This post is written for Friday Fictioneer’s. The challenge is to write a complete story with a beginning, middle and end in 100 words or less. My story follows the picture prompt below.

He avoided most of the other anniversaries. After ten years things started aging. The heroes of high school footfall games returned from wars damaged both physically and mentally. Their minds numbed by what they had witnessed. The destruction of an entire country happened before their glazed eyes. For the vulnerable, and there were many, their sanity ended there.
Scanning the gymnasium he could recognize one or two. They had started to crumble. Some were bent over, a shell of their former self. Others folded into their wheelchairs. His former heroes lay like Roman ruins.
Such beautiful, sad imagery you use. I especially like the line “Their minds numbed by what they had witnessed,” and how you describe the former soldiers as crumbling, as though the photo prompt is more of a metaphor than an actual structure. Such emotion. You’re storytelling is amazing 💕
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Danny,
Well-written analogy.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Rochelle!
LikeLike
An inventive approach to the prompt. The analogy of ageing classmates with the Roman ruins is very clever.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Margaret. There both hard to look at anymore without remember how they used to look.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The lasting legacy of war. I’ve seen too many like you describe 😦
LikeLiked by 1 person
It happens, it’s all a matter of how we deal with it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yup! Some better than others.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A sad truth. Well done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree with Iain, what a great metaphor.
I like the way you describe them.
“Bent over, a shell of their former selves” … perfect!
Nice take on the photo prompt … Isadora 😎
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the nice comment and stopping by.
LikeLike
Great metaphor Danny.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Iain. Took a while 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow great take, Danny.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the nice comment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well done, Danny. Difficult thing, the later parts of life.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Getting to that stage myself.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike