It is time for Friday Fictioneers again. This week my story is going out ahead of time! Even I cannot believe it.
Let me encourage you to read my story and then to hop on over to Rochelle’s page and follow the little blue frog to lots of other stories. Here is our prompt for the week
PHOTO PROMPT – © Connie Gayer …(Mrs. Russell)
All These Dusty Miles
by JE Lillie
“Just a little further.” Momma says.
Those words are her mantra. I know she is frightened, so I will not complain even though my feet bleed and my shoulders ache with the weight of the pack.
“She knows the way” I say under my breath. Still she has never walked the distance. We were city dwellers. Then the bombs fell, the soldiers came and we ran with nothing but these bags slung from our shoulders and the clothes on our backs.
“We are here!” Momma says.
The ocean opens before me. Suddenly I wish to go back to the desert.
Lillie-Put 
Splendid.. This picture really pulled me into Syria as well… And all want to come to Sweden..
And why wouldn’t they? I want tot come to Sweden and I am not even homeless!
Ouch.
Brutal tale, well written.
Thank you!
This reminds me of reading All The Light We Cannot See this summer. You put together a vivid story. I hope they can adjust to the ocean.
Me too. Though chances are not good the ocean holds many horrors.
Humanizing the crisis, well done. Thank you for giving the “problem” a voice.
Tracey
Thank you Tracey. It is the beginning I think of hard things to come.
Some of us will never know the devastation of war…….. There by the grace of God go I.
Nicely done Joseph! 🙂
🙂
Very good. I did not know who the people were until the end and I like the last line about the ocean. I can see why the child wants to go back to the desert.
THe ocean is a frightening place when all you’ve known has been ripped away.
It’s difficult to comprehend what a child’s first view of the ocean would be like. This came close to making that possible. Good job..
Thank you Sandra.
Oh yes – such a daunting sight; and I imagine the next phase of their journey will be terrifying. Great work.
I believe it must have been.
Thank you for giving them the voice.
It was an honor to be able to do so.
A nice story. Loved the last line
Thank you!
Post-nuke. love it!
I suppose it could be. I was thinking more of the current Syrian refugee crisis but post nuke fits to.
I was thinking of Ethiopia. Maybe because I just watched a show about the hidden churches of Ethiopia.
That is a cool thought. This fits with any persecuted people group truthfully. Sadly the number of persecuted people’s is growing not shrinking. That right there is biblical prophecy fulfilled.
I grew up in Colorado. The first time I saw the ocean I thought it was too big – without end. Now I love it. Then again I wasn’t expected to sail away to an unknown land. You captured the situation very well.
Thanks Alicia. I am astounded at the desperation and courage of so many refugees crossing the Mediterranean to escape death.
So sad and so timely. And I was also thinking that I’ve read post-apocalyptic stories, safe in my comfortable chair, about people fleeing, the hardships they go through… but now reality is way more cruel than fiction.
It truly is.
One can certainly understand what the child was feeling – the oceans – so big and wild.
At least in the desert you can see the dangers coming. In the ocean it is hard to know what lies beneath.
This reminds me of stories my mother used to tell me when they were running to hide from the Japanese soldiers in China. I think of that too, watching the news of the refugees.
Lily
It turns out this story has reminded people about many different groups of refugees or persecuted people. Sadly it is a common theme throughout the world.
I felt this one.
Thanks Dawn.
Thanks Dawn