I thought growing old would take longer.

This is what I thought, no doubt about it.

I saw this quote on a t-shirt in the Signals Christmas catalogue this morning while going through my pile of papers that I stack on the kitchen counter to take care of “later.” Well, the stack is getting out-of-hand so now it’s “later” and this morning I’m finally getting around to it.

“Later” seems to come around more quickly than it used to.

The days are long but the years are short. – Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project

The Friday Fictioneer Challenge: Write a 100-word story based on the photo.

Photo copyright CE Ayr

Finding Out

Paula realized she and her friends heard different stories about the door over the years: hidden skeletons of lost children or a chained werewolf waiting for its next meal. When asked, her parents shrugged, feigning indifference, saying they’d never really paid attention.

She wasn’t about to take their word for it.

Swinging her flashlight over the shelves, Paula inspected the objects, each with an envelope in front. Her breathing slowed when she found her teddy bear, lost years ago (or so she thought), and the envelope addressed to her.

Dust fell away as she opened it, taking out the note.

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To read other Friday Fictioneer stories based on this photo, select the smiley blue frog.

The Friday Fictioneer Challenge: Write a 100-word story based on the photo.

Photo copyright Bjorn Rudberg

Feeling Lucky

Tahir found the couch, guided himself into a sitting position. He could feel the strong mid-afternoon sunlight through the windows. He remembered how bright the sunlight was, but now only some of it seeped through to his eyes. At best, everything was as dim as a romantic dinner in a fancy restaurant late at night.

There was nothing romantic about losing one’s eyesight, Tahir knew. His music kept him sane. He felt lucky he could continue his profession in his condition, even as the darkness steadily increased. It would be hard, yes, but doable.

Reaching for his bow, Tahir smiled.

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To ready other Friday Fictioneer stories based on this photo, select the smiley blue frog.