PHOTO PROMPT © Lisa Fox
If you like my work, buy me a virtual cup of coffee at Ko-Fi.
He didn’t remember how he got here. It was some sort of posh restaurant. He was alone, although there were two menus on the table. An unknown appetizer was sitting in front of him looking particularly vile.
The taste of his soft drink made him want to vomit. He tried to act calm, then realized not only did he not know where he was, he didn’t know who he was.
He started to get up when a fairly attractive young woman approached.
“Hello. I’m Joy, your server. Welcome to your first day at cognitive depression treatment clinic. Shall we begin?”
I wrote this for Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ 14 April 2023 edition of Friday Fictioneers. The idea is to use the image above as the inspiration for crafting a poem or short story no more that 100 words long. My word count is 100.
Insomnia is a mother bear and I woke up at a terribly early hour, unable to go back to sleep. After fruitless tossing and turning, I got out of bed, and not in the best of all possible moods.
I was actually looking forward to this morning’s writing challenge, hoping to siphon off some of my sleep deprived angst. This is what came out after I saw the photo.
To read other stories inspired by the prompt, visit inlinkz.
Promotional image of my short story “The Simulated Woman.”
If you’re interested in any of my published works, my cyberpunk short story “The Simulated Woman” is currently available through the Starry Eyed Press anthology Existential Hologram: A Science Fiction Anthology.
Kennedy Ashe is a software designer developing a multi-player holographic video game. But she discovers that she’s not only playing a character in the game, she is that character. She’s also a car accident victim, a hospital patient suffering from brain damage, an old woman dying of cancer, and about to be murdered by both the people she cares about and their alien monsters. Which of these lives belongs to the real Kennedy and when she finds it, where will it lead her?
poweredbyrobots.com 
After an hour of CDT that starter will taste more appetising
LikeLike
Perhaps. Thanks.
LikeLike
Gotta hate insomnia. Great story though. fits well with sleep deprivation. Hope you find the rest soon.
LikeLike
Me too. Thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds like he’s in the right place, but will he be cured? I like how you leave the story, makes me want to know what happens next.
LikeLike
I can only do so much with 100 words. 😉 Thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is the stuff of real nightmares. I hate the thought of not knowing who or where I am.
LikeLike
It’s pretty unsettling, but I imagine the clinic staff can fill him in as part of his therapy. On the other hand, I did try to give it a “Twilight Zone” feel.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It works, I was confused and unsettled.
LikeLike
So is he. Thanks.
LikeLike
You capture the confusion and tension of mental anxiety. My worries are swept away at the end when a world of ‘Joy’ comes to the rescue. Great piece.
LikeLike
I chose her name deliberately for that reason. Thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not a good start to his therapy session.
LikeLike
Depending on what he’s suffering from, it may be the only place to start.
LikeLike
As a cognitive-behavorial practitioner, I am intrigued to know what comes next. And I agree with you. Insomnia is the pits. I quit fighting it, get up, heat up a little milk with vanilla and nutmeg, read for half-an-hour, and usually am able to go to sleep. Usually.
LikeLike
Well, what comes next is more in the realm of The Twilight Zone, so probably nothing you’ve been involved in. I can’t really afford your solution since I have a hard stop for sleep at 5 a.m.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Knowing someone that’s been there, he’ll either accept the situation or fight it. Guess we’ll never know!
LikeLike
Probably not. Thanks.
LikeLike
Oh, man, let’s hope that isn’t the way they are going to start treating depression.
LikeLike
You don’t know what comes next or why he can’t remember who he is.
LikeLike
I’m sorry about your lack of sleep, but you used it well to write a very intriguing story. And, so it begins and there is hope. That’s what matters … hope. Nicely done, James!
LikeLike
Thanks, Brenda.
LikeLike