When the wrecking ball crashed into his childhood bedroom the crowd gasped. Dawes felt glee tinged with betrayal.
He could practically hear his mom, “how could you?!”
It’s just a house. He reasoned her nonexistent voice away.
“But the land. Your father!”
Dawes found himself pulling up his bank account on his phone. One glance reminded him why.
Those zero’s are worth it.
The wrecking ball crashed through his family’s living room.
“You’re not MY son.” Years later it still stung but Dawes shrugged it off.
But I am his and he built this road. It’s always been his plan.

Word Count: 100
For Friday Fictioneers
And down the road comes destruction behind a mask called progress
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Thanks Neil
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Interesting story – the way it shows how people come at things from their own unique angles. Nicely done, Kelley.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thank you Susan
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Perhaps he is right – maybe we put too much value on material things and bricks and mortar. Why not let go, and have a little revenge in the process? Nice work.
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Thanks Iain!
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It takes a lot to destroy a family home – I bet Dave had more motivation than just the zeros. With a possibly wicked step-mother being one of them.
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Very true, thank you for reading!
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There is more to this story than we see on the surface. Well-written piece.
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Thank you!
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Who needs houses? We need roads. There are enough people living on the street already. What’s a few more?
My friend’s aunt and uncle lost their house to eminent domain (I think) so the city could tear it down to widen a road. Dawes doesn’t seem too upset about it, but they were.
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Knock down the forest to make a parking lot? I think I would be upset to lose my house for a widened road but it is only a house.
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Put all the trees in a tree museum and charge a dollar and a half just to see ’em?
And a road us just a road. I think the forced move would be the worst part.
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