“Top right window. That’s where he lives,” Mr Jackson said.
“That a restaurant below? And a boatyard?” Nate said
“Uhuh. Turns out he’s doing some work for that boatyard.”
Nate peered at the photo, hoping to see a familiar figure, or the shadow of one.
“How did you find him?” Nate said.
“In amongst all that stuff you gave me to work with, there was this diary, from when he was a kid. He talked about boats a lot. He also talked about Guatemala. You ever go there as a family?”
Nate shook his head. Their family had never gone anywhere.
“Tell me Mr Jackson, what’s your view on whether people should be allowed to disappear?”
Thank you to @JS Brand for providing the photo prompt for this week’s Friday Fictioneer stories, and to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for her coordinating efforts (and for timely technical support to this fictioneer in addition). Read others’ stories via the link below.
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Dear Jayne,
Now I can give you a proper welcome to Friday Fictioneers. There’s a learning curve for everything. I’m guessing from the last line that the person in question wanted to disappear. Intriguing piece.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I was wondering why I felt I had read this… then remembered that I couldn’t “like” or comment originally 😉
I dunno about Mr. Jackson, but I sure feel they should be allowed to disappear…
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Sounds like he just wants to be left alone. I hope they do leave him be.
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Thank you Neil. I’m soon to spend some time reading yours and other stories. Right now I’m pretty much worn out from the technical challenges Ive faced in getting my story up there. Writing is so much easier than posting!
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Sometimes, it is best. Like the song about poncho… “they coulda had ’em anyday, only let him slip away, out of kindness, I suppose…” Great story this week, Neil.
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Hmm, I wonder what Mr Jackson’s answer was to Nate’s final question! Nicely done.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thank you Susan
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sometimes people just don’t want to be found ….
great story and writing 🙂
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Lovely writing and an intriguing story – a man who never went anywhere suddenly vanishing into Guatemala? What on earth was he running from? Great stuff.
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Nice fluent writing. You use the dialogue well to advance the plot and to describe the location.
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I suppose it depends on what they’re hiding from.
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Ah, and THAT is the question! Great take, good story.
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I think we should let them slip away… but there is a comfort knowing that they are still alive I think.
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