photo prompt ©majesticgoldenrose
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Hi FFAW, I’m new on this flash fiction challenge. I look forward to meeting all of you.
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Earl eyed the calf peering at him through the gate. A warm glow bloomed in his chest. The calf was yet another product of his labour over the years.
The warm glow receded as a memory pushed to the surface. Empty dams and empty warehouses. Subsidised bags of grain arriving on government vehicles, at first enough to get through the season, but later cut by half. He, and the other farmers, were forced to let their cattle roam in search of grass growing on the side of the highways. If they didn’t die from starvation, they were killed by trucks. When they herded them home, Earl pitied their bony frames. Cattle should never be bony.
A low bleating moan pierced the air and the memories evaporated. He smiled. A cow in labour. His herd, and balance sheet, just expanded. The air smelled musty. He didn’t have to look up at the dark clouds gathering to know that more rain was coming.
161 words
Written for Flash Fiction For Aspiring Writers, a challenge to write an entire story in 100 – to 175 words.
Fatima Fakier 
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