Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields who provides us with a photo prompt. Each week’s challenge is to write a 100-word story inspired by the photo. Click here to play along or just read more stories.
Blurry Vision
Wendy struggled to open her eyes. Her vision was blurry. The pain was intense.
What happened? She closed her eyes, tried to remember. A silhouette of a man. He lunged for her. Hands all around her, grabbing at her.
Footsteps. Wendy’s eyes shot open, and she jumped up. The blood rushed to her head. It throbbed.
“You’re awake.”
“Lisa? What happened? There was a man.”
“Yeah, there was a man. You were checking him out when you slipped on the ice. He tried to catch you. I tried to catch you, but you went down fast and hit your head.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
heh heh at least it was for such an especially nice reason
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think that slip cost her an opportunity though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey you never know
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great mixing of the two narratives
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you.
LikeLike
Well, we all lose concentration sometimes! 🙂
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep, and that’s when things get slippery.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, I’m happy to know the man tried to help, not to hurt! 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
That would have made for a much different story.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yep!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Is the man still there though, to check she is okay? All hope is not lost!
LikeLiked by 2 people
If you want to be optimistic, sure.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Great switch of perspective! I’m sure he’ll come around with flowers and check her out 🙂
Why was Charlie not happy that you kept two?
LikeLiked by 2 people
You’re free to write whatever epilogue you want. Thank you.
Charlie really liked being an only dog. She used to go everywhere with me. Now, she has to share the treats, love, and only gets a quarter of the rides.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The way I’m reading this is there were two men, one she was checking out and one who helped break her fall when she slipped. The man who helped break her fall is with her in the hospital, waiting for her to wake up to tell her he saved her? Or was there only one man? In any case, she’s alive and only wearing a cast, hopefully in a safe place.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wendy was walking with Lisa. Wendy was distracted by a gentleman passing by. She looked at him, then slipped on the ice. Lisa and the mysterious gentleman both grabbed for Wendy as she slipped. Both missed. Wendy hit her head and twisted her ankle in the process. When we meet Wendy, she’s waking up in the hospital. Lisa enters to explain what happened.
LikeLiked by 1 person
But of course! Thanks 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gas lighting? Might be just my warped mind though. I like that the ending is ambiguous, well in my mind.
Damn it, now I want a puppy you evil SOB… 😀
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m not sure what you’re reading as gaslighting. It might be just your warped mind. Thanks, T.
Well, you know, part of my job is selling puppies. There’s one on my lap right now. Her puppies could be for sale in a year if all goes well. I could probably get you a good deal. Or perhaps we could work out a trade. Wallaby? Koala? Murder bear?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I read something sinister in “A silhouette of a man. He lunged for her. Hands all around her, grabbing at her.” And the friend gaslighted at the end by claiming the man saved her.
You’re just trying to lure me with puppies. You’re like the man in your story. 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was supposed to seem sinister. She misremembered after suffering head trauma. If anything, I was gaslighting the reader.
Or I’m trying to procure a koala and/or wallaby.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Two ways of reading a story… that’s what makes flash fun, sometimes details can be ambiguous. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice misdirection. I wonder if he’ll come to visit her, check she’s okay…?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Maybe it wasn’t misdirection. Maybe he’ll come visit her to finish the job.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You sold me right up the wrong path there. Nice twist
LikeLiked by 1 person
That was my hope. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Nobbin,
Nice and somewhat happy twist at the end. Well misdirected. 😀 And puppies always make me smile.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know if it was a happy twist, but it wasn’t as sinister as I hoped people would believe. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Who knows, he may visit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perhaps.
LikeLike
A bang on the head can change her life – now she is afraid of men – perhaps.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perhaps. Perhaps she should be.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nicely misdirected. That so did not go the way I was thinking. Maybe it will be the start of something…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, physical therapy. I gave no thought to beyond the story. My sole purpose was to make everybody think something sinister was going on when it wasn’t. There is a choose your own ending ambiguity.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hah!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Could be he was checking her out, as well. Good misdirect 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It could very well be. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person