Every week, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (thank you, Rochelle!) hosts a flash fiction challenge, to write a complete story, based on a photoprompt, with a beginning, middle and end, in 100 words or less. Post it on your blog, and include the Photoprompt and Inlinkz on your page. Link your story URL. Then the fun starts as you read other peoples’ stories and comment on them!
A hearty breakfast
The delicious smell of frying bacon insinuated itself into Hank’s dream. He half-smiled, then grimaced as the pain of his bruised jaw woke him up. The light came on and Roberto, the less brutal of his guards, approached with a tray.
He set it down in front of Hank. Bacon, sausage, mushrooms, eggs, beans, toast and coffee.
“What’s up?”
“Your ransom hasn’t been paid.”
“So? – Hey, is this for me?”
“Sure.”
Hank tried one of the fried eggs.
“Perfect!”
“We’re gonna shoot you when you’ve finished. You know what they say: “The condemned man…”
Suddenly, Hank wasn’t hungry any more.
Autumn Leaves 
I did wonder as I read whether this would prove to be the condemned man’s breakfast. Still, as brutal kidnappers go, I thought it was pretty decent of them
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Good – my foreshadowing worked. You taught me how important that was, Neil – thank you. And thank you for the helpful comment today.
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at least, they should have let him finish eating first before the breaking the bad news. just saying.
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Yes, he’d definitely have enjoyed the breakfast more! Thank you for commenting, Plaridel.
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It’s bad enough being held captive, but to find out that no one cares enough to pay the ransom must be devastating. An original take, well done!
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Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Keith. It was the smell of frying bacon that led me into the story.
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Dear Penny,
Oh dear. Impending doom would be enough to kill anyone’s appetite. You set up the seen well and then went for the jugular. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle
Thank you for your kind comment. I was trying to subvert the pleasure of the smell of frying bacon!
Shalom
Penny
xx
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So cruel! Great writing, Penny. The horror of the kidnapping comes through clearly. I never understood why people who were about to be killed got that ‘last meal’ as a special treat. A ‘celebration of death’ seems extra cruel to me.
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Thank you for your empathetic comment, Gabi. I’m glad the horror of the kidnapping came across so strongly. The story leaves Hank alive, fork poised over the bacon – and while there’s life there’s hope…What would you do if you were Hank?
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I… probably would have died already, being scared into a heart attack. I’m a coward. Maybe, if I were still alive, I’d try to negotiate, offer them something. Someone braver might ram the fork into the kidnapper’s throat and probably be killed instantly without having it drawn out. Or make an escape, who knows? For fiction, there would be many possibilities, depending on the circumstances. 😀
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Great story. One can just imagine the look on the condemned man’s face as he realizes it’s his last meal.
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Dear Bear
Thank you for such a kind comment. I’m afraid one can imagine the expression on his face all too clearly. But he’s still alive, and while there’s life, there’s hope…
With best wishes
Penny
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Seems like a waste of a perfectly good meal… 😉
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Thank you for your entertaining comment. It’s torture by fried breakfast, Ali. The kidnappers are applying pressure, and hope to sweat at least $1,000,000 out of Hank.
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There is nothing like thoughtful kidnappers and murderers. Unless it’s the folks who failed to pay up. Scary but fun story. Well done.
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Thank you for commenting, Bill. This is torture by fried breakfast!
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My pleasure. 🙂
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It felt like a last meal… but wasn’t expecting it to be from his future killers! Well done, Penny!
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Thank you for your kind comment, Dale.
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My pleasure, Penny.
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Penny,
It’s all about the context, isn’t it? Fine storytelling, with the perspective of the prisoner front and center.
pax,
dora
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Thank you for your helpful comment, Dora. I’m so glad you noticed that it is the prisoner’s perspective front and centre, because I’ve been working on that.
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How awful for your character. Wonderful writing, Penny!
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Thank you so much for your kind comment, Brenda
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While there is life there is hope, eat up Hank,
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Thank you for commenting, Michael. Yes, eat up, Hank – and think quickly! You need to talk your way out of this predicament!
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I’d say the hostage needs to get ready to weaponize what they have in front of them and prepare to escape.
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Dear Jade, Thank you for your comment. Hank certainly needs to think of something, because nobody else is going to save him.
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Penny you are very welcome.
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They could have just surprised him at the end. No reason to ruin breakfast. So mean! (Hope he escapes.) Great story.
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Thank you for the kind comment.
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Haha! There’s no free lunch…..
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Love your comment, Ain! Thank you!
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