FF – The End of the World
Here is my story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle, who also provided this week’s photo.
For this week’s other stories, click on the blue froggy.
The world had ended.
Plants and flowers withered and died, their once-delicate scent now pungent, cloying. The wind, foul, biting, left an almost chemical aftertaste. The few people still out hurried past, eyes downcast, lifeless. Animals slunk into darkened corners, seeking refuge.
The world had ended. For Shelley Smith.
“He’s dumped me, Mum! He was the one, I swear! I’ll never love anyone else! Not ever!”
She ran into her little en-suite and slammed the door, all tears and sobbing.
“What’s that, the third one this month?” Mum shook her head.
“And there’s still more month left,” replied Dad. “Teenagers!”
I think that’s my granddaughter.
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It’s probably everyone’s granddaughter 🙂
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Oh boy, you really nailed it. I have a couple of teenagers myself. Voice was superb and the tale wonderfully told.
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Thanks! I don’t have kids but this is how they seem to react on the telly 🙂
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Love this! Such an accurate portrayal of the melodrama in a teenager’s life. Hope you don’t mind, but I noticed a small error in the story. Mum refers to ‘the third one this month’, and Dad says there’s ‘still one month left’. Does Dad mean there’s still one WEEK left? 😊
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And… it’s an en-suite 😉
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Hahaha … (Il est anglais … c’est pour ça qu’il écrit ON-suite) 😉
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Bien sûr… 😉
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😁
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Yeah, I may be English, but it’s certainly not “on-suite”. I have made the change, thanks 🙂
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Haha – thanks for being a good sport, Ali. 😁
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🙂
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Fixed, thanks!
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😉
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Thanks, I’m glad is sounded “true to life”.
Dad says “… there’s still more month left” 🙂
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Me bad … I no speak English. 😉 Sorry!
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With “on suite” I’m not one to talk… 🙂
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It’s borrowed from French, so you’re off the hook. 😁
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Yay 🙂
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Does one really say ‘there’s still month left’ in your neck of the woods? I understand it now, but have never heard it said that way before. In the UK, I heard the word ‘poorly’ used as an adjective rather than an adverb for the first time.
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It works (though is probably not correct English) with “more”, as in “there’s still more ice cream left”, for example. It’s incorrect strictly speaking because “month” is not a collective noun, but it sounds funny. I wouldn’t have used it outside of dialogue, though!
As for “poorly”, people in the UK get poorly all the time. It’s when you’re not sick enough to be properly ill 🙂
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Oops, I forgot to include the word ‘more’ (note to self: quote properly going forward). Thanks for the explanation! Poorly = man flu? 😉
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Sometimes, but it’s just a general word for “not well”. Though, when used to describe a child in my opinion it’s “real”, when used to describe an adult there’s a sense of sarcasm about it 🙂
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Ah … thanks for the insight! 😁
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🙂
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I was well into the apocalypse there until you hit me with this superb tale!
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That was my cunning plan 🙂
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Nice reveal halfway through. Some things are that important though.
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Especially to a teenager!
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Funny twist. Ah, to have the perspective of teenagers again, where this really *is* the worst thing that’s ever happened to them. Lucky them.
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Yeah, when I think about the things that seemed so important back then…
I’m glad you liked it!
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This really had me laughing! I was contemplating the end of the world and it turned out to be teenage angst! Most of us were drama llamas at that age! 😀 One of your best!
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I’m glad it made you laugh 🙂
Hee, “drama llamas”!
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Lordy… You could not pay me enough to return to those “end of the world” days!
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Me neither. Everything was sooo important back then…
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Wasn’t it though!
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Epilogue:
And after Shelley finished having her a good, long cry, she emerged from her room to the smell of withered plants and burnt, decaying flesh. There was a foul, chemical aftertaste in the air. The landscape outside her room, where a house had once stood, a barren, smoldering wasteland. Mum and Dad were not there, waiting for their daughter to get over this latest jilting, like they usually were. It looks like this time Shelley was right. She would never find another one, for there was no other one. The world really had ended this time….. for everyone BUT Shelley Smith!
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See, you should join the challenge. I start, you finish. That way we get 200 words!
Nice one 🙂
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One of my favorite activities in Senior Composition class involved collaborative writing like that. My row was full of other strange kids, so our combined stories were always the best in class! I’ll see if I can provide another postscript to next week’s story….
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You can be a Friday Fictioneer by proxy 🙂
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Very well done and sad to say, very true of mercurial teenage romances. 😍
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Thanks – I can see this playing out in homes everywhere 🙂
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I remember that end of the world feeling – and over someone who really wasn’t worth it too! Nicely built opening and reveal. Great stuff
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But they seemed really worth it at the time, I bet 🙂 I’m glad you liked it!
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Yes, absolutely! But we live and learn, thankfully 🙂
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Haha… brilliant voice and misdirection, drailman, Even though I was never daughter-ified, I can just picture this scene. Lovely. ‘real’ dialogue exchange at end.
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I like my little mid-story twists! I’ve not got any kids at all, but I used to watch Eastenders so I know all about “life” 🙂
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Haha – Eastend life is something truly emotional to behold!!
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Ha, ha. The end of her personal teen world. If my daughter had to spend one evening at home without friends she’d curl into a ball in a large living room chair complaining and looking deserted. My son, on the other hand, could spend hours by himself reading. Hilarious and good writing, Ali. 😀 — Suzanne
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I tended more towards your son’s state of mind 🙂 I’m glad you liked it!
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hahhaha. I really liked how you described her sense of utter hopelessness.
Brilliant!
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Thanks! Can you imagine anything worse happening ever when you’re young and (think you’re) in love… 🙂
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Hehehe. I am glad those days are ‘long ago and far away’ now 🙂😀
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Haha.. so more month is left. Will she be able to restrict to three ?
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Unlikely 🙂
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Ah, teenie bopper loves… gotta love the entertainment. heheh.
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It’s a spectator sport 🙂
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Hahahaha! That’s teenagers for you! Great story Mark!
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It is indeed 🙂
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Oops, sorry I called you Mark. Great story, Ali!
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That’s okay. I always wanted to be named “Mark” and now my dream has come true 🙂
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I had just read a story by Mark – I’m really sorry.
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🙂
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Your cunning plan sucked me right in, especially with the slinking animals! Loved this take on the prompt.
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Bwahaha! It’s always nice when a plan comes together 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Gads. And this is what I have to look forward to with my daughter. *sigh* Great story. I think you totally nailed it.
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Judging by the comments from people who have daughters of that age, I believe you are correct 🙂 I’m glad you liked it!
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i was buying into your usual fare only to be disappointed. what a believable twist. 🙂
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I’ll try to destroy the world properly next week 🙂
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MOL… Pawkisses for a Happy Weekend 🙂 ❤
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And to you 🙂
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I’ve got three of the little critters. This is spot on!
Click to read my FriFic
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I’m glad I managed to get the reaction just right 🙂
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Haha! This was good fun, Ali. Loved it 😀
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Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Dear Ali,
Spot on…as has been said numerous times, and rightly so. I had all boys so their teens were a little different. However, I remember being a teenage girl. Like Dale, you couldn’t pay me enough to go back to those times. 😉 Good one.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
I have no kids, I was hoping that what I’ve seen on the TV and bits and bobs of others’ kids was representative 🙂
I’m glad you liked it!
Ali
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A realistic scene! Loved the sudden shift from the first scene.
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I glad you liked it! I wanted to draw people into an apocalyptic frame of mind (like poor Shelley’s!) first 🙂
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This story is dead on lol. So corect and true.
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it! A typical every-day end-of-the-world scenario 🙂
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You brought me into a dark dystopian world. I laughed when I learned it was just teenage hysteria.
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It’s only a dark dystopian world inside her own head. I’m sure by tomorrow she’ll be fine again 🙂
I’m glad you liked it!
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Ah, the pains of being teenager. I remember those days of angst and the feelings of “what am I gonna do now?” scenarios. But, my mom always said things would get better, and they did. Good work, Ali!
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But I bet you didn’t believe her at the time… 🙂
I’m glad you liked it!
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Actually, I was a very good kid. Kept out of trouble, which was easy to do when your town is small and you have parents who will run after you — one being a teacher, the other doing law enforcement on the side.
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Ha 🙂
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Excellent buildup to the punch line 🙂
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it 🙂
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Spectacular dramatics are part of the everyday life of most teenagers, and woe betide anyone unfortunate enough to live with them! Love the way you’ve structured this story. The ending is perfect. 🙂
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Mostly they grow out of it, fortunately 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Oh my…I remember these days!
You put me there with my own daughter, once again.
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Yeeks, flashbacks 🙂
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well written
Click Here to see what Mrs. Dash Says
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Thanks 🙂
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Hehe, the young ones 🙂
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They’ll learn 🙂
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And why do we ever want to be teens again?…
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I want the youthfulness without all the rest of it 🙂
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The melodrama of teenagers! Very fun, Ali. 🙂
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Everything’s the biggest disaster ever 🙂
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