PHOTO PROMPT © J Hardy Carroll
Newt shuffled along the dusty tabletop so Mama could perch next to her.
‘And what was this bit?’ Newt traced the lines on the picture with her finger, the crosscross patterns, the dark bobbles with their raised paint.
‘That was grass, the brown lines are paths. That blue was a lake, the blobs are trees.’ Mama coughed, the sound rattling like dried beans caught in her chest. ‘Let’s go. Dark’s coming.’
As they hurried back to the tunnel and the oildrum fire, Newt tried to imagine Lake, Trees, Grass …
Tried to imagine a world coloured blue and green.
Written for Rochelle Wisoff-Field’s Friday Fictioneers, the finest flash writing prompt you’ll find. See here to join in and to read the other, wonderful tales.
A grim vision of the future. I love the last line.
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Thank you so much 🙂
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Excellent. Dark, but how could it not be with that photo?
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Thank you Josh. Yes, nothing but darkness lies in there.
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Hopefully we don’t let it get that far. Sad and tender writing.
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Thanks so much Iain 🙂
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Now that you mention it, the photo does have a post-apocalyptic flavor to it. Nicely done… er, effectively done!
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I just can’t stay away from dystopia at the moment – written another one today! Maybe it’s just a sign of the times. Thank you Joy
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Sign of the times, indeed.
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Really sad! I sure hope things never get this bleak.
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Let’s hope not, Christine. Thanks for reading
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Dear Lynn,
Such a bleak scene you’ve painted here. Hauntingly well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you so much Rochelle 🙂
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Your words painted this scene so well I smelled smoke and felt dark and cold.
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Ah, thank you so much. This photo was wonderful, wasn’t it? Sad and evocative. Thanks for reading Alicia
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You have created a vivid scene so real that i could smell and hear around. An apocalyptic vision so frightening that i pray that does not come true. Enjoyed this immensely, Lynn.
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Thank you so much Neel for the very kind comment. I’m glad you felt it worked
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A bleak dystopia pared down to essentials. Well done, Lynn.
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Than you Chris. Very kind of you. I seem to be treading the dystopia route more and more often recently. Thanks for reading
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Sometimes I think this is inevitable 😦
Calling the kid “Newt” already put me in a future kind of mindset. She advised Ripley to get inside before dark… (“Aliens”) 🙂 Sad your Newt has never seen the world we live in now.
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Aha! You’re the only person to pick up on that reference 🙂 Yes, both Newts are victims of a new world order – whether it be by global catastrophe or aliens with acid for blood! Thanks very much for reading
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Imagine not being able to imagine the world as it is now – horrific thought. Beautifully told.
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Well done. Lots of pathos here.
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Thanks so much 🙂
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A grey story on a bright sunshine day. Chilled me. Well written.
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Thank you Louise 🙂
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Grim take on the prompt. The greyness of their world is reflected in the photograph.
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Yes, tought to pull a cheerful tale from that pic, isn’t it? Thank you Sandra 🙂
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Powerful little story really packs a gut-punch.
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Thanks Karen 🙂
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So grim, I truly hope that it does not come to this… and I really think that grass will last longer than humans in the end.
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Ha! I’m sure you’re right about the grass. It’s one thing that makes me feel bouyant about life as a whole, that even if humans wipe themselves out, life in some form will continue. The end of us will not be the end of the planet
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Powerful dystopian nightmare, that is just how the prompt photo spoke to me.
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Thank you Michael 🙂
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That’s a great piece of descriptive writing and so thought provoking
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Thank you so much Michael 🙂
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Wow, Lynn. This was perfect. You hinted at a dystopian world. Everything was so subtly but excellently drawn.
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Ah, thank you so much for those lovely words. Really lovely of you Sascha. Made my day 🙂
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Life in the dystopia dreaming of the past, and hopefully the future.
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Yes, indeed. Thanks James
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A realistic description of a sad dystopian future. The last line was perfect to bring it to a close. Good writing, Lynn. —- Suzanne
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Thank you Suzanne. 🙂
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