No Horizon

There was no horizon. No land or sea or sky.
There was only Jack.

There were no sounds to be heard. No vibrations or noise.
Jack listened for his heartbeat as he took a tentative step forward. Several shapes blurred into existence as his eyes grew accustomed to white darkness.

“Hello?” he called, leaning gently forward for a reply.

A far-away flame was lit. A beacon of sorts. A sign.
Miles were walked; for minutes, or hours, or days.

“Hello?” he called, as the heat of the flame licked his face.
A shadow grew tall.

“Oh,” he whispered, “it’s you.”


keck

What an interesting photo! For me it, well, you can see above what it said to me. Desolation and wonder. Very intriguing. It’s nice to be writing again after a month break from the blog, and I’m looking forward to reading everyone’s Friday Fiction as the week rolls on.

Responses to “No Horizon”

  1. micklively

    Another different take on this picture!
    Good stuff.

    1. MrBinks

      Thanks for reading.

  2. rochellewisoff

    Dear Peter,

    Oooh…I like the way you left us wondering. Mysterious.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    1. MrBinks

      Glad you enjoyed it. Now, I’m off to read the others!

  3. Claire Fuller

    What a fantastic ending! Now I have to read on… what?? there isn’t any more?

    1. MrBinks

      Muhahaha! I have you now!

  4. Snow’s Fissures and Fractures

    I like it, it is full of an unexpected gentleness.

    1. MrBinks

      Thanks for reading.

  5. Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist

    I particularly liked the first paragraph and “Miles were walked; for minutes, or hours, or days.” These gave it a real sense of desolation and timelessness. And I want to know who is “you?”

    1. MrBinks

      I dithered whether to leave that in. I liked it but I wasn’t sure the reader would. Glad I did. Thanks!

      1. Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist

        I’m glad you did too.

  6. Sandra

    It feels so desolate, and so dreamlike. Well done.

    1. MrBinks

      You just described my teenaged love-life. Thanks for reading, Sandra.

  7. Caerlynn Nash

    Very mysterious. Most definitely a sequel in the making.

    1. MrBinks

      Glad you enjoyed it.

  8. Tracey@WhatsforDinnerDoc.com

    Is it only “them” in this desolate world of yours or is it so desolate that “you” doesn’t even exist and only the narrator exists? More questions than answers. I like that.
    Be well,
    Tracey

    1. MrBinks

      I could answer, but where’s the fun in that! 😉

  9. ansumani

    Who is “you”….reads like a teaser to a mystery/horror novel 🙂

    1. MrBinks

      All I’ll say is: Give it another read – see if you can figure it out!

  10. Jan Brown

    Welcome back! Love the story, the buildup of tension and the mysterious conclusion. Excellent!

    1. MrBinks

      The clues are all there if you want to work out the mystery man 😉

  11. joseph elon lillie

    Oh I want to know who it is! Great mystery play.

    1. MrBinks

      Give it one more read. There are clues within it that point to the mystery character.

      1. joseph elon lillie

        Oh no! Is it who I think it is?!? Another soul lost to darkness!

      2. MrBinks

        Huzzah! 🙂 Thanks for reading.

  12. storydivamg

    An interesting take on the prompt, Peter. I like “white darkness”–quite the unique turn of phrase.

    All my best,
    MG

    1. MrBinks

      Thanks MG.

  13. Björn Rudberg (brudberg)

    I get the same feeling of loneliness as that one portrayed in Solaris … real or a result of imagination?

    1. MrBinks

      Closer… 🙂

  14. BrainRants

    Some say hell is a frozen wasteland.

    1. MrBinks

      Precisely 🙂

  15. afairymind

    I really enjoyed reading this. Great descriptions. I have to wonder who he meets at the end…?

    1. MrBinks

      Hi, thanks for reading. See if you can work it out if you give it one more read 🙂

      1. afairymind

        I was thinking it could be the Devil…

      2. MrBinks

        🙂

  16. wmqcolby

    Crazy, Binks. To be in those conditions would be stifling and scary. Well-played!

    1. MrBinks

      Glad you liked it. Thanks for reading.

  17. patrickprinsloo

    Intriguing little tale. What is it? Why is Jack so phlegmatic about it? More please.

  18. Margaret

    Yikes! Truly clever and truly bleak. The gentle tone is misleading, but then it all comes together and it’s perfect.

  19. Mike

    A great take on the prompt. I loved the mystery in that last line – “Oh,” he whispered, “it’s you.” Not sure if that’s calmness or resignation over what’s going to happen.

  20. Lorna’s Voice

    I wrote something similar but yours is more mysterious…

  21. Sally Stackhouse

    Quite a mysterious story full of tension and anticipation at the end. I enjoyed reading it.

  22. amiewrites74

    Dreamy and surreal with a haunting ending. Love this one.

  23. gahlearner

    I want to know who ‘you’ is, too. Very mysterious. I like the dream-like, sad but persistant mood of the story. Great take on the prompt.

  24. adamjasonp

    I’m not sure I’d want to know who the figure is…but very intriguing.

  25. Taygibay

    Sneaking up on God?
    😀 Vey nice! Tay.

  26. Nan Falkner

    Mr. Binks, great story and scary. Nan

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