PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot

“I’m in a city somewhere.” Rand stood on the sidewalk looking at his reflection in the windows of the building across the street. He pulled out his wallet.

“Yeah, plenty of cash and a credit card.” He stopped when he saw the name and address on the drivers license. “My picture, but from a long time ago.”

It got worse when he saw the expiration date.

“That was decades ago.” He looked at his reflection again. He was so young.

“What happened?” Then he remembered the wish he made. He had been dying. Cancer.

A voice said, “Welcome to Heaven.”

It’s Wednesday and time to participate in this week’s edition of Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ Friday Fictioneers. The idea is to use the image up above as the prompt for crafting a poem or short story no more than 100 words long. My word count is exactly 100.

Cover image for my novel “A Wobblegong and His Boy”

I haven’t had a lot of sleep in the past couple of nights. It’s early, and the coffee hasn’t kicked in yet. I think this story is a result of too much social media and being bombarded with OPPs (other people’s priorities). The idea that what is important to others MUST also be important to me.

The image reminded me vaguely of when I lived in San Francisco back in the 1970s and early 80s. I could never live there now, but back when I was young, it was very exciting with lots of opportunities. Life also didn’t seem to be that complicated, but then, with no internet, the only bombardment came from the news.

I’m sure when I wake up, I’ll perceive Heaven as a much more peaceful place.

To read other stories based on the prompt or to contribute your own story, visit inlinkz.

The big news is that this coming Friday, March 6, my novel “A Wobblegong and His Boy” will go on pre-sale. It publishes two weeks later on March 20. For more, visit Raconteur Press (scroll down a bit).