CHUFFER TRAIN
The landing craft circled, its cameras focussed on the
train below.
“A primitive form of transport,” the Commander decided,
and sent Phtam to make First Contact.
Slightly wobbly on her unfamiliar legs, Phtam walked
along the platform and approached the nearest figure. “Good day.”
The man didn’t even acknowledge her. She tried each
person in turn with no success. A train chuffed into the station but still
no-one moved, and when it left, so did Phtam.
“They’re all dead,” she reported. “Probably a virulent
virus.”
The ship left hurriedly – without spotting the sign on
a gate --
‘Model Village closed today’.
...............................................................................................
Apologies to the real people - if they ARE real - on this station, but Sandra Crook's photo reminded me of a model village on the Isle of Wight which I visited recently with my granddaughter.
Thanks as ever to https://rochellewisoff.com/ for hosting Friday Fictioneers - if you care to follow the links from her blog you can read other stories prompted by Sandra's photo.
It's amazing how easy it is not to understand things in an alien culture. I remember not being able to get out of my room in a US hotel because I didn't understand how their doorknobs worked. Well captured, Lizzie
ReplyDeleteThanks Neil. It took me ten minutes to get into my room last time I stayed in an hotel - didn't realise I had to dip the key card into the lock and then Take It Out!
DeleteThe model village at Corfe Castle is wonderful, Lizy. My nephew works on the railway and runs the engineering dept. Anyway... back to your story. A lovely twist.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Helen,and for the photos on Facebook x
DeleteHa, enjoyed this one Liz, lovely reveal :-)
ReplyDeleteCheers, Iain!
DeleteWimborne in Dorset has a model village which is amazing.
ReplyDeleteThere are obviously more of them around than I realized.
DeleteOh, how wonderful!
ReplyDeleteI had never seen one until we took our gr-son to the Lego park two hours away. It was entirely made of small Legos. Unfortunately gr-son was hard to keep up with as he skipped from one ride to another. So we viewed about 1/4 of it.
A return visit is called for!
DeleteDear Liz,
ReplyDeleteThe ending had me laughing out loud. How confusing for poor Phtam. Good one.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks Rochelle - this was another swifty!
DeleteThat brought a smile to my face.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sandra.
DeleteThat's brilliant. Looking at the picture again it could indeed be a model railway!
ReplyDeleteI had to study it closely, but the figures are too perfect to be fakes 😎
DeleteThe people in the model village photos really do appear real in the image. I wonder what kind of virus leaves people in statue-like death states? I don't blame the aliens for taking off.
ReplyDeleteMaybe an instant freeze ray?
Deleteit could be that the aliens don't know how to read. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's another possibility.
DeleteLiz, this is a perfect example of real life translating to good fiction. I enjoyed the shift of perspective in your story.
ReplyDeleteThank you,Jade.
DeleteVery funny. And what silly aliens - fancy not reading the sign.
ReplyDeleteJumping to conclusions is not very scientific.
DeleteA very entertaining tale about misunderstandings between one species and another. =)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Brenda.
DeleteVery imaginative!
ReplyDeleteAn interesting and well-written story, Liz. The ending twist was great. :) --- Suzanne
ReplyDeleteThanks, Suzanne x
DeleteVery lovely piece.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lisarey.
Delete