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A Night To Remember #flashfiction

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Hugh W. Roberts

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April 1 2021, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about a swift passage. You can take inspiration from any source. Who is going where and why. What makes it swift? Go where the prompt leads!

A Night To Remember – by Hugh W. Roberts

Like they’d been told when booking their tickets, this would be a swift journey. But for some, the swiftness would become a little longer.

The bright light came from nowhere. It was only the reflection of moonlight that brought it to the attention of some of the passengers.

Its swift passage from its home would only bring death and destruction.

Like a giant sculpture in the middle of the ocean, the iceberg towered above everything. Thirty-nine-year-old *Mr Hugh Roscoe Rood joined just over fifteen hundred others on their swift passage from the Titanic to the next world.

Bon voyage.

***

*Mr Hugh Roscoe Rood was an actual passenger abroad the Titanic.

The RMS Titanic sank in the early morning hours of 15 April 1912 in the North Atlantic Ocean, four days into her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. 

Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch. Click here to join in.

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44 responses to “A Night To Remember #flashfiction”

  1. How To Write Yourself Into A Piece Of Fiction Without Knowing It « Carrot Ranch Literary Community avatar
    How To Write Yourself Into A Piece Of Fiction Without Knowing It « Carrot Ranch Literary Community

    […] It got me wondering. Had I’d unknowingly written myself into this piece of flash fiction, I’d titled ‘A Night To Remember.’ […]

    Reply
  2. Norah avatar
    Norah

    That’s a great take on the prompt, Hugh. I was at first thinking aliens. Then I realised with that great iceberg. It did sink swiftly. Didn’t have much of a trip either.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Thanks, Norah. When I read the prompt words, I instantly saw a ship on a passage to somewhere. I included the Titanic in another short story when I first started blogging. It’s prompted something for my next column post.

      Reply
      1. Norah avatar
        Norah

        It’s good to be inspired in a variety of ways.

        Reply
  3. Swift Passage « Carrot Ranch Literary Community avatar
    Swift Passage « Carrot Ranch Literary Community

    […] A Night To Remember Hugh W. Roberts […]

    Reply
  4. Charli Mills avatar
    Charli Mills

    I didn’t expect the Titanic, yet what a swift passage it made for too many. Creative take on the prompt, Hugh!

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Thanks, Charli. When I read your prompt, I immediately saw a big ship in my mind. Given it’s the 111th anniversary of the Titanic sinking this month, my creative mind had already decided the location for my piece of flash fiction.

      Reply
  5. Terri Webster Schrandt avatar
    Terri Webster Schrandt

    Having seen the movie Titanic with Leo, I could imagine easily what your words conveyed. And yep, I almost danced down the spaceship road, but this was quite cool to read your perspective on a historical event. Well done, Hugh! (Status…having trouble getting WP to cooperate with reading posts from emails. Using my phone for wifi hotspot for a few minutes to catch up and update my Sunday Stills page. Marsha is hosting one more week for “Emerge” and even without internet for the rest of the month, I will be back again). I miss my online blog friends too much!

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      I’m sorry to hear about your wifi problems, Terri. The last time we moved house, I had similar problems. Everything seemed so slow and painful while waiting for pages to download and open. Like you, I was using the wifi from my then iPhone 4! It was like Christmas Day when the superfast wifi was connected to the house.

      Thank you for the lovely compliments on this piece of flash fiction. This post has spurred an article for my next column over at the Carrot Ranch, being published w/c 10th May (not w/c 3rd May – as I told Liesbet). The first draft is already written.

      It hopefully won’t be too long before you’ve got wifi again. In the meantime, I hope you’re settling in nicely in your new home. Hope there are not too many boxes left to unpack.

      Reply
      1. Terri Webster Schrandt avatar
        Terri Webster Schrandt

        Thanks, Hugh. Once we get internet it will be fast since it’s all fiber. Not bad for living in a rural area. I will be back on the 18th regardless, hosting SS again. I’m still having difficulty accessing WP from my outlook email account from my android phone. BTW, I have tons of boxes left to unpack. It took a year to pack and probably that long to unpack, lol! 😁🤪

        Reply
        1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
          Hugh W. Roberts

          Just make sure the holiday decorations are unpacked by Dec 1st, Terri 🎅
          Looking forward to your return. Whenever I take a break from blogging, it’s not long before I want to be back in the thick of it.

          Reply
  6. Retirement Reflections avatar
    Retirement Reflections

    I felt the twist as well!
    You are very good at this — even when building in a twist unconsciously!

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Thank you, Donna. I had no intention of any twists in this short piece, so it’s great to hear that some of you are still finding them. That makes me smile.

      Reply
  7. Liesbet @ Roaming About avatar
    Liesbet @ Roaming About

    I didn’t realize that there were that many passengers aboard (abroad? :)) the Titanic. Great usage of the prompt, Hugh. Your creative juices keep flowing. Happy week!

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Over 2000 passengers on board the Titanic, Liesbet. Yet only enough lifeboats to carry 500. When the ship was built, it was claimed it was unsinkable. I don’t think they ever gave a thought that an iceberg would become the ship’s downfall. This story (and some of the comments) have sparked an idea for my next post over at the Carrot Ranch (due w/c 3rd May).

      Reply
  8. Aimer Boyz avatar
    Aimer Boyz

    Got me again. I was thinking aliens, or body snatchers… and then I read Titanic! :)

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Lol, I hadn’t intended this to have a twist, but it seems it does.

      Reply
  9. Dan Antion avatar
    Dan Antion

    Very nicely done!

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Thanks, Dan.

      Reply
  10. avatar
    Anonymous

    Brilliant Hugh I didn’t see that coming 💜

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      I’m not sure who you are, Anonymous, but thank you.

      Reply
  11. tidalscribe.com avatar
    tidalscribe.com

    If only they had mobile phones then – #iceberg on Instagram.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      When time travel becomes available to the general public in 2028, you’ll be able to do just that.

      Reply
      1. tidalscribe.com avatar
        tidalscribe.com

        It would be unlucky to take your first trip on a time machine and end up on the Titanic – unless you were in time to warn them, or has Doctor Who already done that?

        Reply
        1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
          Hugh W. Roberts

          You’ll only be able to spectate at first, so that stops anyone from altering history. Doctor Who has already been on the Titanic, but it was a liner that sailed in space rather than on the sea. Kylie Minogue had a starring role in the episode.

          Reply
  12. eob2 avatar
    eob2

    A night that went down (no pun intended) in history. Nice use of prompt.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Thank you. This is the 2nd time I’ve come back to setting a story onboard the Titanic.

      Reply
      1. eob2 avatar
        eob2

        You’re welcome, you might have a connection.

        Reply
        1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
          Hugh W. Roberts

          That’s an interesting thought. I was looking for a passenger with the same surname as me to use in the story. There was none, but the one I used stood out as he had the same first name as me.

          Reply
          1. eob2 avatar
            eob2

            You might have had a different name.

            Reply
  13. Cathy avatar
    Cathy

    Much said and imagined in a few words, Hugh.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Thanks, Cathy. The word prompts made me think of ships, which led me onto the Titanic. With the 109th anniversary of its sinking coming up soon, it seemed the perfect place to set the story.

      Reply
      1. Cathy avatar
        Cathy

        You certainly evoked the atmosphere.

        Reply
  14. Esther Chilton avatar
    Esther Chilton

    I really enjoyed that. You used the prompt really well, Hugh.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Thanks, Esther. I always know I’ve done particularly well with a prompt when I get a comment from you. After all, you’ve taught me a great deal in the art of writing short fiction.

      Reply
      1. Esther Chilton avatar
        Esther Chilton

        You really have grown as a writer, Hugh, and you should feel very proud of yourself.

        Reply
        1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
          Hugh W. Roberts

          Thanks, Esther.

          Reply
  15. Darlene avatar
    Darlene

    Excellent use of the prompt.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Thanks, Darlene. ‘Ships’ came to me as soon as I saw the prompt words.

      Reply

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