Photo by Brenda Cox

Round and round and round … he whispers.

James. Stop that, now. Look at mummy.

Mama, he slurs. Can you see them?

She touches his forehead. Burning.

His eyes roll and hands wave whimsical shapes in the air.

The mother worries. His fever has burned for three days.

There is no money for a doctor.

The boy’s inner world is completely joyful.

Horses from the uptown carousel they cannot afford, have come to him.

A kaleidoscope of colour, costume, prancing and dancing.

He laughs aloud. A crackling, wet laugh.

They love me, Mama.

She laughs through sobs.

Loud and lonely. [100 words]

Thank you Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for continuing to set this 100 word or less challenge. It is certainly a commitment appreciated by many. Other 100 word stories can be read here.

Photo prompt @ Jan Wayne Fields

Every time I glimpse the stuff it pains me.
I quiver with resignation of the writing dream.
Tucked away in a corner, dreams put aside. Hopes doused.
Mountains of ‘how to write’ books.
Stashes of notebooks. Such cute covers, always another one.
The many quality pens presented to ‘the author’ as hopeful gifts. Perhaps this would be the golden pen, the one that writes the bestseller.
The detritus of dreams. Corkboard, thumb tacks, paperclips. The laminator!!!
Collecting all this and not doing the work.
Reality bites. No matter how much stationery I collect, the words won’t write themselves. (98 words)

Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a story in response to a photo prompt – in 100 words or less. You can find other stories here.