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 your offering (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before Sunday evening UK time. 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. Thank you for taking part.”
Check out Keith’s post for the stories from last week. https://keithchanning.wordpress.com/2022/10/24/kreative-kue-383/
The photo.
The Call by John W. Howell © 2022
“Yah, hello.”
“Who’s this?”
“What do you mean who’s this? The phone was ringing in this booth and I answered it. Who’s this?”
“You first.”
“No way. I’m hanging up now.”
“Wait. Is this the Sanford residence?”
“No. This is a phone booth on Sussex.”
“Where on Sussex?”
“Why does that matter?”
“It might be close to the Sanford residence.”
“So what?”
“Maybe you can run over there and tell Mrs. Sanford, she has a call.”
“Not on your life. I’m hanging up.”
“Wait. it just may be my life.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was told to call Mrs. Sanford and tell her to deliver one million pounds to the park or her husband gets it.”
“Why not call the police?”
“They told me not to do that.”
“What do you care?”
“I’m Mr. Sanford.”
“And you don’t know your damn phone number?”
“I do but I think I misdialed. I’m a tad nervous.”
“Where are you now?”
“In a dark room.”
“Can’t you call for help?”
“They are only letting me make one call.”
“And you muffed it.”
“It appears so.”
“Okay, then what’s the address.”
“126 Sussex. Tell her the thugs will call with a location.”
“Okay then. You sure you can give the thugs the right number?”
“Good point. I’ll try but could you stay by the booth just in case?”
“I’m on holiday and other things to do.”
“More important than saving a life?”
“Pretty ignorant life at that.”
“What?”
“Nothing. I’ll go to your house then standby the booth.”
“You are a mensch.”
“How long?”
“How long what?”
“Till the thugs call?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t ask.”
“Could you?”
“What?”
“Ask them.”
“When I see them I will.”
“I’m hanging up now.”
“Thank you ever so much.”
“Sure. What’s in a holiday anyway.”
Fiction Favorites 
Dear John,
we love your text.
Keep well
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Thank you so much for letting me know. Have a super week, Fab Four.
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Great dialogue, John. I don’t know who is more confused, the guy in the booth, the soon-to-be-late Mr Sanford… or me.
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I hope it’s you since that is my main objective.
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🤣🤣 Job done ✅
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Excellent.
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I’m with you, Keith, on the confusion.
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I don’t think I’m over it yet.
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😀
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😁
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Ha ha ha! Quite the conundrum.
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Can you imagine?
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haha, seems he’s trying to get one million pounds out of his own wife? lol, better luck next time!
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I thought the same thing. The guy in the booth seems to be a little naive. Thanks, GP.
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Great dialogue, John, and a fun story. 😊
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Thank you, Gwen. Glad you like my silliness. 😁
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Always do! 🤣
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❤️
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This is why I never answered the phone in a phone booth. Good one, John! 🙂
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Ha ha ha. Lucky most are gone now. Thanks, Jill.
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Coming to theaters starting Liam Neeson.
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Ha ha ha. Thanks, Charles. Good one.
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Just bring the money to the phone booth. There’s a guy waiting there who will take care of it.
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Gotta feel sorry for this guy. Empath to the sixth power.
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Yep, that’s my friend John, seeing dramatic, thrilling suspense in a picture of some guy in a phone booth. 🙂
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Ha ha ha. I think your friend John has a screw loose. Thanks, Tim.
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Creativity! 🙂
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😁
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First, all I could think is how much trouble I’d be in if I had to come up with a phone number by memory. I’ve become so reliant on my phone to keep track of my contacts, I have very few I could recall out of the blue.
Then I wondered if the call recipient would be interested in some “prime” land I have for sale in Florida…
Nice work, John.
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Ha ha ha. He did seem a little gullible. Thanks, Staci.
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I never have answered a ringing phone in a booth like that, but I’ve always wondered what that would be like for the caller. And now that I know, I’m glad I always kept on walking. Good one, John.
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Best to do that, Bruce. Thanks.
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holidays, huh? What a bummer. Still never answer a strange phone
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For sure.
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Wow, good reason never to answer a ringing phone in a phone booth. Wait … do we even have phone booths anymore?? I remember using them. Used to tick me off when people stoled the phone book 😉
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Your holiday adventure became a MIS-adventure, lol. I’ve seen a few of those old phone booths done up quite creatively such as little libraries. Glad they haven’t disappeared like so many other things.
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Yes it is nice to see them. Thanks, Jacquie.
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Haha! I can so picture this and have fielded my share of wrong numbers. “Maybe you can run over there and tell Mrs. Sanford, she has a call. While you’re at it, pick me up a rack of lamb at the supermarket.” 😊
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Ha ha ha. Love that, Pete.
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I’m chuckling right out loud, John. Brilliantly done!
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Thank you, Jan. 😁
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Moral of the story. Never pick up a ringing phone in public. Even if those old phone booths are so tempting.
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Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thank you, Michael.
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Beautiful, John :-)) Enjoy your day! xx Michael
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You as well, Michael.
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Thanks, John! xx Michael 🙂
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😁
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Haha, good one, John, and excellent response to the photo prompt!
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Thank you, Priscilla. 😁
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I love those phone boxes! I probably would have answered the phone just because of the phone box.
I’m confused too like Keith above. 🤣
Fun dialogue though. Thanks for smiles this morning.
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I guess my story was a lttle too out there. Thanks, Deborah.
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Bwahahahahahaha. Too clever, John.
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Thanks, Monika.
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AS I’ve said before, you’re a master at dialogue. Great fun. But, not for the guy trying to reach his wife!! Does she have the money????? 🙂
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The back story here is this guy is going to run away so he is pretending to being kidnapped. He wants the wife to get together the million and then he will be off and away. Just to add to the story the million is exactly half of their savings so he is leaving her with half. Oh, and one more thing. The wife’s having an affair with the guy’s business partner.
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WOW, that is SOME back story, More like a front story. 🙂
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Ha ha ha.
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Nothing like getting mixed up in somebody else’s drama … while you’re on vacation. Nicely done, John.
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I know right? Seems unfair somehow.
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Hmm, Mrs. Sanford has at least a million pounds and is about to be a widow. This might change things, a bit.
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It just might.
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That was hilarious!
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I’m glad you liked it. Thanks for letting me know.
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Hahaha!!
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😁
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[…] The Call by John W. Howell © 2022 […]
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