The coffee shop at the corner under the trains was open. The owner was protected and so were they. The neighborhood still looked civilized, but the troubles had begun.
One year later a quarter of the world’s population died, but it could have been more. No one knew for sure. Official truth was passed on by word of mouth and doubted as soon as it was heard. No one doubted the bodies in the streets.
An unexpected smartening raced through the population like the cleansing fire of revival as the war, the big one this time, began.
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields offers the photo below by Ted Strutz for this week’s prompt for Friday Fictioneers.
Whispers and Echoes recently published a 100-word story of mine called Spotting the Heretic. I am grateful to the editor, Sammi Cox, for selecting it. Submissions to this online journal are currently open.
Poetry, Short Prose and Walking 
I’m sure humans will breed and gain numbers. We always do. Haunting tale though. Dark times a head.
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Thank you! I was aiming for a haunting tale with underlying hope.
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The sense of foreboding and coming threat is powerful in this.
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Thank you, Margaret! I was aiming for that sense of foreboding.
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Hmm. A smartening. But the big war. I suspect military intelligence
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When people smarten up they stop taking things for granted. Thank you, Neil!
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Things seem normal right before they will never be normal again. Evil is lurking around the corner.
Shalom!
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Thank you, Michael! I built the story on my still limited understanding of Peter Wyns’ Unexpected Fire regarding the Revelation, but I have only read the first part so far.
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Not too far from the truth of the last couple of years. Was sort of hoping we could have a break from pandemics and wars for a while…! Nicely done.
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The story is based on my experiences over the last two years. Without them I would not have smartened up either. Thank you, Iain!
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Its hard to doubt a dead body. There is a lot of stuff going on here. Do you have a week to write these? I can’t figure out the instructions.
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The link is open for about a week. This one was announced on Wednesday even though it is called “Friday” Fictioneers. I follow the blog so I get a notification in my emails. I save the prompt photo as an image and use it in the post, but I don’t think that is necessary. However, the story should be related somehow to the photo. To make sure I add the photo in the post. The story is limited to 100 words. I check that by copying it into a text editor that has a word count function. That’s all I do outside of trying to find something to say which is not always easy.
I hope to see you here! Best wishes, Mary!
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This could well be the new normal in time.
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I think we can look forward to troubles but on the bright side a smartening up. Thank you, Keith!
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A thought-provoking piece, Frank.
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Thank you, Eugenia!
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You’re welcome, Frank!
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I think you may be on to something Frank… perhaps some foretelling of things to come I’m afraid.
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If so, I look forward to the smartening up as compensation for the troubles we will face. Best wishes, Kimber!
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well, it’s time to enjoy life while it lasts. 🙂
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That is one way to look at it. Thank you!
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“No one doubted the bodies in the streets.
An unexpected smartening raced through the population…”
I found these words so impactful!!
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I am glad. Thank you, Pragalbha!
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A bleak glance into a very possible future, very powerful. I like the tiny hope with the smartening up. If only we could smarten up now…
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May we all smarten up. Thank you!
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Makes me want to visit there and get tea and read!
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That does look like a nice coffee shop. The area reminds me of the Chicago Loop. Thank you!
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Gotcha sounds like a place I need to check out!
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That seems to be the pattern. There are Official Truths and the truth that comes from reflection on facts. We are more savvy than the media believes, and we can smell the spin in the information almost instinctively. Very intriguing story.
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We are more savvy than the media believes. We have already started smartening up. Thank you, Rebecca!
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A bleak view of the future.
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It is pretty bleak except for the smartening up. Thank you, Penny!
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Dear Frank,
Chilling story since it seems we could be standing on the precipice of this outcome.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Much of that could happen. I am reading Peter Wyns’ Unexpected Fire which is a study of Revelation containing both end-times tribulations and the resultant revivals and the interactions between Israel and the gentile church. Thank you, Rochelle!
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The official truth and the truth truth are often miles apart. It’s a sad condition.
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They are often miles apart. That is something I finally learned over the past two years, but should have known long ago. Thank you!
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THanks for the congratulations on the blog’s milestone
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Thank you, Jim!
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You’re welcome
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A haunting story, Frank. Well done.
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Thank you, Bill!
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Oh gosh I hope not, Frank. You captured the tension perfectly.
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I am glad the tension was captured. Thank you, Laurie!
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So, the coffee killed them all?
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I left so much out of that tale that I am not sure they were even among those who died. I like the idea that the coffee killed them.
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