The pores and pits on his cheek make a moonscape, as he leans in close. His breath smells of garlic and rotting flesh.
“Tell me,” he says.
Silence is the only power left to me—the choice to withhold communion, to remain locked tight. Of course, he will get angry. That, too, is a power I retain. There will be threats, even violence. I may scream.
But I won’t talk.
.
Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here
Neil MacDonald Author 
Sometimes silence is the best option. You said lot of things in very few words
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Thanks so much, Vartika
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Dear Neil,
You’ve certainly painted this individual in a most distasteful way. Silence is power.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It’s a kind of power when all others are gone
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Powerful images Neil. I hope that Ukraine will not be silenced,
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Thanks so much, Michael
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Strongly spoken with unspoken words. 🙂
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Flash is all about using the empty space
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Indeed it is.
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This story leaves a real icky feeling. Well done.
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Thanks so much, Tannille. Sorry about the ick
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So much terror in so few lines. Wonderful! 🙂
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Thanks so much, Terveen
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I was struck by the word ‘communion’ and assume it’s a deliberate word choice, which may hint at the individuals and scenario they are involved in. Excellent.
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It was a deliberate word choice. Well-spotted
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You really built up the tension, nice one Neil.
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Thanks so much, Keith
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Breath smelling of garlic & rotting fish! Eeks!
Imagine the kind of torture the protagonist is ready to bear – cost of silence! Heavy price to pay.
There is a back story for sure.
And the future story too. How far can silence go?
Well narrated.
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Thanks so much, Anita
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Neil that opening description almost had me retching. I pray she has a quick death if she can’t escape.
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That’s a good thing, right? The retching?
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Powerful portrayal of a couple locked in a self-destructive spiral, as he seeks to force her to speak, and she tries to destroy him by her silence.
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Thanks so much, Penny
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That’s a hard thing to do; to remain silent.
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But I think she’ll succeed
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Attention grabbing, stark moment that makes me feel like a deer caught in the head lights of a Mack truck.
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That’s a good thing, right?
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Masterful writing!
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Thanks so much
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He must’ve captured a mime. You know how they are. Mum’s the word.
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She’s not going to mime the answer either
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A terrifying situation. Your protagonist shows great bravery.
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Thanks so much
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pretend to faint due to his bad breath. maybe that’ll help prevent the inevitable for the time being. 🙂
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Perhaps
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The Spanish inquisition is still with us, but in a different form. I enjoyed how this came across as a snap shot from hell.
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Thanks so much, James
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All too realistically penned … and, yes, sometimes one has to hold on to what power one still has. Almost at any cost. Well written, Neil!
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Thanks so much
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Great ending. This feels like a good, old-fashioned Inquisition.
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Or maybe just a relationship
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Well, if he smells of garlic, at least he is not a vampire.
A testimony to the darkness of the human spirit. Nicely crafted, Neil.
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Thanks so much, Bill
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Wow, great imagery. I cringed at the scene. Silence is power, but it will come at a cost. Well written, Neil!
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Thanks so much, Brenda
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Ooooo creepy
Fabulous description of the assailant.
And in the decision to remain silent. Well done
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Thanks so much, Laurie
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She feels that even his anger is hers to control. That’s something to ponder. I really like the approach you took with this prompt, Neil.
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Thanks so much, Margaret
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Chilling in its unfolding description, Neil.
A powerful piece … Isadora 😎
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Thanks so much, Isadora
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Powerful and evocative, especially the opening lines. So much great word-choice in this one.
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Thanks so much, Anne
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Sounds like a scary interrogration.
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Or a robust relationship?
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A gripping story, so much implied. Silence can be a power.
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Thanks so much
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