Have you enjoyed the stories from the image as much as I have? If you missed any, the list of participating authors is below.
Jan Sikes: LINK
Yvette Calleiro: LINK
This month I went with a tanka prose for the image.
The Escape
It was just me and Sadie, my horse. Only my backpack held what remained of my life. This left me with a change of clothes, soap, lip gloss, lotion, family pictures, my mother’s jewelry, a journal, a pen, and a map. My saddlebags had already been packed and were ready to be put on Sadie. Dried fruit, jerky, coffee, a water filter, and bullets filled them. I had the sleeping bag, cooking pot, cup, full canteen, and tent tied to the back of the saddle. My gun was on my hip, ready to use. I knew how to live off the land, and that was what I was going to do. There was now a day’s ride between me and the house that was fully engulfed in flames as I rode over the ridge. No one followed me, perhaps believing I was trapped in the fire or wasn’t important enough to chase. The rest of the horses were released. I hoped they would find safety, but that’s all I could offer them when the worst-case scenario happened. There had been just enough time to get away after the alarms were triggered. Tonight, Sadie and I will settle down by the creek and rest. There will be no fire tonight, just to be safe. I hope to find others like me along the way as we head north to what should offer safety and a place to start over.
enemies at door
my house the casualty
on horse, I escaped
freedom, a long ride away
I’m guided by hope and truth
The next challenge is a week later than normal, as I will be on vacation. So watch for it on May 20th.
Embrace your inner child by challenging yourself! D. L. Finn
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