Mondays Finish the Story by Barbara Beacham
This is a flash fiction challenge where Barbara W. Beacham offers a picture and the first sentence of the story. Based on the photograph and the first sentence, one must come up with a 100-150 word short story.
BROODING STORM © JK. Leahy
The crew of the Angel Flame received orders to head out. When Yakov and Marishka reach the secluded Russian base, most men had already boarded.
Marishka wiped her tired eyes as her husband walked to the submarine, leaving her, their newborn Polinka and their sick two-year-old, Boris. It was a dreary Friday at 5am; three lost seagulls skirted past Yakov, fleeing the brooding storm.
After Yakov’s head vanished into the submarine, Marishka left – four hours later the snowstorm hit. The radio announced that nobody was hurt. Marishka medicated and monitored Boris’s temperature.
The next day at 7am she heard a knock. It was persistent. Unwrapping herself from Polinka, she reached for her gown.
Marishka caught a glimpse of a man in uniform through the winter-frosted glass and threw open the door with a grin. Expecting to fall into Yakov’s arms, her stomach sank when instead she met the gaze of a stone-faced man carrying Yakov’s personal effects.
“Mrs Vladimir?”
“…Yes?”
Tribalmystic Stories 
Nicely done. I would never want to be one of the officers who had to deliver that kind of news.
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Thank you for reading and I appreciate your comments. It would be an awful thing to have to do.
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Nice finish to a great piece of writing Joycelin ~ Well done 🙂
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Thank you very much John. 🙂
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You developed the mood of this story from the very beginning…
so sad. Well done.
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I’m glad you liked it. looking at that picture, I could not go any other way. I really appreciate your comments.
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Very sad ending – I wasn’t sure if we were going to lose Yakov or Boris. Nicely built up.
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I know – very sad indeed. Thank you very much for reading the story and sharing your thoughts.
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A very well written and atmospheric and piece. Events such as these happen too many times to keep track of.
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Thank you very much Francesca.
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Oh no! Poor Marishka! ✪
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Poor her. Thank you very much for reading the story and welcome!
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Though stories are sometimes sad, they are still good, like this one. Good tension to the finish. ❤ ❤
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Thank you so much T. ❤
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You are welcome. ❤
I believe my fingers are acting up again. I should have typed "…sometimes SAD,…"
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I will fix it. I knew what you meant. ❤ Don't all the darn fingers have a mind of their own? (hahaha).
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I have arthritis. I had a flareup lately and grew a couple new knobs. 😀 😀
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I’m very sorry about that. They can be painful – I know. Hope they don’t bother you too much. ❤
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Such is life.
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Very nice story with a sad ending. 😦 The foreboding was throughout the story. Very nicely done.
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Thank you very much. Look forward to reading yours tonight.
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Thank you! 🙂
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I agree, nicely done.
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Thank you 🙂
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The sense that it’s not going to end happily is growing stronger throughout the piece. Nicely done!
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Thank you very much Sonya. I appreciate that.
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Joycelin – this is so well done! It is evenly written and comes to a close that is sad. But it means a new beginning too! Thank you for writing for the MFtS challenge and may you be well…. ^..^
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I’m glad you liked it. Thank you so much.
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You are welcome! You are an amazing writer and I love that you actually contribute to my little blog! 🙂
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Oh, that is so kind of you to say. I enjoy your not so little blog. (You have so many great writers writing for you – so in my opinion – that’s ‘big’! Thank you very much again.
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BTW, you might want to add your link again to the little blue frog. It took two tries to load mine.
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Oh I forgot the blue frog – thanks for reminding me. 🙂
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Very atmospheric 😀
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Thank you very much.
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