36 Comments
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Kate Henry's avatar

Can't "do" drone either. Ran away 30 years ago. Light is good. )) They'll find new name for the place.

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Thank you, Kate. Glad you are back. I missed you. I hope your journey worked out well ! I await a report...

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Richard Blaisdell's avatar

The universal story of a captured couple in a culvert crisis to escape together to try to find a way to love in a new world of light that beckons. What is at the end of the tunnel of love? Another story begins. Departure is the start hope the two will find, create a new life.

Sharron the story evolves , sets free my imagination ; reminds me of the same story many years ago. Like a Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher romance.

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Great analogy. It is an old trope, I know. But I found the photo and was intrigued. Thanks for reading.

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Sue Cauhape's avatar

This is like a response to Fran Gardner's "Gravid" prompt last week. Emergence after suffering great pressure and soon comes the release, whatever it may be.

It also reminds me of an old sci-fi movie where the protagonist and his girlfriend escape the perfect under-30 world into the post-apocalyptic world where they find an old man who looks a lot like Peter Ustinov living in the Library of Congress with hundreds of cats. They take him back to the "kids" to open their eyes to what happened to them. So much more outside their hedonistic world.

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Right you are. The classic "Logan's Run", 1976. You have a great memory for detail. The old man and the cats was the most bizarre part. The entire population was under 30 - that is all the time they were given. They reminded me of an earlier film ( 1960 ) of HG Well's The Time Machine and the race of Eloi, above ground people who were raised as cattle to feed the underground Morlocks. Eeew.

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T. D. Wolf's avatar

Renew! Renew!

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

You got it. Cool old film. It was cutting edge dystopia for its time - 1976 - and was only superseded six years later by Blade Runner... in my humble opinion.

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T. D. Wolf's avatar

In my humble opinion, and I said this when it came out, Blade Runner should be assigned in schools alongside great literature.

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Agreed. Sure beats The Scarlet Letter....

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T. D. Wolf's avatar

Oh my goodness yes!

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Sue Cauhape's avatar

I have a great memory for everything but names. I couldn't remember Logan's Run, but I was getting "Silent Running" in the brain. Wrong movie! That was the one with Bruce Dern about the solitary guy tending a spaceship biosphere of plants from earth that also had specimens of a rain forest in it. Cute little robots buzzed around helping him with the chores.

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Richard Blaisdell's avatar

Got to see these movies more times. Good summer sessions on couch

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

I am thinking of watching both of those old classics and then adding Soylent Green ( eeuw!) and Blade Runner.

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Richard Blaisdell's avatar

Soylent green. A different protein green mint on your pillow recycled receptacles respectfully for your body’s health needs. Imagine the advertising on a big screen. Big brother is watching you. Now that’s ewww.

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T. D. Wolf's avatar

There’s an epic adventure story in just those 50 words.

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Ah well, a bit of a cliché, I think. But still, the photo was compelling.

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Jim Cummings's avatar

"the dark droning of Nether Rule" " mind-numbing chatter of The Creed."

Yes, they are right to take the risk-- to live free or die.

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Or at least live in the TRUTH, rather than in the lies of The Creed. I don't know...is there a metaphor here...?

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Jim Cummings's avatar

LOL, I see metaphors in everything.

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just mud by Ron's avatar

Yup, gotta go with that risk. Lord knows, mind numbing isn't helpful! Thanks Sharron!

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Mind-numbing. You mean like TikTok? YouTube? ha ha ha

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Sharon Hudson's avatar

This is a message for us all~heed the call! So good, Sharron!

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Hah! Thanks, Sharon. There may be a metaphor hidden here, not sure...

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Mark Starlin's avatar

Hopefully, that light isn't a train headlight. 🤣

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Eeeeps! I will stick with metaphor here, Mark! Man, are you twisted! ha ha ha

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Mark Starlin's avatar

No doubt. 🤣

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Oh gosh, Sharron. Another intriguing read!

And I love your new profile pic. 🥰

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Thanks Rebecca. I have written this little thing for a submission to Justin Deming's Fifties by the Fire. A slightly different version which will come out on Friday.

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Justin Deming's avatar

Whoa! What a dark and suspenseful little tale you’ve concocted, Sharron. This is right up my alley. I’m currently reading the Wayward Pines series by Blake Crouch and thematically your story pairs perfectly. I think you would enjoy these books!

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Thanks Justin. I actually wrote this for your Rejuvenation prompt for tomorrow, with just a slight variation. You might like that version. I'll check out the books!

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K.C. Knouse's avatar

"incessant, mind-numbing chatter of The Creed", simply brilliant. Sharron, your writing is so versatile. The next to the last line is prophetic.

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Golly! Thanks so much, KC, for your encouragement here. I am struggling to write science fiction. Yes... when I finished this little thing it seemed to hold a metaphor for what is called "reality" today...

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Nathan Slake's avatar

I feel like there's so much packed into this. I want to know more, the backstory, where this will lead...

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Sharron Bassano's avatar

Aw... me too, but I don't think I have the skills to pull that off.

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Nathan Slake's avatar

Yes you do 😊

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