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.
Friday Fictioneers: Budget Cuts
Victoria took the long way to work. The closer she got, the more she shook. It was her first day in 18 months. Her first day since the budget cuts.
Larry Butterfield. Victoria would never forget that name. His red face and bloodshot eyes haunted her dreams.
After 45 minutes in the parking lot, Victoria exited her car. Her limp made the walk a marathon. The scars on her soul were worse. Victoria was one of the lucky ones.
An AR-15, easily convertible to fully automatic, was less expensive than most handguns. Budget cuts meant Larry had to be frugal.
NobbinBlog 
It’s not looking good for Larry
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Those around Larry got it even worse.
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That last paragraph hits hard but great storytelling and nice lead-up. I enjoyed it.
-David
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Thank you. I’m glad it landed, and you enjoyed it.
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Yikes.
It’s really sad people get pushed into these situations. If only the world could be a kinder place all round.
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There’s probably a better way to deal with it like file for unemployment, but yeah, it would be nice if the world were a kinder place.
Thanks, T.
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Maybe he was a foul boss? Sexual harassment? I’m making this up now. 😀
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Yeah. You even lost me.
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Doesn’t take much 😀.
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We don’t know why Larry did what he did. But we know the consequences. I liked how you captured Victoria’s uncertainty of going back to work.
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He was laid off, a “casualty” of budget cuts.
Thank you. Unfortunately, I have a friend who has been through something similar and was able to draw upon her experiences.
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Dear Nobbin,
It sounds like Victoria had good reason to be uncertain. Hope she doesn’t run into Larry. Good buildup.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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She already ran into Larry, thus the 18 months off and the limp.
Thank you, Rochelle.
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This is not going to end well methinks.
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The ending was already bad. This is the new beginning.
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Well done. Too real. Turn out the lights, I guess.
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It is too real for too many. Thank you.
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🙂
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I can’t even imagine the horror and trauma the many, many people who experienced such a mass shooting must feel. Well told. The slightly light tone makes it even more chilling.
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I know someone who was in that situation. Fortunately, she wasn’t physically hurt. It’s been years, and it’s still a touchy subject. We’re nearly globally desensitized to gun violence. It’s almost become a blasé thing. “Biden made a speech. Gas prices are up. Another mass shooting. Amazon stock went down. Sports team wins its fourth in a row.”
Thank you.
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I was *not* expecting the sound effects at the end. Powerful storytelling, Nobbin. I feel so bad for Victoria, having to go back into that building. I feel worse for those who didn’t survive. I hope Larry was taken out by the police. No need for a trial on these kinds of cases.
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Somehow it seemed wrong to put the sound effect under a picture of Charlie, but it felt necessary at the same time.
It takes a lot of strength to return to the scene of such an atrocity. Maybe it’ll help her heal. I think the common response is to go elsewhere.
I imagine Larry being on of those guys to turn the gun on himself. Maybe suicide by cop. There’s something broken in people like that that defies rationality.
Thanks, Lisa.
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You’re welcome.
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This isn’t going to end well…..great story, well told.
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Budget cuts don’t usually end well.
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I’m not sure I could go back after that.
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I have a friend who was in a similar situation. She tried to go back, but it didn’t last long.
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Wow this one was really impactful. Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you. I appreciate that.
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A powerful story, and a very inventive use of the idea of ‘budget cuts’. I get a strong sense of Victoria’s state of mind, and the trauma that she carries, through your portrayal.
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I’m glad that all came through as intended. Thank you.
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Some serious PTSD going on there. I wonder where Larry is.
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I’m glad that came through. Thank you. I’ve imagined a few possible outcomes for Larry, none of them good.
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