Saturday, May 16, 2015

He'll be coming down the mountain

Schwarz gasped for air.  ‘What’s the point of climbing mountains?’

‘Because they’re there,’ Adler replied, admiring the view.

‘No doubt the philosophy of our dead professor.’  Schwarz pointed at the twisted body.  ‘As he tumbled over the edge, I bet he wished he’d thought differently.’

‘Probably didn’t even realise he was falling; there's a bullet hole at the base of his skull.’

‘Seems like overkill given the fall would’ve done the job.  And looked like an accident.’

‘Unless it’s designed to send a message.’

‘What?  Philosophy and mountains don’t mix?’

‘Smuggling secrets over high passes is bad for your health.’




A drabble is a story of exactly 100 words.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You've a gift, Rob, for telling a rich story in just a few lines. Well done

Unknown said...

Ah, a dark (Schwartz) tale told economically and seductively. Well done!

I shall have to try my hand at the genre. 100 words you say? What is the origin of that guideline? Yours? Others?

Rob Kitchin said...

Thanks Margot and R.T. You can find out a bit more about drabbles here - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drabble They have a history back to the early 1970s. I like the form because they have a structure and are quick but a little bit challenging to do. The aim is to write a complete story in 100 words.