
Everything has changed. Three months ago, this land was peaceful, sustaining us from our goats, courgettes, and olive grove. My grandfather planted the olive trees, back in the days before the catastrophe.
Two months ago, they came. Just one caravan. What is one caravan, you may say? We have lived here for a thousand years.
Six weeks later, one caravan has become two prefab houses, a barn, and sheep. Then they came at night, tore up our courgettes, killed my dog.
May God curse them. God willing, we will drive them from our land.
.
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

Chilling.
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Thanks so much, Jilly
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Dear Neil,
I feel a chill in the Friday Fictioneers air this week.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It’s the Triffids’ fault
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I couldn’t help myself. 😉
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That’s how Triffids work
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Time to break out the guns and ammo.
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Thanks for reading, James
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Something sinister’s going on.
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Indeed
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Blooming where they were planted, as it were. Good tale.
Tracey
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Thanks so much, Tracey
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Sounds like every colonial invasion ever, throughout time and place. My first impulse is to say nip it in the bud, as ignoring won’t work, obviously. There has to be a better way? Hating to sound cliche’ but can’t we all just get along? The human (as in human species) response? Nope. Maybe we should let AI take over…
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There really does have to be a better way, I agree
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new settlers tend to kick the old timers out. such is life.
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Oh, I’m moving into your living room, by the way
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These things have the habit of starting small, just a minor incursion here and there… and then the big stuff starts. Good take.
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Thanks so much, Sandra
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First, I had to look up “courgettes” to learn that they are zucchini squash 🙂
Curiosity satisfied, the next thought I had was “urban sprawl.” That one caravan was deceptive. I hope they are successfully driven out! Killing the dog is outrageous, but destroy the zucchini? Horrible!
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Thanks so much, Linda
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I feel as if God Willing is a much used phrase these days. I gotta’ say, zucchini does tend to grow back in leaps and bonds, but NO KILLING the dog!
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All wars are holy wars these days
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The courgettes are one thing, but killing the dog is too far. Time to push back. A chilling tale, Neil. For some reason, the photo screams ominous.
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Thanks so much, Brenda.
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Yikes! Good writing.
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Thanks so much
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Oh no!
More and more settlers are on their way I’m guessing. Devastating
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Sadly, yes, more and more
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A very relatable story and i fear the attempt to drive out one caravan is going to be long and bloody.
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Thanks so much, Dahlia, The caravans will keep coming
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There is no stopping them, I’m afraid.
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Probably true. They’ll come back with tanks
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Yes, it all starts with a friendly handshake. then they want everything you have. Drive them out when you still can.
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Probably true. There is a vast number at their backs
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Well written, and applicable to so much, historically, including of the many places people call home now, or have called home before, or have returned to after being driven out, or claim to have more claim over than another. Oy, the story of humanity thinking that this Earth is a zero sum game.
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Home and homeland, yes. Thanks so much
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If this had happened in Alaska, someone would have shot at the first Caravan.
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Shooting can bring down harsher reprisals
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Killed the dog?That’s gone too far!
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They are not nice people
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