The Castle – Alastair’s Photo Fiction

AnElephantCant forget this view
He saw it just before he crossed over
When he visited his pal
Our host here Big Al
Who has a house under the White Cliffs of Dover

This is a weekly invitation to write a short piece of fiction (c. 150 words) based on a photo prompt (below) provided by Alastair.
Follow the link to see some great stories by some great writers.
But please read AnElephant’s short piece first.
You know you want to!

Copyright Alastair Forbes

The Castle

He leads a vast army.
Yet the castle remains impregnable.
In 1,000 years it has never been taken by force.
But he knows a way.
He has a friend inside.
A friend who knows the secrets of the fortress and the rock.
Who knows the secret passage through the chalk.
They communicate using pigeons, smoke, whistles and notes on stones.
He learns of the hidden door and the key concealed in the crevice.
And the route through the tunnels to the heart of the keep.
He gathers a small band of his bravest knights.
In total darkness they scale the sheer rock face.
They enter at midnight, moving forward quietly by dim torchlight.
He is surprised when they find an iron grill, set into the walls, the floor, the ceiling.
Impassable.
He is even more surprised when the torrent of water crashes through the obstruction, sweeping him and his men back down the tunnel and over the cliff.
His last thought as he hurtles earthwards, gasping for air, is whether his friend was discovered and tortured, or simply betrayed him.