BUNKER
We won our
places in the nuclear bunker in a lottery. Five thousand people who’d bought
the right to live and, eventually, re-populate the world.
After ten
years I was too busy raising our kids to worry about the anarchy – no-one had
thought to stock birth control pills.
The building
contractors hadn’t followed the specifications either, and things were always
breaking down.
Ted and I
were, naturally, the maintenance team, so we were first to spot fungus growing
through the skylight.
“Get the kids,”
Ted said, “I’ll grab some guns.”
If outside was
breaking in, we wanted a head start.
It's a whole month since I last wrote any flash fiction - life has been busy with family visits, a damaged ankle, and working on my next novel. I've kept my short fiction and poetry going with frequent posts on Twitter - @young_liz if you'd like to follow me.
Meanwhile, thanks to Lisa Fox for the photo prompt and to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for encouraging us to join her select group Friday Fictioneers.
Next month I've been invited to join a small group of local poets to read our work at an Arts Festival, so my next job is to decide which poems to choose from my recently published book: Footprints, which you can find on Amazon along with my other books. Be aware that I'm not the only Liz Young out there!
Oh this is perfect!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dawn!
DeleteYou've come back with a bang! A great take, Liz
ReplyDeleteThank you, Keith!
DeleteChilling ending, Liz
ReplyDeleteI guess any dystopian story will be chilling. Thanks for reading.
DeleteI love “if the outside is breaking in”.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteGreat take on the prompt, and interesting story!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Angela x
DeleteOh I do like that one Lizy.
ReplyDeleteThanks,.Cat x
DeleteInteresting idea - this feels like the start of a great longer story too!
ReplyDeleteYou never know!
DeleteIntriguing use of the prompt.
ReplyDeleteThank you - I think!
DeleteGreat story in 100 words. When you said grab the guns I thought they were going to shoot it down lol. I hope they get their outside job done safely.
ReplyDeleteIn my mind they're leaving for good!
DeleteTo end up in a anarchic, shoddily built world with a bunch of kids is bad enough, but then fungus! And clearly not just the kind you can fix with a squirt or two of bleach. Lots of fascinating hints in this about the bigger story, untold. Good one.
ReplyDeleteThanks for such a detailed comment, Marg!
DeleteDear Liz,
ReplyDeleteI laughed at "no on thought to stock birth control pills." Well done. I'm sending healing thoughts to your broken ankle.
Shalom,
Rochelle