What Pegman Saw – The Marriage Deal

“What Pegman saw” is a weekly challenge based on Google Streetview. You can read the rules here. You can find today’s location on this page,  from where you can also get the Inlinkz code. This week’s location is Oman.

The Marriage Deal

Adhara’s mother stood silent. She held her hands behind her back, hoping that no one would see the way she twisted the fabric of her abaya between her fingers. Her face, hidden by her hijab, was calm, solemn, a mask within a mask.

“The report of the matchmaker was satisfactory. Do you confirm, Basam, that in the event of marriage between our Jumah and your Adhara, your business will pass to our family on the day of your passing (may it be long delayed)?”

Jumah smirked as he looked at Adhara. Modestly clad though she was, Jumah remembered how pretty she had been as a child. He imagined the young woman’s body, its desirability enhanced by concealment.

“Alas, I have no sons to continue my business. It shall be as you say.”

“Then we have an agreement.”

The two men shook hands.

Behind her hijab, the tears rolled down Adhara’s cheeks.

 

What Pegman Saw – Gay Terror

“What Pegman saw” is a weekly challenge based on Google Streetview. You can read the rules here. You can find today’s location on this page,  from where you can also get the Inlinkz code. This week’s location is Chechnya.

Gay Terror

I can’t tell anybody. They would kill me.

Adam was a pupil from my school, older than me.

He was lovely. Sometimes I used to follow him.

He used to meet a friend in the forest, another boy. I saw them kiss each other. I was jealous. I wanted him to kiss me.

They had a special place. I would hide in a nearby bush, right out of sight, and watch them.

One day his friend came with a gang. They had pick handles and baseball bats. Adam screamed as they beat him. I stuffed my hand in my mouth so as not to cry out.

When they had finished, they dug a grave and threw him in. They hit his friend then, several times, until he sobbed.

“If you ever kiss another man we’ll kill you, too,” said one of them.

Letter received by the Guardian newspaper March 2017

Author’s note

This is entirely fiction. Unfortunately, the actual situation in Chechnya is far worse.

What Pegman Saw – Scoop!

“What Pegman saw” is a weekly challenge based on Google Streetview. You can read the rules here. You can find today’s location on this page,  from where you can also get the Inlinkz code. This week’s location is Panama.

Scoop!

The cable-tie bit into my wrists, stopping me saving myself when I stumbled. The FARC soldiers laughed.

“Not far now,” said one of them, “only another couple of hours!” They laughed uproariously.

Their camp in the jungle looked permanent. They shoved me, wrists still secured, into a cabin. It smelled stale.

In the conflict between pain and exhaustion, exhaustion won. I slept, until a boot in the ribs woke me. Groaning, I opened my eyes.

The girl carried a knife.

“Sit still. I’m not going to hurt you.”

Startled by her American accent, I looked again.

“Lucy! You’re Lucy Cullen the girl who was kidnapped!”

She drew a finger across her throat.

“Shh!”

Swiftly, she cut the cable-tie.

“Go west. You’re only five miles from the road.”

“You coming with me?”

She glared.

“You’re just Yankee shit. Rafael, the boss, is my man. He told me to kick you out.”

What Pegman Saw – An Angel Unawares

“What Pegman saw” is a weekly challenge based on Google Streetview. You can read the rules here. You can find today’s location on this page,  from where you can also get the Inlinkz code. This week’s location is Rhode Island.

An Angel Unawares

“God’s world is beautiful, isn’t it?”

The word ‘God’ would normally make Ralph shy away, but there was something reassuring about the man on the bench next to him. He was at peace and his eyes held the echo of a smile.

“I was thinking,” explained Ralph.

“You study here at Brown University? They’re great thinkers.” He chuckled, then added, “No, really, they are. Eight Nobel prizes and counting, I believe.” He stretched. “Listen to those birds!”

“I have to make up my mind. My girl has another two years study here, and I’ve been offered a Gates scholarship to study in Cambridge.”

“Hmhm?”

“That’s a fast track to leadership.”

“Ah!”

“Well, it brings a lot of prestige! But I guess you wouldn’t know about that.”

“Who would you lead? Where would you lead them?”

The man stood.

“I’ll leave you to it,” he said. “Just remember – your choices matter.”

 

What Pegman Saw – Buddhists chanting

“What Pegman saw” is a weekly challenge based on Google Streetview. You can read the rules here. You can find today’s location on this page,  from where you can also get the Inlinkz code. This week’s location is Qinghain, Haibei, China.

Buddhists chanting

People chanted in the courtyard, and the north wind carried the sound like prayer across the waters of Qinghai Lake. A few of the participants shivered, some hugged their thin jackets tightly around themselves, but most withstood the chill stoically. They were people of the high plateau.

The little man at the front shouted a text. The assembly copied him. He shouted the text again; it was a quotation from Mao Zedong’s red book. The people copied with resignation. The leader harangued them; his voice pitched hysterically. He struck a man in the front row. The man winced but made no effort to retaliate.

“The Chinese have taken Tibetan Buddhists and detained them in this so-called re-education facility in Haibei,” said the commentator, and the video ended.

The team who had produced the video looked towards their orange-haired President.

“Great work, fellas. Get it over to Fox News straightaway.”

 

 

What Pegman Saw – An unexpected treat

“What Pegman saw” is a weekly challenge based on Google Streetview. Using the 360 degree view of the location provided, you must write a piece of flash fiction of no more than 150 words. You can read the rules here. You can find today’s location on this page,  from where you can also get the Inlinkz code

An unexpected treat

“Don’t worry – I’ll pay,” said Ricardo, firmly.

“But the Gingerbread Restaurant’s expensive!” Roseline opened her eyes very wide, and Ricardo kissed her.

“No problem.”

Roseline giggled when the starter came; the dish looked like a painting. Ricardo smiled, and stroked his fingers along the cornrows of her hair. “Would you like some wine?” he suggested.

The food was – interesting, Roseline decided.

As they ate dessert, Ricardo cleared his throat.

“I had my exam results last Thursday.”

“You never told me! Were they good?”

“I was top.”

“Oh, well done, Ricardo!”

“I have an internship at Clinica Union Medica del Norte.”

“But – that’s in the Dominican Republic…”

“I’ll phone. And text. If you want to, you can join me there when you’ve finished your studies.”

Roseline’s heart sank.

“Do you love me, Ricardo?”

“Yes. Yes, of course”.

“Then let’s get married.”

Ricardo stared at her, then grinned.

“Why not?” he said.

What Pegman Saw – Climate Change

“What Pegman saw” is a weekly challenge based on Google Streetview. Using the 360 degree view of the location provided, you must write a piece of flash fiction of no more than 150 words. You can read the rules here. You can find today’s location on this page,  from where you can also get the Inlinkz code. This week’s location is Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

Climate Change

The rice in Salimu’s field glowed emerald. Salimu leaned on his hoe and mopped his face. He frowned. There was only just enough water in the field to prevent the plants drying out. The concrete tank he’d built to catch rain was only half full. Would there be enough for two crops in the year?

When he’d started farming, it had been easy. Meltwater running from the icefields of Kilimanjaro fed a brawling river. He’d taken all the water he needed without thought, with plenty left for his neighbours. Now the river was muddy and sluggish, and Salimu was careful to take no more than he needed.

He sighed. His neighbours had suggested trickle irrigation, but it cost so much to lay the pipes. Besides, he had heard that the water shortage was going to become worse with climate change.

Even trickle irrigation needs water.

How could he carry on?

What Pegman Saw – Finisterre

“What Pegman saw” is a weekly challenge based on Google Streetview. Using the location provided, you must write a piece of flash fiction of no more than 150 words. You can read the rules here. You can find today’s location on this page,  from where you can also get the Inlinkz code. This week’s prompt is Roscanvel, Brittany.

Roscanvel is a rocky peninsular in Finisterre. The literal translation of Finisterre is ‘The end of the world’…

Finisterre

How the wind shrieks in the rigging! The frigate tacks desperately, seeking sea-room. Surely the storm can’t get any worse?

The cannon are silent, lashed to stanchions. God help us if one of them breaks free. The portholes are tight shut, but water spurts through cracks as the vessel heels and the opening is submerged in the swell.

The gunners, too, are silent, apart from gasps of exhaustion. They pump like demons to clear the bilges. Wilkinson lies, spent. The others glance at him with contempt, even as they dread that they, too, will succumb.

It is worse on deck.

A handful of seamen struggle desperately to reduce sail.

Crack!

The main mast splinters.

The vessel yaws helplessly. She smashes into the rocks with a shock that throws many into the breakers.

A few of us cling to the rigging, from where, one by one, the raging ocean plucks us.

 

What Pegman Saw – Hunted

“What Pegman saw” is a weekly challenge based on Google Streetview. You can read the rules here. You can find today’s location on this page,  from where you can also get the Inlinkz code. This week’s location is Polanczyk, Poland

Hunted

It has been cold since sunrise, the morning hoar never melting. Now, as the short day draws to a close, I watch sulphur yellow clouds rolling in from the west. Oh, to be snug at home with Edyth! Alas, the message to the Voevoda will not wait.

Although the blade of my knife is dull it suffices to cut larch branches, and I interweave them to make a shelter. I gather logs, picking only the driest, and search out brittle twigs as kindling.

As the sun sets, the trees catch the first snowflakes, which are delicate like the sparks from my flint. I strike harder; my life depends on fire.

At last a serpent of flame creeps across the kindling. I nurture it, as carefully as I will nurture the child Edyth carries in her belly.

Howling!

Wolves!

I draw my sword and lay the naked blade across my lap.

What Pegman Saw – Extinction level event

“What Pegman saw” is a weekly challenge based on Google Streetview. Using the location provided, you must write a piece of flash fiction of no more than 150 words. You can read the rules here. You can find today’s location on this page,  from where you can also get the Inlinkz code. This week’s prompt is Happy Jack, Arizona.

I found that while Happy Jack itself has few people and less history, the Lowell observatory is only twenty miles away and is one of the premier observatories in North America.

Extinction level event

Abe fiddled with his calendar. He flipped three prints of a starfield onto his desk.

“What do you make of these, Slim?” He pointed to each in turn. “29th. 30th. Last night.” The images showed the stars being obscured over a progressively larger area.

Slim looked, frowned, checked that the codes on the prints tallied with Abe’s account, and paled.

“You found this on the main instrument?” His voice was husky with apprehension. “But that’s an area of sky that I surveyed with the 0.6 metre Schmidt last week. There was nothing there then. This means…”

“That’s what I thought too. The centre of the obscured area doesn’t change.”

“It’s heading straight for us,” whispered Slim.

He straightened. “I’ll have to tell the Director.”

“How about checking on the Schmidt again? Just to be thorough.”

“Good idea.”

As Slim bustled out, Abe chuckled at his calendar.

“April Fool,” he murmured.