Sunday Photo Fiction is a weekly challenge presented by my old friend Al Forbes.
The idea is to write a short story (200 word max) inspired by what you see in his picture (below).
This week’s photo of a building of dubious provenance leaves me rather confused and undecided.
I bet you didn’t expect that.
Click on this link to enter your tale, and see what others have written.
Copyright Al Forbes
The Next Room
I lie awake, scarcely breathing.
When I need air, I inhale quietly.
It is pitch black, but my eyes are wide open.
I listen.
I hear nothing.
I am terrified.
I know there is something in the next room.
I do not know what it is.
It may be human.
A man?
Surely not a woman.
If it is not human, then what is it?
An animal?
Like a bear or an ape, savage and terrible?
I don’t think so.
An alien?
Some being from across the galaxy, seeking who knows what.
Or a monster?
But is it real?
Or is it a creature from our nightmares?
Has it been created by a latter day Dr Moreau?
Or has it escaped from our collective imaginations?
How long till first light, I wonder.
Maybe three hours.
I can survive that, no problem.
Is that a noise?
A floorboard creaks.
Sound Bite Fiction 
Tension was mounting, I was reading with batted breadth.Scary indeed. But why ‘ surely not a woman’?
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Next room? It’s under the bed!!
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Creepy! Maybe he is having a nightmare and just doesn’t know it yet, or his imagination is working late.
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Maybe…
Or maybe it is everyone’s greatest fear, the original Room 101 scenario…
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Oh, this is a fun little mystery!
Every child’s worst nightmare.
I even used to feel that way when home alone as an adult.
A few good bolts and being familiar with the house noises and I’m good.
Though sometimes the dreams themselves from sleeping waken me in frights!
Thanks for visiting the latest ‘BeeBee’ mystery. 🙂
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Hi Jules, lovely to see you again.
Yes, not just a child’s worst nightmare, we all have these moments, don’t we?
Hugs
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Indeed we do. 🙂
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Something Stephen Kingish about this! Absolutely brilliant.
Visit Keith’s Ramblings!
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Very kind of you, Keith, praise indeed!
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Scary. I wonder how long he’ll last. 🙂
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Ooohh, whimper!
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O no, me thinks this is no imagination, but something evil comes.
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You think?
Now I’m scared!
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I’m sorry. ;0(
Think happy thought and he’ll go away. ;0)
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Nothing better than the mind to create whole scary scenarios… and was it really a creak? Maybe your protagonist only imagined that as well! 😉
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Hard to say.
The monster got him.
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Scawy and cweepy. I like that. The stuff of nightmares
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We all have them, Al.
Glad you liked, ol’ buddy.
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Yes we do, and I did 🙂
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Reblogged this on anelephantcant and commented:
AnElephantCant claim to know about architecture
Does this big building have mock tudor beams
He has no way of telling
If this is England or Belgium
Because in Sound Bite Fiction nothing is quite what it seems
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I know, right Elephant? Looks like a cheap motel in San Fransisco. I think I stayed there once on Nob Hill. Just saying.
Tell CE that I liked his tale, because an elephant can.
Tracey
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Please do not encourage him, Tracey.
I know you are a nice lady who means well, but he is incorrigible.
Glad you liked my story.
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This big building is the rebuilt Shakespeares Globe Theatre on the South bank in London – a must see big building!
Visit Keith’s Ramblings!
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Creepy chatter of the sleepless mind is the only sound we hear…
Until the last line.
Yiiikes!
The meanderings of your mind takes me where I am not keen to go Mr Ayr!
It should come with a warning: Best read in the daytime 😉
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My mind meanders melancholily, ma’am.
I think most of us with any imagination have had nights like this.
Hopefully without the last line.
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Dear CE,
Surely not a woman? Does that mean a woman would be the most frightful? 😉 He’s better keep his feet under the covers so the monster under the bed doesn’t nip off his toes.
I loved this piece. I’m amazed at how your mind works.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I leave the interpretation of the lines to you, dear reader.
Make of them what you will!
Frankly, I am amazed if my mind works,
Glad you enjoyed.
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That’s what some psychologists refer to as cognitive error. You have a brilliant mind. Of course that’s just one opinion.
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We don’t have psychologists in Scotland.
They all went to the USA to make the big bucks from the weird folk!
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LOL … Surely not a woman … that got a big giggle!
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Jings, that was fast!
And only you would find this funny.
You are not a well lady!
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Well I think we already established that little fact a long time ago!
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And don’t make it weird … you were the first one sitting in my reader. I wasn’t sitting here waiting for your next post of anything … that would make it weird.
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Well it wasn’t.
But it is now.
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(I just spat beer onto my laptop. I didn’t expect that comeback). Hello My Elephant Friend !
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