With Sun on my back I cross the street to the town-hall.
My manifesto is written, I’ve pledged my loyalty to the movement. I smile at the blond gendarme; wishing that all could be different.
She calls: “Halte, monsieur”.
I keep on walking, my mission is to keep walking.
I hear her pulling her gun, and wait for the pain in my back to blossom.
“Halte, monsieur, ceci n’est pas une mosquée”.
People are running for cover. Not me it’s reverse logic, I’m unarmed but ever since the election we’ve been targeted.
But becoming a martyr is easier today.
With the election in France coming up, I’m concerned for a change that will affect us all. I wonder if ever such a movement will ever happen, but shooting at Muslims will most likely be more common…
Rochelle selects the picture and set the example. The rest of us follows and try to come up with a story in 100 words. This is Friday Fictioneers.
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May 3, 2017
Well, composed, Bjōrn
Thank you… I wonder if tactics would be effective.
I wonder…..
Great story. I hope it doesn’t come to this.
Let us hope not…
A disturbing story, very topical..
Disturbing indeed.
Dear Björn,
Well written and very disturbing on many levels.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Yes I’m quite concerned…
A good story involving political fears in Europe. In the west, it seems you don’t have to be a member of a certain group to be targeted. Good writing, Bjorn. —- Suzanne
It’s the one’s that don’t see themselves as belonging to a group who are the target for extremists on both sides.
Wow, nice one. Not the ending I was expecting, but better!
Glad I could surprise you…
This story is sad and horrifying by turns. Yes, it’s certainly very worrying – at least the prospect of Marine Le Pen running such an important European country is. It’s sad, the way the world has become so right leaning and lacking in empathy over these last few years – I include my own country in this of course, though not myself! We can only hope the circle will turn in a few years time and moderation will return.
We all have these movement of people… and the consequences of what might happen is scary… I don’t really think that it’s lack of empathy.. maybe more a sense that we are scared of change and that it’s less clear than it used to be…. showing good alternatives might be the best.
Perhaps it’s just here that people are losing their empathy, finding it easier and easier to demonise those on benefits, those different from ourselves. Let’s just watch what happens and hope good sense prevails
I’m scared for the world. We all thought we were making a better world through raising awareness, campaigning, for years and years. All for naught it seems. I pray France remains sane.
I think that moderation will return… the alternative is too scary to consider.
Indeed.
The line about ‘pain in my back blossoming’ is one to remember. Hope all is well with you now, Bjorn.
No pain blossom a t the moment… but yes I can imagine how a slug in the back would feel like.
Very topical and unnerving. I really hope this isn’t a prophecy D:
I hope not… I really do
You had to bring the upcoming election up, didn’t you? It’s fiction, just fiction (I hope.) Great post.
Yes the upcoming election came by itself with that flag.
This is a powerful piece of writing.
Thank you 🙂
Very well written.
No words. Wishing that hope and reason prevail.
Beautifully crafted. I shudder to think how close we are coming to this being reality. I pray that good sense will prevail.
Disturbing but then we live in insane times these days.
Good writing. I shudder to think that this could be a reality someday somewhere.
A tale of our times, sadly.
My FF story, Ma Fantaisie Francais!
Reverse logic is right! I guess I’m missing something deeper here? If I go somewhere and I’m told I can’t enter (for whatever reason), I stop. Getting myself shot in the back for no reason seems dumb, and hardly martyrdom.
Also shooting anyone who you think look like different… 🙂
Reread in case I missed that he was packed with explosives, but it doesn’t seem so. In which case he was just obeying orders to get shot, or why didn’t he stop? I’m still missing something… Oh well. Brain fog.
Asked my husband about the French election, since he’s following that news quite keenly. He says the ultra-right le Pen came off poorly in the recent debate.
Good one. Your comment on what has become normal today is on the dot!
powerful!
We all fear for the future, Bjorn. Well written.
A sign of the times that I truly loathe. I don’t know what it will take to reverse the present course…
A little French help for you: “Ceci n’est pas une mosquée” 😉
Dale is there no end to your talents!
Ah well… I live in Quebec and, French is my mother tongue!
Too long since my French in school… 🙂
That’s what friends are for, mon ami!
It’s difficult to ‘like’ this. Very strong and completely plausible, unfortunately.
A timely write, Bjorn. You unveiled it so well.
Isadora 😎
Strange intriguing tale. A sideways look at a topical problem.
Well told Bjorn. A good commentry on the current situation!
in this instance, he could be right. it was better dead than alive.
I like the way he stayed true to his mission. That takes courage.
A brilliant story! But what a terrible terrible situation to live in!
So much hate all over the world!
It takes no effort at all to become a martyr nowadays, even if that isn’t your intention at all. Hopefully better days will come. Well done, Bjorn. :o)
NIce story but dark and worrying, Bjorn