This Old House
Paris is in the rearview mirror. All that’s left of it is a water-damaged photo.
Does it matter who dumped who when things turned sideways?
You found me that night, on the bridge, plugging in to a protected power cable.
I later learned about the filthy garbage bin you picked up off of the side of the street.
We discarded our forever to escape beige walls.
But now my circuits are fried. And grimy germs had to be scoured from your pipes.
Castaways. The walls are still beige.
Maybe with rewiring and new plumbing we could try playing house again?
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields is the reflective host of Friday Fictioneers.
Tao Talk 
Even the cyborgs have their own dystopia. A creative take
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Neil, I wasn’t thinking of them as cyborgs, but the plot would absolutely fit. Thank you for reading and your comment.
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What a fascinating story. The imagery is complex, or perhaps just unfamiliar. Are you writing about a couple who lived rough to escape suburban boredom, and, having discovered the drawbacks, are thinking of going back to a conventional lifestyle?
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Origin: I made a list of everything I saw in the picture, then walked away. Revisited the list and it morphed into what you see. In my mind there are two people who got caught cheating on each other because their marriage was stale. That didn’t work out so well for either of them, so they are considering getting back together with each other, even with the beige walls.
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Love how you used everything in the prompt :-)
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I was wondering if anyone would see it. Glad you caught on :) I liked how it turned out!
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Okay, I have to admit I’m a bit confused by this. I guess it’s all down to interpretation. You’ve certainly managed to intrigue me this week!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Checkout my response to Penny, where all secrets are revealed ;)
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Very innovative story. You never disappoint Li.
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Yes, all germs must be scoured from the pipes before we take this any further.
Like Neil, I thought it was AI until I read your origin story. That’s cool, the way you incorporated everything. Well done.
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Thank you and glad you enjoyed it. If you want to imagine them as AI, feel free!
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They’d better stick together. Apart they’re such an absolute mess
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I think you’re right, Larry.
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This was a fun one to read and return to the photo to look for stuff to say “oh…., yeah” about … :)
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Wonderfully noirish. (K)
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I must admit…I had to read the comments to get it….now it’s clear. Now I feel stupid.
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Loved the rearview mirror line!
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I don’t think I would have got there without your explanation, but I certainly enjoyed the possibilities that were open with this unique offering. Well done.
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Sandra, thank you, and glad you enjoyed it.
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It might be best just to let it go at this point. We shall see!
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Great direction with this one – a great spin on that photo! Let’s see if they can make it work, despite the beige!
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:) So glad you liked it, Lynn.
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Dear Lisa,
I’m proud of myself after going through your comments. I saw them as people. Clever use of metaphor and the prompt.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, I’m happy you got the metaphors. Thank you for your comment.
Shalom,
Lisa
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Everyone thinks beige is bad… for some beige is just right – once they’ve realised all the colour they sought was less real.
Of course, your explanation helped direct me and I really like this take, Lisa.
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Thanks, Dale, and so true. I personally like beige as you can add any colored thing to a room and it looks that much better up against it. Glad you enjoyed my take :)
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Exactly! A neutral base to allow the accents to shine. If only more couples treated their relationship like this.
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A great metaphorical take on a frizzled relationship.
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Thank you, James!
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It seemed like a makeover project on person or persons unknown
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Exactly, Len!
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A complex piece which demands re-reading a few times. With your explanation I think it works very well. Looks like life willl get better for them, even if it still includes beige walls.
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Thanks for taking the time with the story, Michael, and I think you’re right.
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Wonderful story, Jade. It’s one that can be interpreted so many ways, depending on the reader and life experience.
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Thank you very much for your thoughtful comment, Linda.
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I loved the uniqueness of your story. I also enjoyed reading the comments and explanations, rewiring my thoughts on the story. Quirky is the best! =)
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Glad you enjoyed it, Brenda :)
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I was immediately struck by how you incorporated so much detail from the photo! That’s very hard to do, and you’ve made a fascinating vignette.
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Thank you, Eugenia, glad you found it fascinating :)
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Holy Cow! Where did this come from??? Oh, the photo of course, way to do a prompt!
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Ted, thank you! I had fun putting it together :)
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Oh this is clever ! I enjoyed this
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Thanks, Laurie! Glad you enjoyed it :)
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Sometimes even after rewiring and new plumbing, the house remains inhabitable. A nice take on the prompt.
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Thank you very much, Subroto.
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