Unseen
This place seems like a fine spot mother, shall we rest awhile?
I’m ok. Let’s keep walking Jessie, this place reminds me of home.
Sorry mum, Donald thought it would be good for you to walk.
Was Ireland beautiful Mum? They say, only ruins are left there now.
Since that megalomaniac fool fired those warheads.
I will tell Donald to change the holographic program.
They say it will be at least ten thousand years before anyone can go back up to the earths surface.
Please, please do tell Donald to change the holographic program
I have already told him, to switch to tennis at Wimbledon.
It’s amazing how that little word ‘up’ in the last sentence puts a whole new layer of horror on the piece. Well done.
That is so true. They had to go down. For their space technology is not developed enough, excepting to kill each other!
I do hope Donald does change the program
Click Here to see what Mrs. Dash Says
Hi gravadee – he has changed it to tennis at Wimbledon!
Well, according to one scholarly opinion at Stackexchange.com, probably nowhere near that long. Still, life would definitely be different.
Donald and Jessie will be so pleased to hear that. It now seems that those in power are keeping the earth for themselves! Thank you for the link.
Dear Michael,
This might be your best yet. Chilling.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Now if only I might get you to reproduce that comment each time Thank you so much, Rochelle.
Scary thought.
‘Tis a scary thought, so pleased to hear from you.
I like this take on the prompt. I felt there was something artificial about the photo, almost as though it was computer generated. It’s the sharp edges of the walls, I think. I wonder what Jessie had done to earn a place in such a sophisticated bunker?
Jessie wonders that herself. Then again she is a very creative cook. I do agree about the photo.
Ouch, I wonder what we would like to remember… maybe we would like to see it as it is. Dust and flood.
For myself – the sun on my back and the colours of nature, I have seen too many floods, yet without water there might be no life and no colour!
Yes when I first saw the photo I thought the building looked like a prop with the scaffold supporting it. Very nice.
So pleased to have your feedback. Thank you.
Donald is certainly providing us writers with plenty of material, none of it very uplifting. Great work Michael.
We writers need material, but we also need humour, I must try and remember that. Really pleased to read your comment.
A holographic horror. Great write.
So pleased the story worked. I did set out to write something quite different!
This was indeed very good, Michael. Chilling idea to be stuck underground for generations…
As a child I knew about nuclear bunkers ! – Those who had confirmed places in them had very mixed feelings ! Glad the story worked. Thank you.
It very much did.
Can I add another ‘chilling’ to the consensus here? An interesting, if disturbing take on the prompt, Michael
Chilling is the right word. As a teenager I became privy to restricted information on nuclear war. Going underground was in vogue, but not liked.
Yes, who wants to live in a bunker? Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that
If that’s what’s in store, I’m glad I won’t be around! Excellent.
Click to read my FriFic
We have written about war and desease, both feared by any sensible human… But to be confined underground, I agree that would be bad.
I hope Donald changes a lot of things. Great story!
Change is never easy – I often wonder what I would do if I was in power. I am glad the story worked.
Oh this is scary. I wonder at how you managed to take such a pristine prompt and turn it around into something so chilling. Well done!
Thank you so much. It surprised me too.
I like that one, Michael… a post-apocalyptic treasure. Great one… Now, I jealous… I should have thought of that approach. giggles.
I smiled at your giggles. Smiles and giggles are great. Thank you Jelli
Cool story.
Cool will do for me. Thank you Dawn
Your story, scary as it is, opens a person’s mind to thoughts about disaster and how we’d react.
I have a book written by a resident of Nagasaki, a doctor who happened to be at the hospital in the x-ray chamber when the bomb was dropped. The perfect place to stay safe — but when he came out there was nothing left of the main part of the city, including his home, his wife and two sons. Those who survived were streaming into the ER for care.
His record of the aftermath is fascinating. Unaware of nuclear contamination, he opted to stay living in the city, trusting that once the worst was past, he’d be okay — and of course died of leukemia some years later. But what he did is likely what we’d all do, don’t you think? People need light. We love sunshine. I wonder if, rather than living like moles, we’d take our chances with contamination?
Hi Christine – I feel for that doctor: And all who have experienced the terrors of war…
so pleased to read your views about the story [Unseen] for if a story makes me ask questions in a good way, it is generally a Ok book or story.
Your last sentence about sunshine and moles made me think. I do not believe that I would make a good mole, but if I were born to it, I might know no difference.
I wonder what the human race will look like when it finally emerges back into the light? Nice one!
Now that’s a difficult question. Perhaps smaller and very very pale.
And I am hoping the hologram changes Donald in a pre-apocalyptic miracle. 🙂 Wonderful story Michael. I hope it does not come true.
Thank you JJF – I like wonderful, but not if the story came true.
This was fantastic, Michael and another sign of that, was the quality of the comments which were also fascinating and informative.
If you asked many of us if we could survive underground, I’m sure we’d refute it. However, don’t you ever wonder about the billions working above ground in bunkers and rarely experiencing sunlight? Spending time in their rooms on electronics, rather than being out there in the real world? Unfortunately, I think way too many humans are already living an equivalent life above ground now.
xx Rowena
Rowena You make a good point about the increasing trends around electronic games etc. But perhaps that balance is different in each individual. But I am usually happiest when I am outside. It is a concern that modern life takes us away from nature.
Excellent story, Michael, and a scary view on one possible future. As far as I know several countries have luxury bunkers for the rich and famous in case of disaster, war, or general unrest. I’m glad I’d never qualify for one of these.
Thank you Gabriele. One really wonders who will service the luxury underground bunkers. And then which of the members of the family are allowed in or not!
Distant and disturbing, but only too real these days. Purposeful prose, Michael.
So glad my story worked. I hope it only ever remains as a story.
Ouch Ouch and Ouch again. This seems to be getting closer and closer to the truth! Well done.
Thank you Alicia. Sadly history is littered with people who misused power.