PHOTO PROMPT © Ted Strutz
It started with ringing in his ears. Then sledgehammers pounded his head as he lay down to sleep. He’d awaken at midnight, screams bouncing between his ears. Each morning he was more tired.
He sipped coffee and looked out of his window at the city landscape. At first it was just a feeling that the steel infrastructure appeared to be getting closer each day. On Thursday, he measured and made note of the distance. He measured again on Monday. It was 2 inches closer.
He dialed “911.” Officers came and transported him to the assessment center, where they could “help.”
[100 words]
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields is the encouraging host of Friday Fictioneers.
Tao Talk 
Love it and so true should it actually happen!! 😊
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:) Thank you, Gypsie!
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You are most welcome! 🙏
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Poor man! All that trauma and no one listens. Does make you wonder how many people suffer in this way. Complete, if sad tale
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Thank you, Lynn. Good to see you back at FF!
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Perhaps he had a stretchable tape measure.🙂
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Perhaps :) lol. Perhaps not!
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That’s the world today in a nutshell. (K)
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Thank you, Kerfe!
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Such an evocative story Li
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Thank you :)
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You’re welcome
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Yeah. I’ve noticed that about the girders. I thought it was just me
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lol, Neil!
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But what if he’s right?! :-) Good one.
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Exactly, Iain! :) Thanks.
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Poor dude. Into the frying pan, eh?
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Indeed! I wonder if the structure will have crushed his house by the time he gets out…
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One does wonder …
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Excellent. The sledgehammers helping to move things around. Lack of sleep making him not lucid. Stuff moving. Ohhhhh. What is true? (That last question is good for most everything these days.) Good one, Lisa!
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Thank you for your your wonderful comment Sascha!
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You’re very welcome! :)
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I see this man looking out the window and seeing the first time that the steel was getting closer.
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I’m glad you can visualize it, thank you.
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Sometimes we listen to the wrong people! Nice take on the prompt! I loved it!
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Thank you so much, Kimber :)
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The pillars supporting the train do look like they could walk away.
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Thanks, Frank. That was the first thing I noticed about the image.
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Time to escape to the country.
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YES
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He’s stepped outside of perceived reality and no-one’s going to believe him, even with his tape measure evidence. A nicely ambiguous story.
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Margaret, thank you much for your careful reading and perceptive comment.
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He could be right, nothing surprises me these days!
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You are so right, Keith!
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Very sad. Good story!
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Yes it is, Neel. My heart goes out to the poor guy.
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it looks like the peace and quiet of solitary confinement will help him for the time being. :)
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Plaridel, I sure hope so.
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Dear Lisa,
I like where the prompt took you. I hope he’s able to get the help he truly needs. Evocative piece.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, thank you very much. I like to see how each image inspires me each week.
Shalom,
Lisa
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I hope someone listens to him and takes him seriously. I hope I listen if and when I come across someone like him. Somehow I doubt it.
Best wishes,
Rowena
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Rowena, thank you for the insightful comment. I wonder the same.
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I like how you keep this ambiguous. Is he hallucinating or onto something? Not listening, locking away, laughing is sadly the standard response. Great story.
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Gabi, I like how you get where I was going with the story. Thank you.
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You’re very welcome. :)
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Good psychological thriller. Gaslighting? Delusions of a sleep-deprived mind? The incredible moving building?
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Thanks, Nobbin. I’m glad you can see the possibilities in this one.
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That’s really imaginative, Lisa; one of your best!
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Thank you, Penny!
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Nice one, Lisa. When I first looked at this photo I thought, ‘not one thing here is natural.’ It could be a nice or interesting place to visit, but I want to live elsewhere.
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Thanks, Bill. I hear you! It doesn’t look like a very hospitable place to me either.
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:-)
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Oh! That poor man, was it really happening or only in his head. The creeping sprawl of the city growing ever closer. Nicely creepy story
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Laurie, thanks much, glad you enjoyed the story.
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