Tunnel Visions

dales-tunnels

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

Hill always came to places like this when he couldn’t sleep. He needed the dreams but without sleep, there were only visions.

In his visions, he’s alone usually by choice. People made too much noise. When he couldn’t sleep, it was because his own brain made too much noise and because he couldn’t let go of the world’s noise.

This one was better lit than most. It was quiet, but a little cold. He heard his footsteps on crumbling concrete. It was like a science fiction dystopia.

At the end of the tunnel, could he rest in a better world?

It’s Wednesday and time once again to participate in Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ 24 January 2025 edition of Friday Fictioneers.

The idea is to use the image above as the prompt for crafting a poem or short story no more than 100 words long. My word count is exactly 100.

I can’t sleep. I’m tired and did drop off for three or four hours, but when I woke up, the “noise” in my head won’t let me drop off.

I did some reading but that only woke me up more (usually, it has the opposite effect when I’m tired).

So I noodled around social media for a bit (probably where all my “brain noise” is coming from) and here I am.

My wee missive is a reflection of all that filtered through Dale’s photo which really did make me think of a dystopian future.

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

shoot the devil 3 banner

Promotional image for “Shoot the Devil 3: Militia of Martyrs”

My short story “The Book of Names” is now available in the anthology Shoot the Devil 3: Martyr’s Militia. It’s a collection of tales chronicling the ages old battle of good vs. evil, mainly from a Christian perspective.

My story is a little more circumspect, although it does lean heavily on demonology and how the final utterance of one Name will defeat all evil. I hope some of you pick up a copy and have a read. Thanks.

22 thoughts on “Tunnel Visions”

  2. I can relate to the difficulty sleeping. Once asleep, I’m fine, but it’s getting to sleep that’s the problem. As you say: the noise in my head! If there is a better world at the end of the tunnel, let me know!

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  3. Letting go of the world’s “Noise”… a good thing, especially in this present age. Great story this week. Worthy of thinking about while trying to stay warm in the deep freeze. This morn, it’s -2F with wind chills well below zero… Like around -18F – ish. Brrrr….

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