PHOTO PROMPT © Ted Strutz
“This is just like before. Look at the image and tell me what you see.”
Ron sat across the table from Dr. Anita Smythe in the mint-green examination room, his blue eyes staring at the photo.
“Bad art.”
“Does it evoke any particular thoughts or emotions?” she asked.
“Only that I’m getting tired of this charade.”
“Ron, it’s not a…”
He slammed his fists on the table and she jumped at the sound.
The door burst open and two armed guards ran in.
“It’s okay,” said Smythe. “Reprogramming someone to be an assassin…”
“…is dangerous work,” Ron completed the sentence.
It’s Wednesday and once again time to participate in Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ 20 June 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 must admit that Ted’s photo didn’t do much for me when I first saw it. I swilled coffee for a moment and then let my imagination produce the first thing that popped up. This is the result.
To read other stories based on the prompt, visit inlinkz.
Cover art for “Dames, Derringers and Detectives: Moggie Noir”
My crime noir short story “Last Wish of a Dead Man” is now available in the Raconteur Press anthology Dames, Derringers and Detectives: Moggie Noir. The story requirements included a hard-boiled detective, a murder, and especially a cat. The third in my “Margie Potter: Haunted Detective” series made the cut.
Also, my horror short story “Haunting Chloe” is now available in the ghost story anthology Haunted Places (universal link) by Blackbird Publishing. Pick up a copy of each, give them a read, and don’t forget to leave honest reviews at Amazon and Goodreads.
Oh, a number of my fantasy and science fiction drabbles (some of which were previously featured in “Friday Fictioneers) as well as a recently submitted ghost story, are in various stages of acceptance, editing, and publication. I’ll tell you more as things develop.
poweredbyrobots.com 
There was quite a military research programme after World War Two to discover just how to get ore ordinary people to be willing and able to kill
LikeLike
How did it work out?
LikeLike
In Abu Ghraib
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great story, Neil. Your timing is perfect! Love that ending!
LikeLike
Sorry. I don’t know why I typed Neil.
LikeLike
No worries. Thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my! That took a dangerous turn!
LikeLike
It did indeed. Thanks, Violet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess, like all jobs, there is some training involved. Not all are up to the task, thankfully
LikeLike
This is more than training. Think “The Bourne Identity” movies where a person is pretty much “rewired” to be a top-flight assassin.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I realise that…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great story. Always interesting when people play with each others minds.
LikeLike
Thanks, Will.
LikeLike
quite a thrilling plot…
LikeLike
Thank you, Nandini.
LikeLike
Quite a thriller this one!
LikeLike
Thanks, Dahlia.
LikeLiked by 1 person
it looks like she has more work to do before the transformation is completed. 🙂
LikeLike
That she does.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This seems like the beginning of a cult, programming or perhaps brain washing their members to commit murder.
LikeLike
Just the government manufacturing assassins.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great twist 🙌
LikeLike
Thank you.
LikeLike
Cool story!
LikeLike
Thanks, Dawn.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oooo a twist! A quite a red herring here. Nicely done.
LikeLike
Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person