(c) Jennifer Pendergast
Every Friday authors from around the world gather at the virtual fireside of fellow blogger Rochelle Wisoff to share fiction stories of 100 words – prompted by a photograph – and exchange constructive criticism. Readers’ comments are also welcome.
This week’s photo prompt (I love the composition and colours in this photo) has been provided by Jennifer Pendergast, whose blog is Elmo Writes, where she describes herself thus: … an English lawyer, moved to Canada and gone straight – I worked part-time as a waitress until October 2012 and now I’m a full-time Mum while devoting my “spare time” to writing, editing and writing about, my other favourite creation, fiction.
Jennifer’s own story about her photo is Fibonacci’s Tower. Jennifer, I almost wrote a story incorporating The Fibonacci Sequence myself! I look forward to discovering how many other Friday Fictioneers went in this direction, prompted by your photo.
Here’s my story that Jennifer’s photo inspired:
SQUIDS
“I’m Professor Michael … “
“He’s Mike, I’m Jeff.” The younger one shot the elder a look. “We work with Annelise.”
“Work?”
“Did your daughter ever mention SQUIDS, … “
“She hated fish…”
“…Josephson … Cooper… Shapiro steps… breakthrough… not steps, spiral…”
Jeff shot ‘Professor’ another look.
“Where’s Annelise?”
Jeff took my hand. “SQUIDS is a quantum – time-space – tunnel. We succeeded with mice.”
“Annelise’s where?”
Shrug.
I climbed in.
Prof protested. “…500,000 Josephson’s Junctions alone! ”
Annelise led me through a door leading from the landing of the spiral staircase. There were others: Russian….
“Tea?” She asked, whiskers twitching.
(c) Ann Isik 2013
100 words
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Poetic Mapping: Walking Into Art 
I really enjoyed reading this and, like Sandra, would love to read the longer version. I’m usually a bit dense with sci-fi pieces, but I’m pleased to say I got your story straight away.
Well done
Dee
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Thanks Dee! Sorry for the delay in response. I had a fall and then became overwhelmed (or maybe in reverse order) but I’m okay now. I haven’t had time to do the longer version and missed last week’s FF altogether. Life! I’ll post it as a standalone sometime soon. Thank you for your kind interest. Ann
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Sorry to hear about your fall, do take care.
Look forward to your posts when you feel up to posting
Dee
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Thanks. I’m okay now. I wasn’t badly hurt, physically but rocked my very tight ship!
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Loved the way you put so much into just 100 words. Talent! I respect.
If you have time, will consider reading a short story by me and give some tips? I am very new to writing and is looking for some learning from you all. http://yourstoryclub.com/short-stories-love/funny-love-story-met-her-in-bank/
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Hello Ankit, thanks for reading my story and taking the time to comment. I’ve had a quick look at your story. It would be difficult for me and perhaps unfair, to comment very much, as I feel I am not enough familiar with the culture in which the story is set. Some of the expressions in the story are unknown to me, such as ‘fat uncles’. You can certainly tell a story, however and I note that the story won a prize and of money! Well done! If what you are writing is winning prizes, it would seem not much should be changed! And keep writing. That’s my advice! Kind regards Ann
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Really enjoyed reading this – am intrigued and looking forward to reading the longer version.
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Several people are interested in the longer version. I had a fall and it put me out of action – though not physically – but I’m back on an even keel and starting to catch-up. Thanks for your comment. Ann
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Great story – loved this and would like to read the longer version. Well done.
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I’ll post the longer version as a separate blog at the same time as I post next Friday’s FF contribution. Ann
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Annelise in Wonderland? 🙂 Although it sounds more like she ended up a bit like the Cheshire Cat.
janet
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Could easily be Wonderland! The Cheshire mouse though … she got mixed up with the ‘successful’ experiments on mice. There’d be an uproar – illogically – if I had them experimenting on cats.:)
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I got the mouse part (that’s why I said “a bit like…the cat”) but was merely remarking on the similarity. If I’d had my wits about me, I would have said she seemed to be a Cheshire Mouse. Ahhh, well..
janet
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We seem to be playing cat and mouse up and down my Shapiro Spiral! Ann
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Hi Ann… you better change your link on the FriFic page… you put in the wrong add and it is going to your edit page and it is blank.
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Thanks Ted. Fixed! Ann
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Ann,
I am pretty sure your post went into a wormhole because your link isn’t working and I had to get here by some scientific work of my own…I didn’t notice any Russians or mice here Just Ted, yourself and some weird self professed poet. I have to say at first I thought you were talking about that lady who captured a giant squid on camera but of course I was wrong. I learned a few things here and enjoyed this post. Well back to the rabbit hole..I mean wormhole…time space tunnel….whatever it’s called. Clicking my heels… nothing seems to be working…I am still here. Oh post comment got it! Bye.
Tom
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Very funny, Tom! Thanks for persevering with my accidental wormhole! I’m glad you managed to fathom my tale (or tail, even!) or even some of it, as I had to cut it from over 250 words. It was better longer. I learn a lot from doing this weekly challenge. Ann
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I like this story all the way through, but not sure I get the ending. Why “Russian” and why “Whiskers?” Is her time jump for good or for ill?
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Thanks for reading Perry. I had to cut the story down from over 250 words this week and it lost something in the process. My heroine was trapped in the ‘quantum tunnel’ with a mouse. disappeared. Where she’s ended up, there are scientists from all the world powers also working on quantum tunnels – including Russia, though the possible connection with Russian tea is confusing! I’m keeping the longer version, which included a psychic! But the story’s about love, in this case, a mother’s love for her daughter. Thanks for reading. Ann
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Lots of intrigue here, Ann, I feel you have a lot more of this story in your head! Thanks for the link and your kind words on mine, and on the photo. I’m so glad someone else saw the Fibonacci-ness of these photo.
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An astute observation – yes there is a lot more story in my head. I had to cut it down from over 250 words and probably shouldn’t have. There was another character – a psychic – who got the chop! I learned that with a form as heavy with meaning, in science and in myth etc, as a spiral, there are too many choices and junctions (Josephson’s and otherwise)!
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Fibtastic!
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Thanks. Yours too! Ann
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really interesting. Nice work!
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Thanks! I’m a bit disappointed. I had to chop 100 words out! Ann
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Yowza!
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p.s. thanks for linking my story…
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Thanks for reading mine. See you soon! Ann
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I’ll take that as a positive response!
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