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).
Today’s aerial photo was presumably taken when he was jaunting round London’s Westminster with his other pal, Superman.
Very cool, Al, that you give us a perspective very different from the usual face on view of this iconic, if somewhat unattractive, structure.
Click on this link to enter your tale, and to see what others have written.
Copyright Al Forbes
Click here to hear me read this 1 minute 20 second story: Torture
This is not a good place to be.
Wrists and arms bound tightly to a heavy metal chair.
Blinded by a light.
Or total darkness.
Then the light again.
I see his sneering face.
The most evil of all their torturers.
And the most successful.
The word is that no one has ever stayed silent under his hands.
No one has ever survived his interrogation.
I have seen the videos.
He is very good.
Or very bad, depending on your point of view.
So I figure I am in trouble.
But I have been in trouble before, and I am still alive.
When he eventually dims the light and stands before me, I reckon it is game on.
What is it going to be, hero, he rasps, the easy way or the hard way?
Oh, I ponder for a moment, the hard way, I think.
Then I grin at him.
Because, of course, I have a plan.
Sound Bite Fiction 
Oh I hope he has a plan. Maybe he’s worse than the torture. I’m getting vibes from the character Huck on Scandal and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Pit and the Pendellum.” Nicely done CE.
Hugs
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You should know by now, Amanda, that I always have a plan.
To be mentioned on the same blogosphere as Mr Poe is an honour to be treasured.
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Yes you are right, you do 🙂
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Hmmm… I wonder what his plan is!! “Do you expect me to talk?”
“NO Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!” Mawaahhhh!
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I could tell you, but then of course…
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Exactly!
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I was expecting you to focus on the Palace and you did not disappoint 🙂 great story.
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I am sorry to be so predictable, but the occupants of that place do bring out the cynical and malicious side of me.
Glad you enjoyed the story.
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Another great story. Love to hear “the rest” Nice rhythm and voice.
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Cheers, and let’s get Graham into that chair.
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Creepy — I think it’s the Royal Family myself, but not sure which would be the head torturer — I’m a colonial so I see them from afar. I love the comment thread with Lynn — a story in itself! ; ]
Great writing — as always. : ] :
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Thank you, glad you enjoyed the whole scenario.
Make sure you visit Lynn’s blog, she is in the top 3 writers I have seen on WordPress, an extraordinary talent.
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Yes, I regularly read Lynn’s posts and totally agree she is one of the top writers on word press!
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It must be a pretty good plan to get himself out of that one, but I hope he makes it! Great writing as always.
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Thanks, Iain, there is always a third way, as our ex-Prime Minister and war criminal famously said.
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Is this what happens if you ask for a pay rise at the Palace?
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Happily, Steve, I have no knowledge (or interest) in the inside workings of Parasite Central.
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I was looking forward to yours as I know how much you love the Monarchy and you didn’t disappoint.
This photo was taken from one of the capsules on the London Eye It was before they decided to warp the glass to stop clear photos.
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If I had known you could see in from there, I would have written a sniper story!
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Write another one then 😉
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What the hell is he going to do and how can he possibly escape from that? Is that a pic of Buck House? And does that mean your torturer is Prince Philip?
Very creepy and disturbing build up there, C. Great stuff
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It is Buckingham Palace. I think maybe it is really the queen out of his formal clothing.
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We are not amused!
Off with his head!
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Haha
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She does have a steely look in her eye. I reckon she could turn a thumb screw or two if she had to 🙂
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Or just for fun.
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Haha! 🙂
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She probably does that with Philip on their “special” nights
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Nice they still have a common interest after all these years together 🙂
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You are a delightfully strange lady!
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Ooh, good 🙂
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Creepy and disturbing is good!
Phil the Greek?
Could be, as Al says above, I am not a big fan of these people.
If you want to know the plan, come closer…
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No, don’t tell me the plan! If they capture me they’ll torture that out of me for sure. If I don’t know I can’t blab 🙂
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Laughing.
I won’t let them torture you, I will write you to death first!
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Haha! Pens at dawn! The idea doesn’t work so well with laptops, does it? 🙂
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