A Family Tree

/ Dee

Once again we fire up our little grey cells and try to come up with a germ of an idea.  An idea that will grow into another piece of fiction fit for Friday Fictioneers.

Thanks to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for her dedication and time, keeping Friday Fictioneers growing straight and true.

Courtesy Scott Vanatter, permission-copyright Indira

Courtesy Scott Vanatter. Permission-Copyright Indira

Genre: Fiction

Word Count: 100

A Family Tree

After the war we had nothing. Stripped of our possessions, we wandered the land searching for food, shelter, kindness. Maria, mourning her child, lost her mind. Men found her dancing in the field and amused themselves, then fearful of the consequences, tied her to a tree and left her.

“This can’t be true, who would do this?”

We found her after animals and birds had fed, we buried her.

“It happened” said the genealogist, handing me more yellowing pages, “there is a gravestone, with details.”

That night, the dream came again; a tree tied with red ribbons.

Now I understand.

 

63 thoughts on “A Family Tree”

  2. Good story Dee, you can find out some harrowing stuff doing that kind of research. My own ancestry was less scary, My antecedant was deported to Australia for stealing a turnip. I wish they still did that…

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    • Thanks Janet.
      By the way, I’ve finished Airs Above The Ground – what a brilliant story, see what you meant about my FF story now!
      Have now bought a couple more books, she had a great imagination and a great way with words.
      Thanks for suggesting I read her work
      Dee

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  11. Not sure why someone would give you one star for this story, it is brilliantly done. I’m tracing my family “tree” as well.

    I do like the way you have told this.

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    • Dear Rochelle
      It was strange, after posting my story I then read yours and saw how similar our titles were. Though our stories are very different they are both firmly rooted in the past, which provides great inspiration for us to draw on in our writing.
      Thank you for reading
      Best wishes
      Dee

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  13. Dee a tragic and powerful tale. I adore the people who partake in the challenges and more so to see where their thoughts take them. I liked this read Dee- thank you. I tried a family tree trace, but alas it got too involved even before I really began.

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    • Thank you for your kind comments, they are very much appreciated.
      Shame about your family tree, researching can take over your life if you get too involved.
      I had to back off a year or so ago as I was told I was becoming “obssessed with dead people” Family don’t all share my quest to find my roots
      Take care
      Dee

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  17. What a powerful story. It was pretty amazing to realize through research that there was an undiscovered section of our family tree in the 300 year old ct town where we had moved. 4 of the puritan founders were our ancestors. Only downside, we were sure we would have accused witches in our family tree for some reason and instead found that one of “our” founders was a witch accuser.

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    • Thank you for your comment. It is amazing what you can find out. One of my ancestors was on a ship that sailed just after the Mayflower. He eventually settled in Massachusetts and there is a whole branch of my family tree flourishing somewhere in America.
      I just love finding out about them
      Good to hear from you
      Dee

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  24. Woah — you packed a lot of powerful, destructive acts here, from the war to the men amusing themselves to the animals. What a thing for the narrator to discover — but it answers her curiosity about her dream. A very well written story.

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