Sunday Photo Fiction is a weekly challenge presented by Susan Spaulding, who has taken over this great weekly prompt from my old friend Al Forbes.
This week’s delightfully sunny photo is provided by Anurag Bakhshi, and reflects my mood in this glorious September weather.
The idea is to write a short story (200 word max) inspired by what you see in the picture (below).
Click on this link to enter your tale, and see what others have written.
Click here to hear the author read the tale:
The Bus
They get on the bus at Port Grimaud.
Two pretty girls.
Pretty enough for me to notice them but, at around sixteen years old, far too young to hold my attention.
My eyes drift out the window, enjoy the view of the beaches of the Côte d’Azur.
And across the Gulf of St Tropez to the little town on the far side, celebrated as the home of legendary French actress Brigitte Bardot.
But something is not quite right, I feel a vague gnawing inside.
A few miles along the coast, just before St Maxime, the girls stand, ding the bell.
As they move to the door they pull up hoods.
I get that familiar prickle on the back of my neck.
I realise that they are the source of my unease.
But they get off without incident, walk along the side of the bus.
As they pass below me, on impulse, I rap the window with a coin.
They pause, look up.
I stare down at two ancient, wizened faces.
Interesting. I’m getting a tree mytholgy vibe again. Perhaps there are only 2 fates and they are here to cut his string. Perhaps, the coin is for passage to the after life. Or perhaps these two girls are sirens and they are luring men to there death,not only on sea anymore, but near enough.
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Nothing like a nice sunny day to get the witches out 🙂
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The bus drive seems rather perceptive. I hear that Shakespeare has lost two of his witches.
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what was the motive? i loved the description.
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Scary one!!
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Eerie! Good writing, though, CEAYR.
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Beautifully written and yet so chilling at the end. I think he is off on a journey he might well regret.
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Nothing like that happens on my bus – not yet anyway! Weird or what?
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A bus to the dark side. Such pleasant scenery on the trip though.
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How did the girl’s face change? What does it mean?
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