Searchlights, sirens, screams — night had changed from glitz and neon to smoke and death. Was it ISIS or Al-Qaeda? Right or left?
Many claimed they did it.
Other wanted retributions or offered thoughts and prayers.
“Attack is best defense.”
“We need martial laws.”
“Blame the cops.”
Soon the streets were filled with screams and teargas. Protesters and counter protesters.
Burning cars.
But safe at home Ahmed knew the cause…
He wondered when the SWAT team would arrive…
He’d forgotten to turn off the stove.
Later…
After millions corpses…
Who would have believed how Ahmed caused the third world war?
© J Hardy Carroll
The image made me think of all the havoc after a big explosion and how easy a misunderstanding might snowball into a big conflict. Is it time to sleep less soundly?
Rochelle selects the image and set the example for Friday Fictioneers. Join us drabbling 100 word stories.
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Novemeber 15, 2017
Björn Rudbergs writings 
It would not shock me.
The world is like a tense string. All it will take is a pluck – whether it is intentional, or otherwise. And in a crisis, or after a disaster, we don’t think straight. It is just all about the pay back.
Dear Björn,
A little like Mrs. O’Leary’s cow knocking over a kerosene lamp and burning down Chicago. Dark humor. Good one.
Shalom,
Rochellee
Exactly what I was thinking, Gabby.
GMTA Ken Burned Out
This is a terrifying thought, and I fear it is time to sleep less soundly. Great story.
All because Ahmed had a faulty memory.
Tense, chilling story. Very scary, very good!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
I can believe this is how it will start… Scary stuff.
I really like this story – in a media driven world, it’s easy for small flames to become infernos. We all have a responsibility to question our sources of information and any assumptions we make, because lazily repeating and exaggerating stories just because we want them to be true, it has dangerous consequences!
I’m not sure that wars are started by misunderstandings, so much as by miscalculations
Now I’m thinking I should nip home and check my cooker is off…
So easy for something so small to snowball out of control. Nice one!
Chilling. And quite possible, unfortunately.
Well, that’s different! Excellent!
Click to read my FriFic!
What a thing to happen! Anything’s possible with the tension we’re under!
This is the way the world ends…not with a bang, but a whimper.
Good, original take on the prompt, Bjorn.
Why hello Bjorn. I actually wrote my first story for Friday Fictioneers. Yes how sadly things get twisted, misinterpreted, feed prejudices. A unique perspective for the prompt.
Something so truly real. An inadvertent mistake could lead to unmistakable chaos. Hope we can be rationally simple!
What awful irony you’ve captured there. The real irony is probably not that different. Well done.
A different take, indeed. Such a small spark has started many wars.
Not too far fetched.
DJ
Only today the UK is remembering a catastrophic fire in the subway, causing 31 deaths. It was started by someone dropping a match on an escalator.
A great tale, Bjorn.
It’s sad how quickly terror groups are to take responsibility, especially to acts that are not their own. In this day and age, no one would ever believe it was an accident.
This is so interesting, Bjorn. How in a climate of fear a misunderstanding could escalate into something so cataclysmic. Well conceived and executed as always
Well written and thought provoking. I do hope it isn’t an accurate prediction!
Well illustrated story. WW3 could start as simple as that, much like WW1
Good one Bjorn. Terrorism is blamed before anything else and they are keen to take the credit. I wonder how many Ahmed’s are out there and going on his name if they swoop they’ll use it against him.
How often is terrorism blamed for an accident? Awful thought. Well done!
Wow, I don’t know wow you would live with something like this.
Thought provoking story!
A great tale of extrapolation, accidents turned by fear into war. A very scary thought.
That certainly escalated. Scary. And all from a forgotten stove. That accident sounds a bit like the Great Chicago Fire caused by a cow kicking over a lantern. Good writing, Bjorn. 🙂 — Suzanne
I think there is too much of everything today…from right to left, from hysteria to lack of realism…you captured it in your story.
A very realistic take on the current state of affairs – anything can set off the ticking bomb. Nicely conceived.