PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
Dusty walked down the deserted alley, the stones warm under his bare feet. Years ago, people would have packed the narrow passage like sardines. Not anymore.
He banged a rock against one of the metal pipes embedded in the wall. The sound reverberated through the alley.
Hideous creatures—disfigured, heartless things that had once been human before some psychopath started playing with chemical weapons—poured through broken windows and crooked doors into the cramped space.
Dusty retreated to the relative safety of the sewer, praying for the two bound children he’d left out there: an offering to appease the beasts.
—
This one didn’t come easily, and, as always, I have no idea if it’s good, mediocre, or shit. But I’m moderately happy with it, so I guess that’s good enough, right?
Written for Friday Fictioneers.
Click here to read stories from the other Fictioneers.
Adam Ickes 
June 28th, 2017 at 11:52 PM
Sound like chemical weapons in Syria. You writing is EXCELLENT!! It grads you.
June 30th, 2017 at 7:04 AM
Thanks, Mike. Syria definitely could be ground zero for such a story.
June 29th, 2017 at 2:20 AM
Oh Lord, the sad truth of today
Well written
Click Here to see what Mrs. Dash Says
June 30th, 2017 at 7:05 AM
There’s no denying that we live in a crazy world full of crazy people that could do crazy things at any time.
June 29th, 2017 at 5:18 AM
Chilling and terrifying glimpse into our future? One hopes not. Good writing.
June 30th, 2017 at 7:06 AM
I hope it’s more fiction than prophecy. Only time will tell I suppose.
June 29th, 2017 at 5:59 AM
A grim tale indeed. It gave me the shivers!
Please click to read my FriFic
June 30th, 2017 at 7:10 AM
Then I’ve done my job. I’m a terrible judge of what the reaction to my stories will be. You’d think I’d have some sense of it by now, but you’d be wrong.
June 29th, 2017 at 9:01 AM
Yeeks, pretty gruesome. Sounds like he’ll do anything to keep the beasts from his door.
June 30th, 2017 at 7:11 AM
Sacrificing the children seems a poor survival strategy for the species. I think Dusty may have gone a wee bit mad through the whole ordeal.
June 29th, 2017 at 9:30 AM
Living in the sewers and appeasing the beasts gotta be a full-time job after a war like that.
Decently written story, no problems with it. You did fine. 🙂
June 30th, 2017 at 7:13 AM
It begs the question how far would one go to survive? Turns out pretty far in Dusty’s case. His can’t be a very pleasant living arrangement.
June 29th, 2017 at 4:11 PM
As writers we have to allow stories to grow, then learn from them. I enjoyed reading this story.
June 30th, 2017 at 7:14 AM
Thanks, Michael. Glad you enjoyed my tale.
June 29th, 2017 at 4:49 PM
Nicely done. There are many layers in this for such a short piece.
June 30th, 2017 at 7:15 AM
It’s like an ogre, which according to Shrek is like an onion.
June 29th, 2017 at 9:12 PM
Dear Adam,
I hope this isn’t prophetic. Well written and haunting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
June 30th, 2017 at 7:23 AM
I hope so too. I have no desire to be a prophet. If I am, then a lot of weird stuff is going to happen considering some of the stories I’ve written.
June 30th, 2017 at 2:09 AM
Brilliant. It seems like the adults (at least, Dusty) sacrifice the children to buy few more days of their pathetic lives in this post-apocalyptic world you have imagined. And I loved the way you have made the sewers the habitat of the humans and the mutated ones roam freely through the streets. Oh, I can write paragraphs on the 100 words you have written. Very well done, Cheers.
June 30th, 2017 at 7:26 AM
Seems an odd strategy on Dusty’s part. Sacrificing the old would make more sense, in a survival of the species sense. But then again I don’t think he cares if the species survives. It’s more about his survival than anything else.
June 30th, 2017 at 3:26 AM
Dusty is giving the beasts two bound children. We would be worse than evil rats if humankind morphed into this. Creepy goose bumps and good writing. Nan
June 30th, 2017 at 7:27 AM
You are not wrong. And evil rats is a great idea for a story. I may use that at some point.
June 30th, 2017 at 9:02 AM
Hated to like this, but it was so well written. The mental images invoked are horrendous. think I’ll skip the pizza.
June 30th, 2017 at 9:05 AM
Well if you aren’t going to eat the pizza, pass it this way! 😁
June 30th, 2017 at 10:25 AM
Great story, Adam, and the little brats had it coming.
June 30th, 2017 at 11:26 AM
Little brats always have it coming. Serves them right!
June 30th, 2017 at 5:49 PM
Wow! You set the mood perfectly. A terrible story written very well. :o)
June 30th, 2017 at 9:36 PM
Well written and grim.
July 2nd, 2017 at 3:34 AM
Sinister and scary, well written
July 4th, 2017 at 11:41 AM
If all civilization broke down, it wouldn’t take long for human sacrifices to begin again. Here followers of witchcraft in some extremely rural areas practice it now. It’s terrifying to realize people don’t change. Good writing, Adam. —- Suzanne
July 4th, 2017 at 2:54 PM
Sacrificing children to appease some inhuman beast. Yeah, it worked. Gave me the creeps.