image prompt

Flash Fiction: Border Crossing

Sivak was tense. However, he knew he could not let it show in his body language. Everything depended on it.

Sivak joined the line of cars waiting to clear the security check. The border crossing was one of the most tightly guarded areas. Sivak knew getting through the check post was not going to be easy. However, if he got through here, Sivak knew he was a free bird. The line of vehicles which had nothing to declare was much longer than the other line. Sivak would play it cool. He knew that the guards only stopped and searched people who looked suspicious and Sivak had taken great efforts to look plain. He had got rid of his immaculate beard, cut his hair and had combed them back. The addition of glasses gave his face a plain look. He had chosen to wear a loose shirt, that would hide his toned body, and more importantly hide his tattoos. He did not want any guard to give him a second look. As the car in front of Sivak cleared the security, he calmly drove up to the gate. The head guard gave him a bored glance.

‘Papers?’

Sivak reached into the glove compartment and fished out his forged papers. He handed them to the guard with a slight smile. The guard went through the papers, gave Sivak another bored look, and waved him along. The gate opened to let Sivak pass. He thanked the guard and carefully drove on. This was exhilarating for Sivak, he had done it.

As soon as Sivak cleared the gate, he heard a siren ring. The guards quickly pointed their guns at Sivak’s car. A sneering man appeared in front of the car, pistol pointed at Sivak.

‘Sir, kindly get out of the car with your hands behind your back. We need to check your car.’

Sivak recognized him. He was the Captain of the Royal Guard. Sivak considered the idea of accelerating, but he realised there was no way his car would take such heavy fire. Sivak parked his car as ordered, and got out. The Captain made him stand alongside the other suspicious characters. Sivak felt his heart shatter as the guards searched his car. Soon, they reached the trunk, opened it, and removed the bag of money that lay inside.

The Captain sneered at Sivak.

‘Well, well, well! What do we have here, now?’

* * *

‘When is Daddy coming back?’

‘Tomorrow darling.’

‘You said that yesterday.’

‘I know.’

‘Mama, Daddy will save us from here, no? I don’t want to stay in this house!’

‘I know, little one. Daddy will be back soon.’

Sivak..please come soon..


Word Count: 443

Prompts:

September Flash Fiction Draw

Your Daily Word Prompt – Alongside – September 8th, 2018

Image Writing Prompt #289

FOWC with Fandango “Royal”

RDP Saturday – Bird

Word of the Day Challenge “Exhilarating”

 

Image Credit: https://pin.it/qs6btx3s3ajmou

Flash Fiction: Sky

“Mom, I can’t avoid it any more. I can’t see any road forward.”

“Kid, that is life. Just like a basketball, your life bounces up and down. There are times when you can see nothing but darkness.”

“Darkness is all I can see, mom. Day in and day out.”

I sat with my face buried in my hands. It was dinner time and I was venting out my frustrations to my mother. I was not lying about the darkness. I spent my entire day working in The Factory. Almost all of us did. We, the surface dwellers had no other choice. As per the system created by the Sky-people, it was our only source of income. However, the darkness was not confined to the factory.

We lived in the lowest  foundations of the city. Miles and miles below where the privileged sky people lived. There was no greenery, no colour here. The very air was laced with darkness. We lived in areas where no sunlight reached, ever. In fact, I had never seen the sky. That was the dream I chased after every day. To live among the sky people, witnessing the vast and beautiful blue yonder that we had only heard of in legends and seen on the internet. My mom placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

“Keep faith in your dreams, son.”

I looked upward at the concerned face of my mother.

“I did so, mom. It does not help. I just wish I could live among the sky-people.”

I clutched the ruby heart locket that hung around my neck.

“Be careful how you use those wishes, ruby hearts know what is in your heart.”

“It’s just a crystal.”

“Just remember be careful, whatever you believe.”

I got up from my seat.

“I wish I could live among the sky-people.”

There was a bright red flash, and lo! I found myself floating in the sky. However, the sky was not what I had expected. It was completely filled with clouds of smoke. This is not what we were told. All the legends were a lie. The ruby transported me back to my house. I turned to mom, my eyes were full of tears.

“I made the discovery that there is no up in this life. For the sky is the very source of darkness…”


Word Count: 390

Prompts:

Worth A Thousand Words #4

3TC 20th July 2018: Discovery, Lace, Basketball

Purpldragon’s Image Writing Prompt #239

5 Words Prompt 20/07/2018: Green, Upward, Factory, System, Avoid