Friday Fictioneers is hosted by the wonderful Rochelle, the undisputed master of what I call Sound Bite Fiction.
She sets the weekly challenge, the standard, and the prompt photo.
The idea, as always, is to write a story of around 100 words based on this picture, below, which this week is supplied by the lady herself.
© Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
Click here to hear the writer read his words:
Dead
So here I am, sitting on a wee fluffy cloud.
With a harp and a halo and all that stuff.
I’m a bit surprised, I must admit, though it is probably partly my own fault.
You see, I haven’t been keeping well.
Ha, I guess that’s not a surprise, given that I’m dead now.
But the doctor gave me this new medicine, stronger than the last lot.
I read all the small print, of course.
Possible side effects, it said.
May cause headaches, dizziness, blurred vision, blah blah… and death.
I thought to myself, okay, I can live with that.
🍄🖤🍄
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LOL
Dear Dawn,
Thank you for your astute and perceptive comment, once again demonstrating your erudition in this field.
🙂
In reading about all the addiction and mortality today, it makes me hesitate about the medicine I’m prescribed. As we get older more and more problems crop up. Your character was possibly getting tired of living if he didn’t falter at dying. I ended up in the hospital from the consumption of coffee. You can’t win these days. A good story, as usual, C.E. I loved the humorous final line. 😀 — Suzanne
Glad you got a smile at the end, Suzanne
Reminded me of what I was told about collecting and eating wild mushroom varieties – you can eat all of them, but some you can only eat once. Great last line and enjoying the light-hearted tone.
Sometimes you just gotta laugh, don’t you…
Death is the side-effect of pretty every single medication out there! I think I would rather end up in hell… But that’s just me!
Look forward to seeing you there, Angie
Somehow, though in the first person, I cannot picture you with a halo 😉
Aw c’mon, everyone is saying that, I could get a complex here…
Your reputation precedes you, my dear…
I’ve noticed that all medicine has that side effect; death. It is just a matter of dosage. i know a man on twenty three tablets a day – he complains that staying alive is like torture. How do you answer that?
I like the lightheartedness of your words.
I don’t have any answers, James, I usually don’t even know the questions.
Happy you enjoyed
Death is a deadly side effect. What would adverse effect be like?
Pretty similar, I think!
Great storytelling. love how this took a light-hearted slant 😀
Well, we don’t want to take death too seriously, do we?
Ha ha, great last couple of lines! Very funny 🙂 Well, not for him, though he seems to have ended up in the “Good Place”.
Glad you found it amusing, sir
Oh dear! I listened to this story this week, great story, and what an unfortunate outcome. I hope you don’t mind me saying but your voice reminds me very much of Ivor Cutler, whom I very much like!
Ivor Cutler! Wow, that takes me back, haven’t heard about him for centuries!
Interestingly (or otherwise), he went to the same Glasgow school as my grandson.
Thanks for the memories, glad you enjoyed
Irony of his belief and his final state.
Atleast he got to sit on a cloud. Nice!
Worse places to end up!
I think death is one of the side effects listed on every medication nowadays. I guess it’s effective 100% of the time, just some sooner than others.
My plan is not to die, and it’s working pretty well so far…
You got to live with that. That’s the story. Lovely bit of dark humour here, Ceayr.
Thanks, Neel, glad you enjoyed
Apparently he couldn’t live with that. If we doctors gave you the real risk to benefit ratios, I doubt if anyone would bother with 99% of the medicines we prescribe. I’m getting cynical in my old age but I like your tales.
Tracey
Aye well, I guess nobody’s perfect.
Is there a link between ‘getting cynical’ and liking my tales, I wonder?
Ha ha maybe so.
I love the light-hearted but snarky attitude here. Well done 🙂
Thanks, Linda, that was pretty much what I was going for
Love the dark humor… but at least there are clouds and music, and not pitchforks and fire.
Well, I’m such a nice guy, Bjorn…
Excellent! He does seem to be living with his death in a fashion.
My friend and I were just talking about medications and their side-effects. One side-effect of her migraine medication is headaches.
Not much point in arguing about it…
Big Pharmacy companies like Mylan have no scruples, ethics or morals
I actually laughed out loud at this one, very funny! Can just see the narrator rolling around on the cloud, sighing, head in hands, wishing he’d taken the leaflet more seriously.
Laughing aloud makes my day.
Thanks, Ms Zebra
A harp and a halo, that’s not to bad is it 😉.
It’s all rock n roll, Mike!
I loved the idea of you with a halo and a harp – wonderfully incongruous. The first thing I thought when I read the next line was “Ah, CE is also surprised to be in heaven.” So when your surprise turned out to be that you were dead, I guffawed. Loved this story, CE.
Hmm, why does everyone seem to struggle with that concept?
Glad you enjoyed, Penny
LOL! This was fab fun! 🙂
Thank you, for me too!
🙂
What’s even more hilarious are the drug commercials that tell you to call the doctor if you experience side effects such as death. Cracks me up every time. I can just imagine the dead making that phone call. LOL! Great story this week!
Glad you got some laughs, Bear
Hilarious, love it! You certainly winged it this week!
Like the song says: Won’t it be nice to be an angel
Hahaha, killer last line “okay, I can live with that”.
Glad you enjoyed, Tannille
Some kinda medicine that! Enjoyable chuckle CE 🙂
What doesn’t make you stronger, kills you…
I’m not seeing you with a harp and a halo, CE. Call it a lack of imagination on my part but there it is. Hilarious last line. Good one.
Hmm, whyever not?
I am usually such a sweetheart…
Dear C.E.
Your last line gave me a hearty chuckle.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Chuckles are good, m’lady
Hilarious 😀
Thank you, Trish!
Mais il y a des petits nuages moelleux en enfer ??
Très drôle cette histoire !
Seulement des nuages de fumée.
Merci.
I liked the sardonic humour in this. You saw halos, I saw surveillance. That may speak worlds about you and I.
Laughing.
Maybe I gave cynicism a day off