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 astute photo gives me the green light to join in again after missing out last week due to technical problems.
Sorry, Al.
Click on this link to enter your tale, and see what others have written.
Copyright Al Forbes
City Sidewalk
It is good to be back in the city.
Okay, this is not my city, but it has the same sort of buzz.
Don’t get me wrong, I love where I live now, a small town on the Mediterranean.
But a city has a life of its own, the people, the traffic, the noise.
Stay back from the kerb, she tells me, it is dangerous, they jump lights.
But I laugh.
I am from Glasgow, afraid of nothing.
I stand right on the corner waiting for the signal to change.
Even as I plan my alone time, I am absorbing my surroundings.
The young mothers with push-chairs, elderly couples, arm in arm, men in suits, pretty girls in denims, boisterous young men, a sports club, perhaps.
On the road a high percentage of SUVs thunder past.
As I edge forward, anticipating the green light, I suddenly know I have a problem.
The lads are jostling each other, one stumbles into my back.
The bus, hurtling through on amber, brings certain death.
To the teenage rugby player who lurches past my twisting body.
Very well depicted scene of city life. Nice twist but feeling sad for the boy. I see them daily going very fast on bike twisting and twirling dangerously, no care fore themselves or the pedestrians.
Youth! So carefree and careless! Great twist as I was expecting the narrator to go splat!
What a lucky escape! It could so easily have been him facing ‘certain death’ from the bus. A shame that the lad wasn’t so lucky. Great story. 🙂
Talk about being in the right place at the right time!
Seems to be a lot of stories that concern death with this photo prompt. I could feel the pain in yours.
DJ
There is quite a bit of pain when one is hit by a bus!
Ouch what a nasty end.
Splat!
Thanks for visiting, Donna.
I was waiting for the twist! Nice descriptive lines!
Like we did last summer?
That is who you remind me of, Chubby, I knew you looked familiar!
Lol!
Nice contrast between the city mentality and the small town mentality. I guess accidents happen, wherever you are. (Or maybe you just make them happen!)
Thanks, Corina.
I guess I do contribute more than my share!
Always the shocking twist at the end your stories, love that. Young guys are like that, don’t pay attention, sometimes until it’s too late. Great story!
Thank you, Mandibelle, very happy you enjoyed.
Just a slight .. oops .. didn’t see you there. 🙂
Clumsy boy just got run down!
Hehe yep.
Great description of city menace bubbling to the surface.
Thanks, Steve
You bring the jostle of the city to life here. A gruesome tale!
Cities can be fun.
And dangerous.
Dear CE.
Ouch. That was a painful read and all too realistic. It sounds like your MC wasn’t as indestructible as he thought. Well written.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Nah, he’s okay, the lad, not so much.
Reblogged this on anelephantcant and commented:
AnElephantCant wait for a green man
He is impatient to get out of town
To show he’s the boss
He just sashays across
He is too big for anything to knock down
The city a great place to visit …
Thanks for visiting, Joseph