55 responses to “The bottom line”

1. Really well done, Bjorn!

   • Thank you.. I like the 100 word limit.

2. Fantastic tone of voice in this Bjorn. You’ve really captured his resignation, his acknowledgement that he has to turn himself in. And I love the last line (just wonder if you should have ‘up’ or ‘in’ after lock?)

   • Oh you are right.. Hmm, I will update that.

3. Your first like is absolutely brilliant. Would make a great opening line for a novel! As for the rest of the story, I love it. Bank vaults. I’m still trying to decide what this photo means to me…

   • Archives and bank-vaults are interesting places.. 🙂

     • Re-reading my comment and I see I mistyped. I meant your first line is brilliant. Sorry. Kind of took the wind out of that compliment. 😐

4. I did not see tax evasions and financial crime in that photo, but I do now. Love the intensity — the desperation comes across so well.

   • To escape and evade hiding in the archive is something too many tries. Safety in numbers you know.

5. Ah – see it doesn’t matter what your ‘profession’ – you’re never immune from technological progress! great story – you really portray his weariness well.

   • Technology will always come back and bite you in the end.

6. Sound things you can never erase.

   DJ

   • Some things!

   • Imagine the traces we have left in the digital world.

7. Good one, B.

   • Thank you 🙂

8. Dear Björn,

   Lock me in, set me free. Brilliant line. I think this could be your best flash fiction yet. Well done, sir.

   Shalom,

   Rochelle

   PS: I love Me and Bobby McGee.

   • Some freedoms can be a prison in itself. Thank you for your kind words.

9. I loved the last line too! So perfect!

   • Thank you.. A philosophy I really believe in.

10. Good story. It is true how we continue to advance in forensic science more crimes will be discovered.
    Good song choice too.

    • Indeed.. and maybe the constant pilfering can leave those traces.

11. Relative infinity is a paradox too far! 😉

    • Infinity is always shrinking I think

12. Dear Bjorn,

    What an imaginative and fully realized piece of writing. You captured the full arc of his life, from crime to evasion to realization and resignation. Fantastic work.

    Aloha,

    Doug

    • Thank you.. I just thought what a huge archive could hide… 🙂

13. On the first read I was thinking a bit more futuristic than tax evasion, but I can see it. There does come a point when trying to stay ahead of the law is more stressful and consuming than actually being caught.

    • I think staying ahead might lead to a terrible life.. maybe just take the fall.

14. I guess, there’s no place in the world you can hide from Karma….

    • maybe deep in paperwork for a while.. or six feet under.

15. That is some awakening.. Nice one Bjorn.. Cheers.. Rajesh

    • A realization that you prefer a cell to the miserable “freedom” you have carved for yourself.

16. I loved the tone of this, and that last line in particular.

    • Thank you.. there is a paradox that total freedom might mean total loneliness.

17. Bars do not a prison make – so true in this case.
    Good to listen to Janis again.

    • We can build a prison inside our heart in many ways.

18. Money doesn’t buy you happiness and stealing doesn’t set you free. Loved the Joplin tie in.
    Tracey

    • And when the stolen money has evaporated the freedom is totally gone.

19. I love the drip, drip, drip of this piece. A sinister build up.
    Very effective.

    • Thank you, yes I wanted to give the story in little pieces.. glad it worked.

20. After years looking over your shoulder it would be a relief to be caught. Well written.

21. Excellent, the way you turned freedom and incarceration around. A guy caught out by technology, not really cut out for the life of a fugitive.

22. As an accountant, your story frightens me. 😀 Who ever said we are boring? Great stuff.

23. Coming so late to the comments makes it difficult to say something new. I can only join the chorus of: fantastic story and great lines. Applaus! And I love that song, too.

24. If we really want to know how many don’t turn themselves in I suppose we could run an audit.

25. Wow, run for your life, dude! The only escape is capture. Very well executed.

26. Great story! This photo reminds me of medical records where I worked for 10 years! Awesome music chosen!!

27. I can see how turning yourself in at this point would be seem like freedom. I agree with Perry. So well executed. It’s flawless.

28. I love the voice of the narrator here. His suffering comes through so well.

29. Good story. Caught out by technology. He sounded as though he just wanted it over.

30. Great last line or should I say famous last words.

31. amazed. missed reading your 100-word stories Björn! 🙂

32. great story. there are always comebacks

33. One of your best Bjorn, That;s all…
    Dee

34. It ran full cycle for this poor crook. It seemed like such a good idea at the time, but there are always consequences. I loved the resignation too.

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