Image © Jean L. Hays
‘Has she been through here? Yesterday? In a station wagon?’ Nina flipped open her wallet and pointed at the photo of the white-haired lady. ‘She’s got Alzheimers. She shouldn’t be driving. But-’
The mechanic bent over and squinted. ‘No, but I’ve seen this dame.’ He tapped a finger, its nail rimmed with black grease, over another photo. ‘The car, too. Couldn’t forget a car like that. Yesterday, like you said.’
Nina stepped back. In the snapshot, the same woman, forty years younger, her hair still red, leaned against a Model T Ford parked under an acacia tree somewhere very far from Route 66.
*
If you’d like to write your own 100 word story inspired by the picture, click here, or here to read other people’s.
No Frigate like a book 
I was confused by this. Why did the mechanic say no and then go on to say he’d seen her and the car? Did the photo in her wallet miraculously change or was this a different snap?
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Different snap. (“He tapped a finger…over another photo”) He wasn’t to know it was another, much older, image of the very same person Nina was looking for. I guess she looked very different in the two (forty-year apart) photos. Sorry I got you confused; I was really hoping I’d made it clear enough. Guess not. Ah well.
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Sorry, my fault. I missed the another
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Seriously spooky.
Love it.
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Thank you 🙂
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Dear Louise,
I sense a bit of paranormal here. It would seem that someone has done some time travel. I love the questions it leaves in my mind. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Paranormal: yes, indeed. It’s left questions in my mind too – and I think I need to answer them…..
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Oh, this was nice. I sense the beginning of an adventure.
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Yep, I think so too. Or maybe the end of one…..
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I read it that the white haired old lady was on a trip back in time. I thought this was a great idea and worthy of exploring a bit further too. Very well done.
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I think she was too. Glad you liked it!
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perfect for the time of year; truly creepy…
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Thank you; perhaps the carved pumpkin still leering at me every time I step outside has had a useful writerly effect……as well as driving my dogs mad with greed.
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Dogs AS pumpkin eaters? Now there’s a thing. Mine is too snooty for something so humble.
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Nice spooky tale, definitely leaves me wondering what is going on. Excellent.
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Thank you 🙂
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That was an interesting time travel… wonder how that would work.. but it’s a great way to get rid of Alzheimer…
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Ha ha – no idea but I’ve been reading about time slips and I think those stories were at the back of my mind when I wrote this.
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I had to read it twice but then I got it. Love the idea!
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Thanks, Dale 🙂
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Brilliant.
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Thank you for the nice comment.
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I loved this and it made perfect sense to me. It stimulated my imagination and made me work a bit, as great writing should. Well done you.
Tracey
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Thank you so much , Tracey – and really glad you liked it.
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Ooooooo! Very good!!
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Thanks, Sascha!
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Love this! Instantly hooked me.. clever in such a short snapshot too !
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🙂 Thank you, Poppy.
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Great piece 🙂
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Thank you, Helen.
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Spooky but still very clever piece. Simply loved it.
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Thank you for the lovely comment. Pleased you liked the story.
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I love this! Great idea. This feels like the beginning of a real journey for the main character, but I think it also stands well on its own.
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Oh, thank you. Yes, I think it might be the start (or end?) of something too…..
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I agree, nice take on the prompt. I nenjoyed your story.
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Thank you 🙂
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Excellent, Louise. This is a good time-travel story and I’m a sucker for nostalgia. 🙂
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I like a bit of nostalgia too! Glad you liked the story.
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This story made me work, and I liked that.
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Thank you, Michael. I think that’s what I was hoping to have achieved!
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Very spooky. Nicely done.
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Thank you, Clare 🙂
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I enjoyed this tale, i liked the detail of the mechanic’s oily finger tapping the photo.
It seems we both had time travel in mind. Unless your missing lady had dyes her hair back to red of course!
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time warp occured. that could only the valid explanation. this story is worth exploring further.
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