Bernadette Braganza

Playful Pocket-sized Plots.

WEP: The Horrible Harvest

***Year 2019**”

It was a beautiful night.

“Chriiiiirup… Chriiiiirup… Chriiiiirup” could be heard as dusk settled and the locals walked home.

***Later***

The sound of an electronic saw pierced the air. Crash! went the sound of the first one, then the second and then the third. Peace changed to chaos as activists were arrested, others detained as they tried to get home.

Social media and news channels were full of it but who could stop the forces of development?

***Year 2069***

An old man struggled to get home with an almost empty oxygen cylinder. A good Samaritan saw him collapse and rushed over to give him a breath of fresh air from his own cylinder.

Thankfully the ‘life-saving’ cylinder refill van was just around the corner.

Word Count 126 : FCA

This month’s WEP theme is ‘Horrible Harvest’. Join us for a spooky time!

Bernadette Braganza

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50 responses to “WEP: The Horrible Harvest”

  1. Cara Hartley Avatar
    Cara Hartley

    Let me try this using my Facebook account. WordPress hates me and won’t publish my comments half the time.
    You made excellent use of a very few words to create an all-too-plausible dystopian scenario. Well done!
    ~Cie~

    Like

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    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Thanks Cara 🙂 I understand that sometimes WordPress can make things difficult.

      Like

      Reply
  2. Nilanjana Bose Avatar
    Nilanjana Bose

    Wow! The Aarey crisis and its ramifications nailed in such a teeny tiny wordcount. Well done.

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    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Thanks Nilanjana 🙂

      Like

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  3. patgarcia Avatar
    patgarcia

    Hi,
    Beautiful job. The consequences of the disrespect of nature. We humans can be quite arrogant until we realise the consequences of our arrogance.

    Shalom aleichem,
    Pat G

    Like

    Reply
    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      That’s right. It’s time we worked to solve it.

      Like

      Reply
  4. rxena77 Avatar
    rxena77

    Evocative and all too likely to happen

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    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Thanks Roland 🙂

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  5. Jemi Fraser Avatar
    Jemi Fraser

    The damage we humans can inflict in such a short span of time is terrifying!

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    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      True. Thanks for reading.

      Like

      Reply
  6. Elephant's Child Avatar
    Elephant’s Child

    A truly horrible harvest indeed.
    One which I fear we will all reap – and bottle and can.

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    Reply
    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Maybe it’s time to think about setting up oxygen bottling businesses.

      Like

      Reply
  7. Olga Godim Avatar
    Olga Godim

    Oh, that’s just horrible. You always write such powerful stories in so few words.

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    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Thanks Olga 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  8. L.G. Keltner Avatar
    L.G. Keltner

    It’s amazing how much impact you have with so few words! Humans tend to wreak havoc on nature without considering the long term consequences. Being at the mercy of the refill van would be horrifying. How much does a refill cost, I wonder?

    Well done!

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    Reply
    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Well, I didn’t have enough time to take a look at the rate card (my time machine’s ready to stay in a place only for a limited period of time).

      Like

      Reply
  9. Toi Thomas Avatar
    Toi Thomas

    So few words with so much impact. Wonderful- a scary and probable future, the stuff of nightmares or perhaps just our own destruction.

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    Reply
    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      If we keep on the same course I’m expecting that it’s gonna be the second.

      Like

      Reply
  10. Cyndi Avatar
    Cyndi

    You said so much with so little. Well done!

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    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Thanks Cyndi 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  11. Denise Covey Avatar
    Denise Covey

    So we need to listen to the Climate Extinction activists and take action. Seems governments won’t listen or are too slow to act. Easier to call these citizens ratbags. One day your story could be the truth. (((shivers))) A great tale for Horrible Harvest.

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    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Unfortunately, it already seems to have started 😦

      Like

      Reply
  12. Kalpana Avatar
    Kalpana

    This is so sad and so possible. Harvesting trees with no thought for what it means. Very strong message in a very tiny story.

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    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Thanks Kalpana.

      Like

      Reply
  13. Sally Stackhouse Avatar
    Sally Stackhouse

    A short tale, a summary of what could happen in the span of 50 years, frightening when you actually think about the consequences of our actions now.

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    Reply
    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Yup.

      Like

      Reply
  14. Dixie Jarchow Avatar
    Dixie Jarchow

    Great short piece.

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    Reply
    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Thanks Dixie 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  15. Pat Hatt Avatar
    Pat Hatt

    A future that may not be so far-fetched indeed if humanity keeps on a going the way we are. Sure packed a punch indeed.

    Like

    Reply
    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Thanks Pat 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  16. hilarymb Avatar
    hilarymb

    Hi Bernadette – so many thoughts here … but your story could ring true so easily and in a very short time … we need ‘to do’ and to understand … and encourage everyone to realise what’s at stake – and what it’ll take to fix things … all of us – passive watchers, activists without killing or breaking things/people et al … we need to work together …. brilliantly written with so few words. Good for you – cheers Hilary

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    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Thanks Hilary.

      Like

      Reply
  17. Carrie Ann Golden Avatar
    Carrie Ann Golden

    Sounds like a good example of you reap what you sow kind of story!

    Like

    Reply
    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Hmmm, never actually thought of it that way.

      Like

      Reply
  18. rolandclarke Avatar
    rolandclarke

    Short and powerful green message. Tragically, that future is becoming too real.

    Like

    Reply
    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Well… There’s still some hope, hopefully.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  19. susanrouchard Avatar
    susanrouchard

    Congratulations Bernadette. In a nutshell, you nailed it. May there be more and more organic harvests and not horrendous ones. March to stop pesticides, fuel powering, littering, plastic.
    Have a sweet Halloween.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Thanks Susan 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  20. Elephant's Child Avatar
    Elephant’s Child

    HUGE congratulations on your totally deserved WEP win.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Thank you 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  21. patgarcia Avatar
    patgarcia

    Good Morning!
    Congratulations on winning the WEP October Challenge.
    All the best.
    Shalom aleichem,
    Pat G

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Thanks Pat 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  22. rolandclarke Avatar
    rolandclarke

    Congratulations on well deserved win. Let’s hope the outcome for our world is positive too.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      If we all work together, it should!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  23. Toi Thomas Avatar
    Toi Thomas

    Congratulations on your award. It’s well deserved. Can’t wait to see your next submission.

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    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Thanks Toi 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  24. hilarymb Avatar
    hilarymb

    Hi Bernadette – congratulations on winning this month’s WEP … it is a brilliant story ,,. as Toi says – I too can’t wait for your next story … cheers Hilary

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      Thanks Hilary 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  25. Rebecca Douglass Avatar
    Rebecca Douglass

    Great job with the prompt, though I sure hope you aren’t prescient!

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    Reply
    1. Bernadette Braganza Avatar
      Bernadette Braganza

      I hope too. Thanks for reading 🙂

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