Great Loss
The sand held hints of the lives lost, strands of wire, coins, and jewels buried deep. Treasure hunters with metal detectors crisscrossed the beach. Devoid of its former glory. Only the palms stood tall. The resort was gone, and its entire population too.
A breezy summer morning determined to be a blistering sweltering day had turned apocalyptic. A rogue wave forty stories high hit the coast. And, in the blink of an eye, everything disappeared. Mom and Dad had planned their retirement for years but barely had the chance to enjoy the fruits of their labor before nature heartlessly rebelled.
Photo by Darice de Cuba on Unsplash
100 words
Yolanda
Renée © 2021
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Thank you for reading my short flash submission for WEP's Great Wave Challenge.
I hope you'll follow the links below to read more entries from a group of talented artists who've interpreted this monumental work of art in more magical and brilliant ways.
Oh boy, you pack a mighty punch in few words. Here's to all the Mums and Dads, families, who've been buried in great waves over time. :-(
ReplyDeleteWaves come in many forms, as I'm learning during this challenge. Amazing entries! Starting with yours!
DeleteThank you. As Denise says, there is one powerful punch here.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sue. I do hope you are feeling better. It's wonderful to see you visiting again!
DeleteSad and sudden. Enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteAmazing how much you can say in 100 words. Hard hitting, like the wave I think. You're a born story teller.
ReplyDeleteI do love the challenge of 100 words as much as 1000 words. Thanks!
DeleteI really enjoyed this. It's amazing on how much you told in so few words. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Natalie, and thanks for reading!
DeleteA heart punch! Well done
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jemi!
DeleteFabulously compact as as others are pointing out, your 100 words deliver a keen punch. Left me hungry for more of the stories that were washed away by the great wave.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pennie! Your words are most appreciated!
DeleteOh, no! Brief and impactful - a tragic story of nature rebelling against us. Nobody stands a chance against such great waves.
ReplyDeleteNo, we don't. Very scary. Nature has a way for destruction! But so does man!
DeleteWow! You hit me right in the heart. You've told the story of so many people in so few words. Amazing piece of writing. Thanks for such a great read.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lenny, and welcome to the WEP!
DeleteHi Yolanda
ReplyDeleteSo sad. And also shocking for those who learn of it after the fact. Short, sweet and well written.
Nancy
Thanks, Nancy! I cheated and used an old flash. Trying to finish two books, so little time for new material. Shh...don't tell!
DeleteIt's amazing how you packed such heartache into so few words. Nature can be astonishing in its power.
ReplyDeleteSo true! Thanks, Laura.
DeleteYikes! That hits right in the retirement account! Although, if I had to choose a way to go, a beach vacation is not the worst possibility. I have a strange inner hate for those treasure hunters, though.
ReplyDeleteLOL, me too! And yes, it describes my retirement to a T! LOL
DeleteOuch. Tragedy in just a few short words.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't take much. Thanks, Rebecca!
DeleteThat was like a gut punch! Tragedy on an epic scale in just 100 words - kudos!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nila!
DeleteI took the easy way out! :)
Hi Yolanda - yes ... so true - life has its moments ... I am so glad I haven't experienced a tsunami ... excellent, frightening flash - yet true fiction.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with finishing off the two books ... cheers Hilary
Today was release day for one of the books. So why do I feel it's still unfinished?
DeleteLOL
Thanks, Hilary!
Hi,
ReplyDeleteVery sad. At the crossroad of a new beginning that ends quickly with a Tsunami.
Shalom aleichem
But still a journey...
Deletethanks, Pat!
Wow!
ReplyDeleteLOL!
DeleteDark and sad! Nature can be so merciless!
ReplyDelete- C J Austin
Sooo merciless! And the season is upon us. Thanks, C J!
DeleteHi Renee!
ReplyDeleteLike the others say... WOW. SO much in so few words. I really loved the first paragraph!
Thanks, Michael! I appreciate your kind words!
DeleteShort but strong. Like some people I know :) Good work.
ReplyDeleteLOL, Thanks, Jemima!
DeleteI also thought "tsunami." Nice job
ReplyDeleteI tried to come up with something different, but I live on the coast, so it just went there. LOL
DeleteMy my! This thought often crosses my mind. Though in a different context. My husband has a transferable job. So we keep planning for when he shall retire. But there are unforseen circumstances always. I tell him today is the day. Loved your take.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sonia: We're semi-retired and while the threat is always there, that view is magnificent!
DeleteI have known people who suffered loss from such a wave. Powerful! Thank you
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jackie!
DeleteA hard-hitting drabble embodying the truism "you don't get what you deserve, you get what you get." I appreciate how much power you packed into just 100 words.
ReplyDeleteYour post is included in this week's Roost Recommendations. I share the Roost Recommendations posts on Twitter with readers looking for their next read.
https://ornerybookemporium.blogspot.com/2021/06/roost-recommendations-15-june-2021.html
Thanks, Ornery! Appreciate the shout out and all the work you've gone too. Above and Beyond!
DeleteGreat job, Yolanda! Only 100 words, but so much there. “ Devoid of its former glory. Only the palms stood tall.“ - such a sadness in these words.
ReplyDeleteI love the limitations of 100 words. One of my favorite challenges!
DeleteCarpe diem - a 100 words to say it all- but you did it.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteShort and painfully sweet! Loved your first line:The sand held hints of the lives lost, strands of wire, coins, and jewels buried deep.
ReplyDelete