Photo: © Al Forbes 2014. Fiction: © Steve Lakey 2014
My neighbours had turned me in. They told me I was a stupid teenager to break the telescope. How could anyone see the boats coming in now? They said that boys like me only cared about ourselves and gave the village a bad name.
How very brave of them, disowning me through the bars of my cell, before walking away. But I couldn’t live in the world that they accepted, and I had to do something – anything – to tear it down.
The Police had tried to break me, to see me cry. I had cried once, but told them nothing they wanted to know. The hours passed. They had been ‘nice’, and they had used threats. But I had not given in.
“Why that particular telescope? Why now?”
“What other offences of vandalism have you committed?”
“Who else was involved?”
The two policemen weren’t trying to establish guilt – that was already decided from the moment my name was passed on. They wanted to see who else they could pull in. I didn’t have to hold out for long. I knew they weren’t going to bother a magistrate with a case like this…
My cell door opened and I was led out, blinking, into the sunlit courtyard. A line of grey-clad soldiers were waiting, rifles by their sides.
As the blindfold plunged me into darkness, I cleared my throat and shouted with my last breath.
“Soon the Allies will come and you will be gone! Vive la France!”
This story was prompted by Sunday Photo Fiction October 19th 2014, hosted by Al Forbes. Click the logo for more details.
To view other entries in this challenge, click the blue frog.
Walk the Self-Talk 
This is a dramatic story Steve, I like the way you started off implying that we have a modern day teenager, and then we find that it is the French resistance. Really good
Thanks, Amanda. That’s the effect I was looking for! Hopefully, some of the details make more sense when the full story is revealed. 🙂
That’s brilliant Steve. That twist at the end was genius.
Thanks, Al. I thought the telescope looking out to sea had a lot of possibilities. Great photo prompt! 🙂
As I was heading down that way a few weeks ago, as soon as I saw that, I knew it had to be a photo prompt. I did consider turning it monochrome, but it is better this way. I may just age it though for the fun of it.
Tres Bien!
Merci, Monsieur. Mange Tout! 😉
There was nothing to indicate it wasn’t modern days, but then you made me take a huge leap to times long past. Great story, Steve.
Thanks, Lyn. Glad you liked it! 😀
Bravo. A really moving story. As he says, “Viva la France”!
Thanks Patrick. 🙂
Absolutely brilliant twist! Merci beaucoup for writing it! Au revoir.
Thank you! 😀