Anhedonia

lightning

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

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A storm was coming. It was perfect. A trick of the wind let him hear the laughter of old men swapping jokes at the nearby truck stop. Wyatt trudged through the freight yard. Old, rusted cargo containers were stacked high around him. In another life he would have found it artistic.

He couldn’t feel the humor in laughter nor the joy in art anymore. He hadn’t for a long time. Not since she came to stay.

She never spoke. She didn’t have to. He could feel her mood, her one mood always with him.

The demon Anhedonia brooked no pleasure.

Once again it’s time to participate in Rochelle Wisoff-Fields 1 September 2023 edition of Friday Fictioneers. The idea is to use the image above as a prompt for crafting a short story or poem no more than 100 words long. My word count is exactly 100.

I had a theme picked out already when Rochelle’s email hit my inbox. It was just a matter of getting it to fit around whatever photograph she offered. This one worked very well.

Anhedonia is the inability to feel pleasure in any activity or state. There are various manifestations, but the sufferer generally believes they will never feel anything good again.

There are a variety of causes including serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It can also be related to Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and substance abuse recovery issues, according to the WebMD website.

There are a number of medical and psychiatric treatments. I once heard a person say that engaging in high intensity experiences such as sky diving or bungie cord jumping helps. In this case a lightning strike, metaphorically speaking, might do the trick.

To read other stories based on the prompt, visit inlinkz.

To read more of my work, try the SciFi/Fantasy novelette ICE.

ice
At the end of time, the world is hot and men travel the vast oceans in merchant sailing ships. Captain Ki-Moon Yong of the Star of Jindo has discovered a new horror at the bottom of the world. Can he and the Star escape disaster long enough to warn a disbelieving world?

34 thoughts on “Anhedonia”

  4. The sunken mood is well shown in such few words. He needs to go on a quest to seek out the source of his affliction and find laughter.

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  7. The intensity here feels exactly like a storm brewing. I read reading an article about anhedonia only last week – the writer said is was a common but rarely-acknowledged aspect of depression. I’m pretty sure I could have told him that a couple of decades ago as a teenager. Anyway, your story depicts it well. I’m left wondering if it’s a supernatural tale about an actual demon or a metaphorical one. Either way, this would make a strong opening to a longer piece if you ever fancied writing it.

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    • Actually, I like shipping containers and so find them artistic. It’s like being in a big field of giant Legos. I’ve even seen how some of them are converted into very creative homes. That’s not the source of Wyatt’s woes.

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