man begrudging them, holding onto some feud long forgotten by anyone except for him.
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It would certainly be a lonely existence for him – and a very unhappy one.
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I’m thinking he went for the payback. Nicely told!
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Thank you so much 😊
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