In Keith’s words. “Using this photo ( below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here.
Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.”
The photo.
Dispatch by John W. Howell © 2019
“I just love to write cards home.”
“Huh? I’m sorry, but I was concentrating on this dispatch.”
“I said I just love to write cards home. Do you?”
“You know I need to get this out. What was the question?”
“Do you like to write cards home?”
“Sometimes I write home. I can’t say I like it. I would rather be home thank you.”
“That goes without saying, but a card makes you feel a little closer.”
“You are so funny. How can a card make you feel closer?”
“While you are writing, you can think of those who will be reading what you wrote and then you can visualize their smile and feel close.”
“You are quite a romantic. When I write home, I only give the facts like I’ve been taught.”
“Don’t you ever miss home?”
“Of course I do, but it doesn’t help to make up stories about smiles and thinking of those reading what I write.”
“Why not?”
“For one the only people reading what I write want to know what is going on and could care less about feelings.”
“I think you have not had a happy youth.”
“Happy has nothing to do with it. I’m a warrior and what I write is a situation analysis, not a valentine card.”
“Goodness, we are grumpy today.”
“For another what makes you think the folks back home smile?”
“Everybody smiles.”
“See you are now thinking like an Earthling. Everybody here smiles. When was the last time you saw a smile on your controller droid?”
“So you won’t let me dream?”
“You do not have time to dream. We are being extracted in two hours, and if I don’t get this dispatch off, the mission will be scrubbed, and we’ll be trapped here for another hundred Earth years.”
“Would that be so bad? At least we would have our smiles.”
“And pizza. I almost forgot about the pizza.”
“Can we please stay? It’s only a hundred years.”
“I guess it wouldn’t hurt. Go ahead and finish your card. I’m going to color for a while.”
Fiction Favorites 
Oh, to be a child for 100 years.
On second thoughts…
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Be careful what you wish.
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True. If childhood lasted for a century, how long wouls we have to wait for our pensions?
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Hmmm. 100 years to puberty. 100 years to marrage. 100 years to middle age. 100 years to late middle. 100 years to retirement = 500 years give or take.
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Far too long. Mind you, after saving for around 400 years, think of the size of pension pot you’d have!
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It would be sizable for sure.
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What a great idea, see why you’re the professional writer and I’m not!!
My brain came up with, “Let’s write our letters to Santa now so we’re first in line.”
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I like yours. I never thought about the Santa angle. 😊
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Very clever (and sweet), John. Pizza and another 100 years – doesn’t sound bad at all. 😀
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I would sign up for that. Thank you, Gwen
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I’m happy to see children are still writing letters. 🙂
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😁
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Guess children do act like aliens at times.
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For sure. 🙄
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They r grumpy 😾 today 😂 great dialogue as always 👍📖
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Thank you, Victoria Ray. 🙂
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Boss,
You nailed this, because oftentimes when my kids were this age . . I did wonder if they were aliens. Of course, this would have meant my wife was an alien, which I wasn’t sold on. Aliens are interested in studying us earthlings, not hoarding the world’s supply of shoes . . .
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Ha haha. Loved the shoe comment. 😂
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She was my Imelda Marcos.
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Ha ha ha. I had one of those too.
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We had a closet for ’em. When that wouldn’t do, half the basement . . .
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I can see that.
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Haha!
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I love how aliens pop up in your stories when I’m least expecting them.
Here I was thinking summer camp, LOL!
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I have a fascination with Sci Fi. Can’t write it but love the whole idea of visitors from another planet.
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That’s one of my favorite threads too John. And I bet if you gave it a try, you’d nail it!!
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I’m always worried about the conventions. Maybe with a little more time.
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Aside from their atrocious eating habits, sometimes the monsters would come out at night and pay all my bills.
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Lucky you. 😂
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Love your take on this one, John! Seems Mr. Channing’s photos have changed a bit, from kind of a Middle Eastern vibe to something more “American.” Interesting!
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Well since he is in France it might be more French but yes. He has travelled extensively and his photos have been from the places visited. He tells me this photo is 40 years old. Most likely taken in the UK.
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Another 100 years being a child, eating pizza, and writing letters. Sounds great!
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Sign me up. Oh wait! I would have to give up wine. Never mind.
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Oh, no. I didn’t think about that. No wine? And no coffee? I’m out. And you would definitely have to give up your bourbon. Well, that stinks.
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It does stink.
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😀
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Sounds like a deal worth negotiating for!!!
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I think so.
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Yep I get this need for one hundred years of salsa or whatever that Marquez dude worried about. He must have been a three foot alien with a pencil fetish.
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LOL
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You never fail, John.
How’s that feel?
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I fail 55% of the time, Hook.
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I dunno about that, John. One of those “be careful what you wish for: scenarios, methinks.
How you end up seeing aliens in this picture, is beyond me…
Fun stuff as per usual!
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I see things that others don’t see. Thanks, Dale.
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Which is a wonderful thing for us readers!
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[…] Dispatch by John W. Howell © 2019 […]
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