Friday Fictioneers is hosted by the wonderful Rochelle, the undisputed master of what I call Sound Bite Fiction.
She sets the weekly challenge, and the standard.
Today’s photo is by C. E. Ayr (hooray for me!), taken at Coal Harbour, Vancouver BC.
And, for the benefit of Dawn, Alastair and some others with deeply suspicious minds, let me assure you that no Canadian Pacific railway employees were killed during the creation of either the picture or the story.
Nearly.
The idea, as always, is to write a story of around 100 words based on the picture, below.
© C.E. Ayr
Click here to hear me read aloud this 60-second story:
Boxcar
The boxcar catches my eye.
It is just one among hundreds, maybe thousands, at the railhead, but I pause, stare.
I am not good with colours, but this is so vibrant that I see it clearly.
It is purple.
I understand immediately it is from another place, another world, another dimension.
I move to slide open the door, but my nerve-damaged arm finds it too heavy.
A gap appears, widens.
A small woman gazes at me.
She smiles, extends her hand.
She links her fingers through mine, and my hand responds.
Then, in 100 words, she teaches me to write.
Great!
Thanks!
I too thought of Rochelle. Plus all the deprived who get a second chance through newly attained literacy.
Nice pic.
Cheers, Patrick, I wasn’t that deprived
Very nicely told! 🙂
Thank you, Sascha
I immediately thought of Rochelle when I read the part of the woman who teaches to write in 100 words. Sweet tribute.
Thank you, Fatima, happy you enjoyed it.
Very sweet CE.
I’m a sweet kinda guy underneath all the murder, maiming and mayhem
<3
Very sweet and delightfully true. Power to that poor arm – hope it’s mending.
Thank you.
And no, not yet
A love story of a different sort! Hearing you read it truly makes it for me.
Hush, Honie, her husband might hear you!
Glad you enjoyed it all
It was delightfully disappointing – bravo!
Because there was no carnage?
I’ll make up for it next week
Look forward to it
Very Enjoyable 🙂
Thank you, Ashley
Very cute tale! Hugs
Thanks, Amanda, this is your shortest ever comment!
Hugs
Lol. Okay will try to do better next time 😀🎈
I loved this… great tribute to a wonderfully dedicated woman.
Thank you, sometimes it is cool to say thanks to someone who doesn’t expect it
I agree whole heartedly!
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Add me to the list of people that felt it was a well written tribute to Rochelle.
Thank you, consider yourself added!
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Awe, so sweet. I do appreciate the restraint. I kind of like the lady with her head intact.
Tracey
Yo también. 😉
Hey, no speaking foreign here, bad enough when y’all talk ‘Merican
Yeah, she is kinda cute, isn’t she
A beautiful and fitting tribute. Absolutely delightful. Oh, and thanks for the picture!
…when I grow up! My tale.
Happy you enjoyed both, Keith
I got where this was headed as soon as I saw the word purple. You are so much nicer than me. In one of my early tributes, I had her in an asylum being treated for her addiction to the color.
Not really Russell, words 101 – 114 read:
I pull her forward and squelch her little curly head in the heavy door
Dear C.E.
What a relief to my little curly head you didn’t have 14 more words. As for Russell’s stories…I printed that one off, laughing all the while. If you can’t laugh at yourself…;)
Shalom to both you chuckleheads,
The Empress of Purple.
Nice tribute and you’re right trains, railways, box cars hold so much for the imagination
Yep, trains are cool
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How lovely that your step away from mayhem was used to pay tribute to our very own fairy blog mother! I won’t expect your sweetness to continue.
Glad you enjoyed, and your expectations are justified.
What a wonderful tribute… I almost guessed that Rochelle had to have her own purple connection. I had hoped the railway was in Scotland…
Thanks Bjorn.
But don’t you think that trains are fun no matter where?
Thank you for the photo and I loved the nod to Rochelle.
This is my first time visiting your blog and participating in Friday Fictioneers!
Hope you can visit my blog also as I am newly back into the blogging scene and could use a comment and or follow too 🙂
Thank you for your kind words, please come again.
But be prepared for slightly more bloodshed in future (and past)
There I was expecting bloody murder, and what did we get? A lovely tribute to our purple-addicted Rochelle. That small lady teaches all of us to write.
I don’t like to be too predictable!
Yes, I agree, she leads the way for all of us.
I love this tribute to the wonderful Rochelle. Gave me a huge smile.
One thing I want to know though. Is it possible the boxcar materialised on someone killing them when it arrived?
Behave yourself, Forbes, I won’t tell you again!
Teehee
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Wonderful! I could see that purple and that small woman 🙂
For a small person she casts a long shadow
What a tribute to the fantabulous lady. Awesome.
Fantabulous! What a great and fitting word.
This is so beautiful! A gentle tribute to our FF leader. How was it writing for your own picture this week?
Thank you, Jessie. Our leader has used my photos in the past and it is no different from anyone else’s because I don’t know they are being selected.
Lovely tribute CE. and thank you for the picture this week.
Thank you.
Easy to write, and Lady R chooses the picture each week
Telling it as it is, lovely
Thanks, Michael, as it is indeed
How lovely!
As is your comment!
I can just imagine Rochelle’s big smile when she was reading this. Very well done. Loved the photography.
Laughing, me too!
It is quite an interesting shot, isn’t it?
This gave me chills. Wonderful.
How sweet of you, Kecia
OK, so now I want to know what happens next. Yes, I’m hard to please. 😉
I write another 100 words next week.
Feel free to check it out.
Purple is my favourite colour. Nicely rounded C.E.
You’ll have to stick with Graham, the lady is already taken!
Nicely done. When you’re not killing someone off you can write a sweet tale 🙂
Next week I plan a bloodbath!
That’s lovely, C. Stepping inside a world of purple … Love it. Very sweet tribute
Thank you, Lynn.
My pleasure, always 🙂
Now THAT is a fabulous tribute! Well done, sir, well done! And deservedly so, Ms Purple… no blushing necessary!
Thanks, Dale, and I agree, she has no need to blush.
Such a beautiful gesture – and very nicely done. Great photo by the way.
We sometimes take our friends for granted, I think.
Thank you for your kind words.
Well done!
A fine tribute indeed.
Thanks, Em, and well deserved, I think
Wonderful. Cheers to Rochelle!
Thank you.
Hip hip hooray!
Delightful story and the picture is marvelous too.
Thank you and thank you
I breathe the fine ending. Well-done!
Thank you, Matthew
Awwww, that is so sweet! Love it! 🙂 <3
Then my work is done, at least for this week.
I love it 🙂 The discipline and challenge of coming up with 100-word stories does improve writing, so the lady who provides this opportunity definitely deserves the tribute.
Thank you, Sarah, we appear to be agreeing vehemently here!
I think you know how to write, but the lady does teach us to be brief! Lovely photo this week.
Very kind, sir, but I know my writing has improved because of this challenge. Glad you like pic too.
Such a lovely read
Glad you enjoyed, ma’am
Sweet, sweet, sweet! Bravo, C.E.
Thank you, sir, you know she deserves it
Dear C.E.
I don’t think the lady in the boxcar had to teach you to write. 😉 She is blushing in her purple boxcar and says, “Thank you for such a lovely story in her honour.”
Shalom,
Rochelle
An honour and a privilege, m’lady, and just a small thank you for the effort you put into making this such an outstanding weekly challenge.
What a lovely tribute!
Thanks, Neil, she brings a lot to the table.