Throughout the day a straggling line of bewildered souls meandered through the airport to a previously unseen check-in desk beneath a blue screen showing a destination of which few had heard.
As the sun sank in a ball of orange flame, the last of the passengers boarded the plane which had waited all day on the airport perimeter. Pulling back unaided, it trundled unannounced to the head of the runway.
As perplexed air traffic controllers looked on, the aircraft sped down the runway, before soaring into the gathering twilight
Next day the world read about the events that had taken place in (…………) *
* Insert as applicable: Rwanda, Syria, Srebrenica, Oradour sur Glane….. the list is seemingly endless. 😦
Friday Fictioneers photo prompt this week comes courtesy of Rich Voza. Dark again, sorry.
castelsarrasin 
Interesting take. We never know where we are going, even if we know.
Blessings,
Shenine
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Thanks Shenine.
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suspense..and well written
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Thank you.
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Dear Sandra,
You have outdone yourself this week. What a haunting and moving tale you wrote. It reads like a dirge or a requiem and takes your reader on a flight of remembrance. You are a masterful storyteller, Sandra.
The hyper link to the video was just right and capped off your effort with quiet grace. I am speechless.
Thank you.
Aloha,
Doug
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Thanks Doug, you’ll have me blushing. I think I might have been a bit too obscure this week though.
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Not at all. Was mysterious, but well told. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am still reading other sources about Oradour sur Glanes. Thanks, D.
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Dear Sandra,
It’s good that I can type my comments on this because I certainly couldn’t find an audible voice to speak them. Stunning. Well written as always. If this was a painting I’d refer to it as “mixed media.” Nice blend of writing and video. Thought provoking…touching… infuriating…
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle. I enjoyed writing this, ‘surreal’ is always liberating.
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This is really good writing. Your descriptions are amazing.
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Thank you.
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As always, beautifully written but this one really left a lot up to our imaginations (which isn’t a bad thing.)
janet
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I think it might be a bit too surreal for its own good. 😦
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great writing, haunting tale and very vivid descriptions.. 🙂
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Thanks kz.
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i’m going to leave that line blank. i don’t want to know where it is. maybe i should stop watching the news too. that’s “reality television.” well done.
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Thanks for commenting Rich.
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So much trouble in the world, always brewing above and below the surface. Interesting take, Sandra!
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But you’re always there to take the edge off it, Perry! 🙂 Thanks for reading.
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You got that right 🙂
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This is a very well written story. I enjoyed it immensely.
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Thank you!
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I think I’ve boarded that plane before.
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I think I’ve overdone the metaphor angle on this JK. It was meant to be a consignment of souls leaving for the next world after yet another atrocity. Sometimes the stories work, other times they don’t. 😉
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I don’t think the metaphor is heavy-handed here. I found it delicate. I had to pay close attention to make sure I knew what was going on, which I always enjoy.
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there’s a cadence to this piece, a quiet rhythm, poetic.
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Thank you!
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Your dark ending brings awareness to the dark places in the world. That makes this an exceptional story.
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Thanks so much, I appreciate your comment.
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Eerie…
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Thanks.
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Too close for comfort. Troubling times indeed.
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Always another disaster looming. Thanks for dropping by Shirley.
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Nothing wrong with dark!
Scott
Mine: http://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2013/02/07/3686/
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Except sometimes it’s too dark to see. 🙂 Thanks for commenting Scott, off to yours now.
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Very beautiful and sad this Sandra. Well done.
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Thanks Claire. 🙂
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Very well written with such a sad ending.
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Thank you.
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I think I understood that your story meant it as a flight to the ‘other side’.
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Yes, you got it in one, thank you! And thanks for dropping by.
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Very well done, and I got what you meant right away. And we can’t fill in the blank because, unfortunately, there may be others eventually added to the list. Very evocative, and I’m sure I’ll recall this throughout the day.
Here’s mine: http://unexpectedpaths.com/friday-fictioneers/ad-astra/
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I’m glad you did, Maggie. I enjoyed your departure from prose this week.
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Very dark and haunting this week, Sandra. I thought it was brilliant – and the ‘insert as applicable’ bit at the end was inspired. What a sad world it is sometimes.
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It is indeed. Thanks for dropping by.
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Cupcake….I get the feeling I am taking the subway!
Tom
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🙂 See you there!
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Yes, the list is endless. How sad.
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Very. Thanks for commenting.
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Subtle, full of mystery and portent. You paint a haunting picture.
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Thanks Erin. Enjoyed yours this week.
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That’s 2 weeks in a row now that you’ve blown me away – nicely done!
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Thank you! 🙂
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YOu are right, there are too many places that can fill the empty space. The world is a scary place and we are blessed to be where this type of thing is mostly fiction rather than fact. You did a great job of sharing a chilling premise.
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Thanks Joe, glad you liked it.
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Great use of the prompt, Sandra. You’re a very talented and crafty writer.
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Thank you! Enjoyed yours – pure Fantasy Island. 🙂
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Powerful concept and very well done, Sandra–and yes, it is a bit obscure but that’s what makes it so successful.
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Thank you, glad you liked it.
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Very well written.
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Thanks boomiebol.
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Very very well done. Good story with a great punch.
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Thank you for commenting. 🙂
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Hi Sandra. A brooding and moody take on the prompt. Dark is good – it’s what helps us appreciate the light!
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Thanks Nick. You’re right. 🙂
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Forget it! I’m flying in an airplane — REGARDLESS.
Again, great writing as always, Sandra. It’s a treat I look forward to every week!
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Thank you! 🙂
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The flight leaving into twilight is indeed a strong picture. Thank you for sharing your writing.
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Thanks Bjorn. 🙂
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Great suspense building, Sandra. I love the sun described as a “ball of orange flame.” It made think of the airplane blowing up. We can’t always trust we are being taken to the our correct destination. That’s an intriguing idea for a story.
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Thank you! and thanks for dropping by.
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*Shudder* For once, we went completely different ways this time, Sandra.
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We did Jennifer, thanks for commenting.
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I enjoyed the multimedia nature of your story. Having lived in France I am familiar to a degree with the effects of occupation. I think. I am connected in that my great uncle is an unknown soldier commemorated at Vis-en-Artois. And I’ve visited, and the Normandy beaches and Vimy Ridge. You describe the nature of life too. We get on metaphorical planes but never really know where we will end up.
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Yes, we visit a lot of French villages on our travels, and I’m always surprised and intrigued by the number of memorials, together with stories that each village has to offer. I’ve not been through Oradoure, but if we ever end up that way I shall make a point of visiting. Thanks for commenting.
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Nicely written, but a bit too mysterious for my poor brain. Nice moody piece.
P.S. Looks like BCF has died a premature death. Shame, I was just getting into it.
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Thanks Pete. Yes, I was a bit annoyed about BCF, I put a lot of effort into that and into trying to get to grips with GIMP. It would be hard for them to get it going again now, I think.
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Very well written, as always.
I, for one, like your stories, dark or not. Maybe especially dark 🙂
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Thanks Abraham, appreciate your comments.
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