I so look forward to Wednesdays. Time again for Friday Fictioneers. A wonderfully addictive 100 word photo prompt from the fabulous Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. I’d recommend everyone to join the merry little band of 100+ equally addicted participants.
Copyright : Adam Ickes
His eyes watched the smoke rising from the pit. Shapes formed, hesitated and then re-grouped. The elders crouched, motionless. Faces blank, pupils wide; white tipped flames reflected in translucent ebony. A slow building hum seemed to wrap around him. He thought of the fame, the notoriety – “UNKNOWN TRIBE DISCOVERED”. His wasn’t the first expedition, but the others never returned; blamed on poor preparation, fever, animal attacks. He looked down, feeling almost invisible against the rising hum. Then realisation dawned, as his body slowly faded into the ether. A sardonic smiling villager threw another pair of boots into the pile.
Hi Helen. You should link to Edward Hotspur through my “Did you hear what I hear” post and join up for Romantic Monday. 🙂
Hiya, thanks for the link, I’ve just had a quick look over. That sounds like fun, and you can’t beat a bit of romance, lol. I’ll deffo give it a go 🙂
It’s a great way to start the week and a good place to pick up new followers and more blogs to read!!
perfectly eerie… well done. i enjoyed imagining what he saw and heard, the shapes and the rising hum 🙂
Thanks. I seem to be following a theme each week, someone always dies, lol. Next week I’m gonna try for nice, ha ha 🙂
Spooky, I can imagine his thoughts turning from triumph to terror as he realises what’s happening.
I guess they don’t like visitors!
No, but they like boots, lol 🙂
That was lovely! I love native stories and this was amazing with an eerie touch. The visual here was excellent. Well done!
Thank you 🙂
Very intriguing story! Too bad he didn’t give any credence to the “coincidences” of the various other anthropologists’ disappearances. Oh, the hubris of the “civilized” world!!! And that’s exactly why the “undiscovered” tribe wants to stay that way.
Yes, who discovered who? 😉
Whoops! Have to follow the clues a bit more closely. 🙂
janet
Things are never as they seem 😉
And the unknown tribe remains unknown. Just how they like it. Great story!
Thanks 🙂
Wow! cool story…
Thanks very much 🙂
Welcome!
Very graphically done, an excellent take on the prompt.
Thanks Sandra 🙂
I loved this scene. It left wanting to know more.
Sorry, there was nothing left but the boots 😉
I laughed right out loud when I read your reply! THanks for giving the gift of laughter!
Awesome! At first I wondered why he’d feel invisible, but it’s because the elders just looked at him blankly and hummed, right? What an interesting power that tribe has. Tribesman says, “White man no more.” (He felt white to me.)
You were right, lol. Thanks for reading 🙂
Hi Helen,
Creative tale. That’s one tribe you wouldn’t want to discover. A story that ends in nothing, yet is very much something. Wildly innovative. Ron
Thanks Ron 🙂
Helen, you always dos such a wonderful job with these prompts! The mood of this is perfect. It builds, like the hum, until that chilling conclusion. Great job!
Thank you, but I think I need to get away from killing someone each week. Maybe next week I’ll be nice. It’s just that dark is just so much more fun, lol 🙂
Dear Helen,
And another one bites the dust. Eerily well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
I always write before I read other entries. It made me smile to see that you, Helen, had gone down the same path as me. Always enjoy your words. Good stuff.
Eeks!How horrifying!No wonder no one ever returned-foolish fellow!Loved this wonderful piece Helen-a great build up to the shocking climax:-)
Ooh – spooky! There have been a lot of ghostly stories fof my first visit to FF – when I have time I shall have to read some of the earlier ones.
Oh there are many ways to be badly prepared… ha.
Aha! Hubris! Always destroys us.
So magical, Helen. I love the idea of the undiscovered tribe watching in the forest. Well done.
And all that’s left are the shoes….