meoryn: (Default)
Meoryn ([personal profile] meoryn) wrote in [community profile] fiction_drabbles2009-05-09 10:44 am

Slave

Title: The Slave
Challenge/Prompt: Symbol
Original Fiction or Fanfiction: Original Fiction
Characters/Pairings: Jacob
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: My own work.
Summary: The pattern tells the tale.

Author's Notes: I took the word literally in this case but there's also a subtle meaning with the chain. 100 words is a lot tougher than I expected!

“Can you read it?” the man’s long fingers traced the pattern on the hard ground. Jacob knew the mark. As a young boy, he had watched his best friend branded with the same mark on the back of his hand. He could still smell the taint of burned flesh on the air and hear Aaron’s strangled cry.

He shook his head. The man studied him for a moment longer than he liked. With a grunt Jacob took for assent, the man rose and continued west, the long chain tied to his neck urged him forwards, a reminder of his slavery.

[personal profile] cerulean_waves 2009-06-19 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
I really enjoyed this. It was very powerful for just 100 words (which I agree is quite a challenge!). The use of the sense of smell definitely made this piece stronger. To me, smell is the strongest sense to write about, since it is so closely tied to memory.


Great job.