Steve looked at the arid landscape in front of him. The soldiers from his unit were a little further out standing in smaller groups sneaking peeks behind. The dreary landscape, the rivers of blood which moistened it, the jackals that roamed freely in the dark searching for the wounded victims that nourished them day in and out – none of them occupied his thoughts now. He wondered how Stephanie and little Trey were. Did they miss him any more or had they moved ahead with their lives?
Here he was anchored to a land he hated, all because of a guy who pushed big buttons which should have been out of his reach. In bright sunlight, he was but a shadow while his comrades kept sneaking peeks at his cold body.
“What Pegman saw” is a weekly challenge based on Google Streetview. Using the 360 degree view of the location provided, you must write a piece of flash fiction of no more than 150 words. You can read the rules here.
I had to read it twice to make sure the narrator was a dead man.
Thanks James. Hope you liked it
I did but sometimes I read to fast and have to slow myself down.
just had to chime in – cos I read it slow and I can see how the ending might have felt as if her were dead – I can really see that – hm
😁
really liked the ending – and how you tied it all into current events and the shadow shot.
Thanks. I just don’t know whether to be amused or alarmed at all the news I read these days.
alarmed….
Wow! Excellent story, wonderfully written. I, too, am alarmed when small men have access to big buttons.
Thanks Karen. Happy new year. Been absent from the writes with all the travelling recently.
Great to see you back!
Timely ending! I like the descriptions in this story. Thanks for contributing.
Thanks Hardy
Good story, Lavanya, and well told. The thought of becoming a ghost tied to a foreign land is chilling in the extreme.
Thanks Penny. Your take on this was quite clever as well.
Dear Lavanya,
Such a poignant and touching piece. War is such a horrible thing. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks Rochelle
I loved “a guy who pushed big buttons which should have been out of his reach” – says is all, really.
Thanks 😂
“anchored to a land he hated” sums up foreign wars in a nutshell. A well done and timely piece, Lavanya.
Thanks Alicia