An Enchanted Charm: Fiction Friday

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

FF 156 Dale Rogerson

Photo copyright Dale Rogerson

An Enchanted Charm

Isabelle returned from vacation to a new org chart, a new assignment. In her absence they moved her desk to the basement. Until the project started, they told her, she could “get things ready.”

Her new work space was in a storage room behind a security lock; only a few people had entry access. She brought in flowers from her garden. In the comfort of the forced isolation, Isabelle completed the required research.

The project started: people everywhere, deadlines looming, phones ringing. Isabelle brought flowers every week, considering them an enchanted charm, protecting her from the imposed insanity around her.

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The photo is by Dale Rogerson, also a Friday Fictioneer writer. Check out Dale’s story, Too Little, Too Late.

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

What’s So Funny?: Fiction Friday

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

FF 155 J Hardy Carroll

Photo copyright J Hardy Carroll

What’s So Funny?

Andy saw a man stumbling towards the shelter. It happens every season: a bear comes into a camp, challenging the human for his food. The camper abandons everything, runs through the forest, splashes across the creek, and, if lucky enough, finds the trail shelter.

“Not to worry,” Andy assures him, “here’s a quarter.”

Andy watched as the man stared at the wall phone, failing to recall even one complete phone number, realizing that his smart phone with quite an extensive contact list was last seen crushed under a bear’s butt.

It wasn’t funny, Andy knew, but he laughed anyway.

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The photograph is week is from J Hardy Carroll who is also a Friday Fictioneer writer. Check out J Hardy Carroll’s story “When” here.

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

License to Drive: Fiction Friday

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

FF 154 Kent Bonham

Photo copyright Kent Bonham

License to Drive

Phillip felt like a king. He was first among his friends to get a driver’s license. His mom’s Volkswagen wasn’t a particularly studly vehicle, but he imagined it as so much more in his fantasy realm.

Phillip’s plans to go cruising were dashed when his mom gave him the grocery list. And he had to take his sister to basketball practice and wait for her.

He spent most of his time running errands and driving his sister around. Phillip’s thrilling ascent to the driver’s seat “throne” was also the beginning of his descent into the boredom as the family chauffeur.

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

The photo is by Kent Bonham and he is also a Friday Fictioneer writer. Check out Kent’s story “The Ride of a Lifetime” here.

Note: The Texas Department of Transportation uses the term “driver license” and not “driver’s license.” I have a 2008 Associated Press Stylebook and it has “driver’s license(s)” as an entry. I surfed around the internet to see what some other states are using.

Arizona: Driver license
Arkansas: Driver license, driver’s license
California: Driver’s license, driver license
Colorado: Driver license
Florida: Driver license
Louisiana: Driver’s license
Maine: Driver’s license, driver license
Montana: Driver license
Nebraska: Driver license, but Nebraska Driver’s Manual
New Mexico: Driver’s license
Oklahoma: Driver license
Vermont: Driver’s license, driver license
Wyoming: Driver license, drivers license

The Lullaby: Fiction Friday

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

FF 1153 Janet Webb

Photo copyright Janet Webb

The Lullaby

Lucy slept soundly in the soft bed, under the warm quilt in the cabin inherited from her grandmother. When she awoke, she discovered the light in the bedroom was not moonlight, but from the jar and the candle on the table: they glowed.

As she picked up the candlestick, stones lining the path outside the window lit up. She ventured outside, unlit candle in hand. The closer she got to the path, the brighter the candlelight became.

She thought she heard someone singing a lullaby. Lucy looked back at the cabin only once, then followed the sound of the song.

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The photo from this week is by Janet Webb. You can check out Janet’s blog here.

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

Retirement Plan: Fiction Friday

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

Photo copyright Claire Sheldon

Photo copyright Claire Sheldon

Retirement Plan

As a temporary employee, Bill met all kinds of people all over. Some stood in his cubicle doorway seemingly like forever, complaining about how busy they were. Others spent a great deal of energy planning their retirement 20-plus years down the road. Over the short cubicle walls, he regularly overheard arguments between the Comma Cliques: those who advocated for the Oxford comma, those against it at all costs.

Bill looked at his staple collection, aghast at how quickly time passed with so little accomplished and decided on his own new retirement plan: buy a lottery ticket on the way home.

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