PHOTO PROMPT © David Stewart
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“The light! We won! The Violet Party won!”
The ballots had been counted throughout the night while the faithful of both parties waited patiently. Then in the pre-dawn chill, the verdict was pronounced. The Violet Party, fighting for Democracy, safety, knowledge, and love had won.
The filthy “yellows” crawled off tails-between-legs. The righteous “violets” cheered wildly in the streets.
Violet One made her expected victory announcement from the high window. “We are victorious. You may be at ease. Go to your jobs secure that we, your servants, shall make all of the difficult decisions. Your only duty is to obey.”
It’s Wednesday and once again time to begin our participation in Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ 10 November 2023 edition of Friday Fictioneers. The idea is to use the image at the top of the page as a prompt for crafting a poem or short story no more than 100 words long. My word count is exactly 100.
In a number of states including mine, yesterday was Election Day. My ballot was pretty sparse containing only three entries, but I wanted to make my vote count, particularly for Mayor.
I also noted both yesterday and this morning there was a great amount of commentary about certain states (not mine) and certain issues that parties (well, one a lot more than another) were expressing themselves over. While I hope we each vote our interests and our conscience, it’s a bit naïve to assume that either major party isn’t in it for themselves first, while everything else is marketing (yes, I know that sounds cynical).
With all that in mind, I crafted today’s tale. Some of my other influences were the novel “1984” by George Orwell and “The Time Machine” by H.G. Wells (think “Eloi”).
To read other stories based on the prompt, visit inlinkz.
Cover art for the anthology “Pocket SciFi: Drabble Contest One”
If you don’t typically follow my blog, I just recently announced that nine out of ten of my submitted science fiction drabbles have been published in the Starry Eyed Press anthology Pocket SciFi: Drabble Contest One, available in both Kindle and Paperback formats.
I have to credit the “Friday Fictioneers” for honing my drabble-writing skills. There’s even one “Fictioneers” story that made it into the anthology with only minor alterations.
I hope those of you (or anyone) who write these Friday challenges and who like science fiction are moved to purchase, read, and (especially) review this book. The proceeds go to supporting emerging and established indie authors, so the cause should be near and dear to us all.
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A different result would have required dissolving the electorate and appointing a new one
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I wouldn’t mind starting fresh.
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Oy. Perhaps not such a good result after all.
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I’m not sure there can be a good result.
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There’s a certain type that goes into politics and you see what having them at the helm does.
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Indeed.
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“Your only duty is to obey.” Very ominous.
Congrats on the publication!
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It is ominous. Thanks.
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I can hear the echo of double speak here. “We are your servants, you must obey us.” Well written. Most of the things on the ballot here were races with only one candidate, so it wasn’t hard to choose. We didn’t get any interesting ballot initiatives.
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I think there were only a few states with “hot topics” on the ballot. Yes, Orwell’s “1984” was one of my influences. Thanks.
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‘Democracy, safety, knowledge and love.’ It sounds ideal. What a shame it’s not. Very good. Excellent ending.
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Yes, it is a shame. Unfortunately that’s not how politics works. Thank you, Margaret.
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Too often, they promise one thing and do another. That’s politics.
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Yes, and that’s my point. It’s politics regardless of who is thought to be good or bad.
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My mind jumped at the end…what a hollow victory. But that is democracy for you, we must obey what other people want.
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I have no faith that our “leaders” see themselves as our “servants.”
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Not sure I like her last comment in the speech. Chilling.
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Oh, that comment is nothing we should like and yes, it’s chilling. Perhaps the most frightening thing about it is how close it is to our reality.
“You’ll own nothing and you’ll be happy” is a phrase originating in a 2016 video by the World Economic Forum (WEF), summarising an essay written by Danish politician Ida Auken.
Now that’s chilling.
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if the majority remains on the sidelines, the squeaky politicians get the vote. sad.
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What if they’re all “squeaky?”
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Lots of talk about the elections and politics today. We so desperately need a change for the better.
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I totally agree.
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Dear James,
Why do I feel this is too close to reality for comfort. That last line sent shivers.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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The best fiction is real. Thanks.
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