Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/polls/item_id/1264500-In-the-season-of-Mountains-weeping

No ratings.

Details

In the season of Mountains-weeping

by Kåre Enga in Udon Thani

Rated: 18+ · User Poll · Writing · #1264500

Short fiction re missing child. Where would you have it go from here. Inspired by McCanns

Poll Question:

In the Season of Mountains-weeping

Year 345, the season of Mountains-weeping, 45th day of the waxing moons

My son has been abducted, dear sister. I left him for a year at our cousins as I always do this season. He went camping, not wanting to wait until the moons began to wan, as we always taught him. It's been ten days already and now the villagers have heard and begun to ask. I know they mean well. But until the mountains stop weeping there is nothing we can do. No one can leave until its safe to cross them. 10 days ago, I was happy. Must I wait till next year to know? I only found out by sheer luck or perversity. Perhaps not knowing until he or his bones were found in some stone-eaglets nest would have been best. It is this dread of waiting that hurts, dear sister. Wish you could be here to give me a hug. ... [164.79]

How would you end this story?

A. Happily-ever-after? That's not an option!
B. The vampire vultures have found him. He will return to devour his family.
C. His family will be cast out and forced to seek the mercy of the mountains.
D. Life is a dream. This is a dream. We'll never know the truth; the story is in the telling of the dream ... he will speak through a dream.
E. The media where the cousins live will hound them to death, refusing to believe such innocent neglect. The child is found, but the family is destroyed.
F. Everyone will tear and rent their clothing until naked and bloody they come across a mirror, see how silly they look, then never speak of it again.
G. The child would've died someday anyways ... I'll write the obit. You get on with your life.
H. A series of novels portraying how this parental neglect scars the next 7 generations.
I. I'd write an epic poem of never-ending loss and regrets.
J. There WILL be a happy ending ... in about three generations ... when he'll be found, an old man telling stories about the kindness of cave-otters.

For those of you who may object, considering all the flurry of news stories about Madeleine McCann and her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann (a la Aruba vs Alabama last year), by seemingly trivializing what is a real life tragedy, please stop, think and pause ...

Is the media coverage real or fictional? And what part of reality will help the McCanns if Madeleine is never found, or found dead?

How would YOU end this fictional story?

Poll Options:

B. The vampire vultures have found him. He will return to devour his family.
C. His family will be cast out and forced to seek the mercy of the mountains.
D. Life is a dream. This is a dream. We'll never know the truth; the story is in the telling of the dream ...
E. The media where the cousins live will hound them to death, refusing to believe such innocent neglect. The child is found.
F. Everyone will tear and rent their clothing until naked and bloody they come across a mirror, see how silly they look ...
G. The child would've died anyways ... I'll write the obit. You get on with your life.
H. A series of novels portraying how this parental neglect scars the next 7 generations.
I. I'd write an epic poem of never-ending loss and regrets.
J. There WILL be a happy ending ... in about three generations ... when he'll be found, an old man telling stories ...

Note: Once you have voted, you will be shown the current results for this poll. You may only vote one time in each poll and you will see up to the minute results anytime you may view it again.

Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/polls/item_id/1264500-In-the-season-of-Mountains-weeping