FF – Not Any More
Here is my rerun post for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. This week’s rerun was suggested by Kent Bonham and the photo was contributed by Janet Webb.
I first wrote this in 2013 but I’ve fiddled with it a tiny bit here.
To read this week’s other stories click on the blue froggy.
“Hey Dad, what’s up with Bert, all alone over there?”
“He’s sulking. He doesn’t like the wet stuff. He’s worried he’ll rust.”
“Where did all the flesh-things go? Did they rust?”
“Maybe. Or maybe they melted. They never looked very hardy to me.”
“Where did all the wet stuff come from?”
“Full of questions today, aren’t you? I heard it used to be solid and far away. Then everything warmed up and now it’s all wet and it’s everywhere.”
“So why are we here, Dad? Do we have a purpose?”
“Not any more, son. Not any more.”
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Friday Fictioneers
draliman on life 
All that’s left are shopping carts, cockroaches, and aluminum cans. Ah, civilization.
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Not much to show for a few thousand years.
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Poor little cart, never got the chance to fulfill his destiny. But who knows, maybe they’ll forge their own new society on what remains from the previous one. (Now there’s an interesting idea: what kind of society would sentient grocery carts form? And would they be in league with the cockroaches and aluminum cans, or mortal enemies? Hm.)
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I think the aluminium cans would be natural allies. The cockroaches are on their own!
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The cockroaches are probably going to do just fine on their own, I imagine!
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I like the simple language of their conversation. It makes it all the more profound. We’ll be in too deep the day this happens. Nice one, Ali.
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Thanks. I fear you’re correct.
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Oh nooo!
I had to read this twice to identify the POV.
Love it.
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I glad you liked it, and took the time to reread!
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As the apocalypse continued, the poor shopping carts were forced to serve the Daleks…….
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There’s nothing worse than getting run over by a Dalek-controlled shopping trolley 🙂
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Layers, nice.
Shopping carts seem the perfect choice to illustrate the story, who would have thought they’d ‘win’ ☺
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Yeah, no-one saw that coming!
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Still a good one!
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Thanks!
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Poor Bert- He must miss those fleshy-things . Nice one.
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He did enjoy being pushed around the place full of tasty goods!
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This is the first FF rerun that I actually remember… or at least the photo. I’d forgotten the story… but good to see something’s still around to take over for us!
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Yeah, it would be a shame if all sentient life disappeared!
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what would he do with a porpoise anyway? 😀
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He could take it for rides!
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Good story, Ali, but scary in its own way. I’d rather not see the beginning of things turning into a real “Water World”. That movie bothers me a bit. 😐 — Suzanne
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There’s a lot to be bothered by in that movie, Suzanne. 😉
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Dear Ali,
I think I remember this one. A little cart to cart (or as you might say, “trolley to trolley”) dialogue. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
I changed it a tiny bit but not much! I’m glad you liked it again 🙂
Ali
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The elegy of a shopping cart. What is my purpose, now that I’m unfilled, unfulfilled, filled with emptiness… What fun. You even make a post-flood dystopian scenario funny. 😀
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I expect it won’t be long before trolleys from one supermarket are attacking those from another. Or maybe that’s just a human/animal thing…
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The flesh things! Love it!
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Glad you liked it 🙂
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Poor solidly built shopping carts. 😦
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If only they’d been built by someone with no work ethic they might have fallen apart by now and been spared all this 😦
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I know…my phone wouldn’t survive! LOL
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Well, it’s possible to sneeze a modern phone to pieces. The only time a mobile phone survives forever is if you accidentally tick the “Yes, I’d like to pay £10 a month phone insurance for the rest of my life and beyond, please” box.
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Even non-fleshy things experience existential angst. Brilliant! 🙂
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There’s no escaping it, whether you be fleshy or metal. I’m glad you liked it 🙂
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Nope, we’re all in this together! 🙂
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How sad! They no longer have a purpose because the humans aren’t around anymore. Great story, Ali!
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Left to their own devices, poor things.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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I loved this! The trolley-tone was just right, speaking as a ‘flesh-thing’. 🙂
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I’m glad my trolley-dialogue was realistic 🙂
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a future i wish wouldn’t happen. at least, in my lifetime. 🙂
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Same here 😦
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The poor lonely things… At least they have each other, although no way to get together without the flesh-things to push them toward one another!
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They have to yell across the gap 🙂
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Imaginative take! Speaking as a flesh-thing, certainly hope it doesn’t come to that 🙂
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Me too. I don’t like to think of all the poor shopping trolleys left to fend for themselves 🙂
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The ominous tone of your story fits the prompt perfectly!
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Thanks! The photo gives me quite a sense of abandonment.
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Abandoned as no longer needed, like so many things in our throw away society… I love the ‘voices’ of the trolleys and the way the conversation plays out. The explanation of where all the wet stuff came from is perfect! 🙂
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I’m glad you liked it! Let’s hope it never plays out…
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Poor carts, they know us so well.
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They’ve got us sussed!
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Yes, excellent.
Love the tone, understated apocalypse.
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Quite a casual discussion of the end of all things. I’m glad you liked it!
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Clever, clever, clever! Especially the story stayed with it and moved to its inevitable conclusion.
Sweet job, Ali!
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
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I wonder where all the fleshy things have been gone…feels kind of creepy out there all alone 😀 Pawkisses 🙂 ❤
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It would be pretty creepy and lonely in a world without the flesh-things.
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Love your work drali. I’m still waiting for the draliman anthology!
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Thanks! I keep meaning to compile one… 🙂
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You’d have stacks of stories by now. Throw them together and get published!
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Just need to find enough which either don’t need a picture (they’re all copyrighted), or I’ve taken a picture I can replace it with!
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They wouldn’t all need a picture would they? Not if they’re going into book form?
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Not all, but many would need a small rewrite as my stories are often quite linked to the photo.
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Great words – flesh things, water stuff. A terrific, light-hearted story with such a serious message. Really good.
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Thanks, I’m glad you saw both sides of it!
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Great perspective and story, No purpose–sad. Maybe they will find one? I like the language – “flesh things”
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I hope they do find a purpose. Maybe the cockroaches will mutate and require shopping trolleys for their things 🙂
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So sad, to lose your purpose…great metaphorical piece.
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Thanks. It’s one of the worst feelings, leads to so many other bad feelings.
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Ah, that comforting sound of post-apocalyptic talk!
Brilliant and mordant!
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They seem to be taking it in their stride/trundle 🙂
I’m glad you liked it!
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