Tag Archives: drabble

Vive la révolution

tower

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

“So, what does it do?” Alex shifted the weight on his shoulder for balance while looking at the giant glass “Tetris” piece. The sun was just coming up. Time was running out.

“It doesn’t do anything,” said Giselle. “It’s just another tourist trap.”

“La Tour du Port de Montréal.” Alex sighted in on the center of mass through his viewfinder. “A waste tax money.”

“I think it’s pretty.” Giselle smiled coquettishly.

“It comes down,” snarled Alex.

“Pity,” frowned Giselle.

“For mouvement souverainiste du Québec.” Alex pulled the trigger on his portable rocket launcher. The explosion and collapsing tower were spectacular.

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Going to Shea Stadium

guitars

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

“Have a seat.” Jackie’s voice was young and encouraging.

“Learn to play guitar at my age?” Anxiety from the time he tried learning the trumpet when he was ten surged in his seventy-one-year-old chest.

“Learning something new will keep you young,” his granddaughter said. “It sharpens the mind and…”

“There’s nothing wrong with my mind,” he complained. “I’m still inventing and just made a breakthrough.”

“I know you like music,” she said.

“Sure, as a consumer,” he said. “Look, I know you’re trying to help, but my time machine’s warmed up by now. August 15, 1965 and Shea Stadium await.”

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Another Morning Alone

sitting room

PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook

Another morning alone sitting in front of the window. Another morning with my wee table absent of a decent game of checkers. Dim, gray light pours through the window while the desk lamp emits a warmer, golden glow.

I wish I’d gotten more sleep last night but the missus continues to refuse to admit she snores. The sofa was comfortable, but then she started banging around the kitchen fixing breakfast.

Finally, she and the grandchildren are off for the day. No use avoiding it.

I get up and transfer my lazy, tuchus to the computer chair. Time to start writing.

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One Sweet Ride

Teds-Car-in-the-Woods

PHOTO PROMPT © Ted Strutz

Larry hurt all over. He was too old to be tramping through the woods.

His legs felt as wooden as his cane. He’d fall without the support and even if he didn’t break a hip, he might not be able to get back up.

“Made it,” he croaked.

He had no idea how the remains of the ’48 Dodge Sedan had gotten out here. He did know the first time he sat behind the driver’s seat decades ago, it took him back to the days of his youth.

He didn’t want to die in the insanity of the world today.

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What About The Bob?

the bob

PHOTO PROMPT © Lisa Fox

“Not this one either, Lilly,” Martin complained. “This isn’t a person, just some building.”

“You wanted a bob,” said the virtual avatar.

“As in haircut, not a…” He consulted his heads-up menu. “Big Old Building.”

The immediate environment shuffled through a series of images like cards.

“You didn’t like Hailey Bieber, Jenna Ortega, Zendaya, Megan Thee Stallion…”
“Megan Thee Stallion, yuck,” spat Martin. “1920s. I said I wanted a VR simulation of an actress from the 1920s…”

“…I know,” said Lilly “…bob haircut.”

“Wait. That’s her!”

“Louise Brooks,” said Lilly. “Yes, she’s rather fetching.”

“Run her first movie for me.”

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We’ll Come Back To Wake You Up

graveyard

PHOTO PROMPT – © J Hardy Carroll

“Where are we, Sarah?” Five-year-old Emily sat in the grass with her best friend from kindergarten.

“The old graveyard,” said Sarah. “It’s where you find dead people.”

Emily’s mouth gaped. “You mean like my pet turtle that Mommy buried in the backyard?”

“I mean like Great-Grandma who was so old she didn’t know her own name anymore.”

“She’s under here?” Emily touched the flat stone.

“They’ve been dead lots longer,” said Sarah.

“Are we supposed to be here?” Emily looked to see if Mommy was watching.

“No, but it’s okay. We’ll sneak back tonight and wake one of them up.”

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Battle of the Pots

pots

PHOTO PROMPT © Jen Pendergast

“You are both fools,” sneered Potted Plant. “I’m the one she checks on daily to see if I have enough water. Look how my glorious green leaves adorn the kitchen.”

“Oh, shut up,” groused Electric Pot.

“You tell her,” said Other Pot.

“Whatever,” said EP.

“You think your coffee is better?” complained OP.

“Coffee? That horrible smelling stuff? It makes me wilt.”

“Quiet,” hissed EP. “She’s coming.”

“Who gets the water this morning?” whispered OP.

Marcia stumbled into the kitchen that fateful Monday morning after a long weekend of partying. “God, I’d kill for a cup of coffee right now.”

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Out of the Chrysalis

crystals

PHOTO PROMPT © Marie Gail Stratford

The crystals surrounded and penetrated me. It didn’t hurt, but I did experience the horrifying feeling of my very identity being drained away.

The corporations sold the government the idea that instead of changing the climate, they could change human beings to adapt to the rising temperatures and levels of carbon dioxide.

They told us it worked. They never said what it cost. The people behind “the change” were isolated from the crystals in underground bunkers. That wasn’t going to help them.

We did change. When we emerged from our chrysalis, we were far too deadly for them to control.

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Cut Down

stump

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

Emory heard that you could tell how old a tree is by the number of rings in its trunk. He had no idea how to figure the age of the stump in front of his place. The city had ordered the beautiful shade tree cut down because it was a hazard.

Pity. He used to sit underneath it with his grandchildren and read to them. He played hide-and-go-seek with them behind it by never quite hiding. It had been his harbinger of winter and his herald of spring.

Now, like him, it was just a broken relic of the past.

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A Finally Perfect World

Chateau

PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook

Ali met Marie after her tour of the old French chateau. In ages past it was the manor or palace of the noble class.

Of course, no one could live like that anymore.

“Was it enjoyable?” Ali asked. He fanned himself. The museum weather simulation was too realistically warm.

“Enlightening, though a bore,” she said stepping into ersatz sunlight.

“Hard to believe people used to live this way.” Ali strode beside her toward the hidden exit.

“I’m glad our world is completely equitable, but let’s hurry.” Feeling an uncomfortable twinge of individuality, she walked faster toward the mental conditioning station.

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