Grapevines photographed by Vanessa Rodriguez.
FLASH FICTION ~ 8TH JULY 2015 ~
Attempt No. 1
We were off to work in France for the holidays backpacking, we planned to spend a couple of weeks in Burgundy's Cote d'Or
The vineyard spread for miles
Mainly red grapes were grown here, known universally as blood on the vine
Vineyard work for backpackers in France fruit-picking
9 euros an hour, September to October.
Beautiful sunny warm weather with long days to spend in the great outdoors close to nature
We stayed in a workers purpose built house where we slept 4 to a room. Men had their rooms with facilities for ablutions attached and there was a couple of rooms reserved for the women. We enjoyed our meals in a clean spacious kitchen attached to the building. The work is hard and the hours are long.
We were too tired in the evenings to do anything but eat and sleep.
There was a terrifying scream that woke everybody in the middle of the night. We threw our clothes on and raced outside . A volley of shots rang out as the foreman appeared with a smoking gun, a wild boar had roamed into the vineyard
That night 100 workers feasted on fresh wild boar meat
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Attempt No.2
We had been backpacking in France all summer. Excitedly we arrived in Burgundy's Cote d'Or, at the gates of a vineyard that spread for miles. We were going to work here fruit picking for a couple of weeks. The long September days of sunny warm weather, working and living the dream in the great outdoors close to nature earning the princely sum of 8 euros an hour.
We stayed in a workers purpose built house where we slept 4 to a room. Men had their rooms with facilities for ablutions attached and there was a couple of rooms reserved for the women. We enjoyed our meals in a clean spacious kitchen attached to the building.
We were too tired in the evenings to do anything but eat and sleep.
There was a terrifying scream that woke everybody in the middle of the night. We threw our clothes on and raced outside . A volley of shots rang out as the foreman appeared with a smoking gun, a wild boar had roamed into the vineyard
That night 100 workers feasted on fresh wild boar meat
to encounter a wild boar that had roamed into the vineyard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Attempt No.3 ~ Finally finished
FLASH FICTION FOR ASPIRING WRITERS
TERROR IN THE VINEYARD
by John Yeo
"We had been backpacking in France all summer. Excitedly we arrived in Burgundy's Cote d'Or, at the gates of a vineyard that spread for miles. We were going to work here fruit picking for a couple of weeks. The long September days of sunny warm weather, working and living the dream in the great outdoors close to nature, earning the princely sum of 8 euros an hour.
We stayed in a workers purpose built house where we slept 4 to a room. The men had their rooms with facilities for ablutions attached and there were a couple of rooms reserved for the women.
We were too tired in the evenings to do anything but eat and sleep.
One day a terrified woman screamed. A terrifying scream that startled everybody in the middle of the vineyard. We threw our baskets down and raced forward . A volley of shots rang out as the foreman appeared with a smoking gun, a wild boar had roamed into the vineyard.
That night 100 workers feasted on fresh wild boar meat."
(175 Words)
Copyright © ~ Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Attempt No. 1
We were off to work in France for the holidays backpacking, we planned to spend a couple of weeks in Burgundy's Cote d'Or
The vineyard spread for miles
Mainly red grapes were grown here, known universally as blood on the vine
Vineyard work for backpackers in France fruit-picking
9 euros an hour, September to October.
Beautiful sunny warm weather with long days to spend in the great outdoors close to nature
We stayed in a workers purpose built house where we slept 4 to a room. Men had their rooms with facilities for ablutions attached and there was a couple of rooms reserved for the women. We enjoyed our meals in a clean spacious kitchen attached to the building. The work is hard and the hours are long.
We were too tired in the evenings to do anything but eat and sleep.
There was a terrifying scream that woke everybody in the middle of the night. We threw our clothes on and raced outside . A volley of shots rang out as the foreman appeared with a smoking gun, a wild boar had roamed into the vineyard
That night 100 workers feasted on fresh wild boar meat
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Attempt No.2
We had been backpacking in France all summer. Excitedly we arrived in Burgundy's Cote d'Or, at the gates of a vineyard that spread for miles. We were going to work here fruit picking for a couple of weeks. The long September days of sunny warm weather, working and living the dream in the great outdoors close to nature earning the princely sum of 8 euros an hour.
We stayed in a workers purpose built house where we slept 4 to a room. Men had their rooms with facilities for ablutions attached and there was a couple of rooms reserved for the women. We enjoyed our meals in a clean spacious kitchen attached to the building.
We were too tired in the evenings to do anything but eat and sleep.
There was a terrifying scream that woke everybody in the middle of the night. We threw our clothes on and raced outside . A volley of shots rang out as the foreman appeared with a smoking gun, a wild boar had roamed into the vineyard
That night 100 workers feasted on fresh wild boar meat
to encounter a wild boar that had roamed into the vineyard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Attempt No.3 ~ Finally finished
FLASH FICTION FOR ASPIRING WRITERS
TERROR IN THE VINEYARD
by John Yeo
"We had been backpacking in France all summer. Excitedly we arrived in Burgundy's Cote d'Or, at the gates of a vineyard that spread for miles. We were going to work here fruit picking for a couple of weeks. The long September days of sunny warm weather, working and living the dream in the great outdoors close to nature, earning the princely sum of 8 euros an hour.
We stayed in a workers purpose built house where we slept 4 to a room. The men had their rooms with facilities for ablutions attached and there were a couple of rooms reserved for the women.
We were too tired in the evenings to do anything but eat and sleep.
One day a terrified woman screamed. A terrifying scream that startled everybody in the middle of the vineyard. We threw our baskets down and raced forward . A volley of shots rang out as the foreman appeared with a smoking gun, a wild boar had roamed into the vineyard.
That night 100 workers feasted on fresh wild boar meat."
(175 Words)
Copyright © ~ Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Grapevines photographed by Vanessa Rodriguez.
This was the way I put this small piece of Flash fiction together from the prompt appearing on my timeline. I received a photograph of a vineyard, and my imagination just went in to overdrive. I spent a while researching all I could on French vineyards I chose France because I love the country and I love the French vineyards.
I looked up the seasons of the wine production, when the fruit is picked, casual work fruit picking in France, the wages, and accommodation.
I wanted a point to my story and there were not enough words to incorporate the death of a worker in the vineyard. I then had the idea of a wild animal on the rampage, but I was still very short of space to fit the ideas together.
I looked up wild animals in France, not very many! I thought of an escapee from a circus, perhaps a panther, or another big cat on the loose in the French countryside, living off the smaller animals in the wild. Finally
I settled for a Wild Boar, they are a fearsome native species and there are still some on the prowl.
I am very satisfied with the resulting piece of work.
I looked up the seasons of the wine production, when the fruit is picked, casual work fruit picking in France, the wages, and accommodation.
I wanted a point to my story and there were not enough words to incorporate the death of a worker in the vineyard. I then had the idea of a wild animal on the rampage, but I was still very short of space to fit the ideas together.
I looked up wild animals in France, not very many! I thought of an escapee from a circus, perhaps a panther, or another big cat on the loose in the French countryside, living off the smaller animals in the wild. Finally
I settled for a Wild Boar, they are a fearsome native species and there are still some on the prowl.
I am very satisfied with the resulting piece of work.
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