Here’s a 100 word story which I decided had to include the first 3 words that came up on https://randomwordgenerator.com/ – the words were bet, deputy and lose.
We creep in fear and single-file through thick jungle with no choice but trust our navigation to chosen leaders. Night falls and the rearmost urge us onward; we barely notice it’s boggier underfoot. Those furthest forward slow fastest and soon we’re a milling mob.
Uphill, tangled undergrowth; downhill, sunlight through trees. Lead us, we cry, trampling over abandoned machetes.
Each of us, whether demoted or promoted deputy, shares this democracy of incompetence – a bet on survival, ours to lose.
Nightbirds shriek and we stampede towards retreating day. Suddenly chest-deep in quicksand, we hear the crack of metal on wood.
Image: Discover Magazine Blogs
this democracy of incompetence – a phrase I may steal
and welcome – if only we didn’t have to use them!
Top-drawer writing; top-notch blog!
Many thanks, Lance, a real compliment as I know the quality of your work.
You’re sincerely welcome, Dave. And, greatly appreciated.
Nice ominous feel (K)
Thanks, yes, can’t imagine where that comes from … 😉
Democracy of incompetence, indeed, in which intent becomes superfluous…
… and the instigators of chaos always seem to find an escape route themselves, leaving the rest of us in the soup … hmm, seem to have made a comment on my ending!
Now that image looks awfully like a New Zealand forest to me. Which threw me off kilter as I was reading about another place. My problem I know!
Could be, Rachel, though I tend to pick images from the internet at random so not sure. I liked this for its colour and wildness.
Actually, just chased up the photo and found an interesting ecological story behind it.
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2017/08/30/orange-peels-jungle/#.XF9PIvZ2vIU