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.”
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.
Another different take on this picture!
Good stuff.
Thanks for reading.
Dear Peter,
Oooh…I like the way you left us wondering. Mysterious.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Glad you enjoyed it. Now, I’m off to read the others!
What a fantastic ending! Now I have to read on… what?? there isn’t any more?
Muhahaha! I have you now!
I like it, it is full of an unexpected gentleness.
Thanks for reading.
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?”
I dithered whether to leave that in. I liked it but I wasn’t sure the reader would. Glad I did. Thanks!
I’m glad you did too.
It feels so desolate, and so dreamlike. Well done.
You just described my teenaged love-life. Thanks for reading, Sandra.
Very mysterious. Most definitely a sequel in the making.
Glad you enjoyed it.
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
I could answer, but where’s the fun in that! 😉
Who is “you”….reads like a teaser to a mystery/horror novel 🙂
All I’ll say is: Give it another read – see if you can figure it out!
Welcome back! Love the story, the buildup of tension and the mysterious conclusion. Excellent!
The clues are all there if you want to work out the mystery man 😉
Oh I want to know who it is! Great mystery play.
Give it one more read. There are clues within it that point to the mystery character.
Oh no! Is it who I think it is?!? Another soul lost to darkness!
Huzzah! 🙂 Thanks for reading.
An interesting take on the prompt, Peter. I like “white darkness”–quite the unique turn of phrase.
All my best,
MG
Thanks MG.
I get the same feeling of loneliness as that one portrayed in Solaris … real or a result of imagination?
Closer… 🙂
Some say hell is a frozen wasteland.
Precisely 🙂
I really enjoyed reading this. Great descriptions. I have to wonder who he meets at the end…?
Hi, thanks for reading. See if you can work it out if you give it one more read 🙂
I was thinking it could be the Devil…
🙂
Crazy, Binks. To be in those conditions would be stifling and scary. Well-played!
Glad you liked it. Thanks for reading.
Intriguing little tale. What is it? Why is Jack so phlegmatic about it? More please.
Yikes! Truly clever and truly bleak. The gentle tone is misleading, but then it all comes together and it’s perfect.
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.
I wrote something similar but yours is more mysterious…
Quite a mysterious story full of tension and anticipation at the end. I enjoyed reading it.
Dreamy and surreal with a haunting ending. Love this one.
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.
I’m not sure I’d want to know who the figure is…but very intriguing.
Sneaking up on God?
😀 Vey nice! Tay.
Mr. Binks, great story and scary. Nan