Furious Fiction March 2023
Furious Fiction is back. After having been moved to only four times a year last year, furious fiction is finally back.
PROMPTS FOR MARCH; INCLUDE A CHAIR,
INCLUDE THE WORDS BRIGHT, ALBUM, CLICK,
INCLUDE A CHARACTER MAKING A CHOICE BETWEEN TWO THINGS.
Choice
Allison squinted as she squirmed on the chair. She shifted her head slightly so the bright light wasn’t streaming into her eyes as intently. The clicking of the large clock on the wall, constantly counting down provided an ever present reminder of her time dwindling away. Allison knew the choice she had to make, a choice that had the power to decide their fate.
Growing up after the end of the world had always been cruel, everyone had struggled to survive, to make it to the next day. The one thing Allison had always counted on was her friendship. Though she had no family, there was someone who would stand by her no matter what. Now even that was being ripped away from her.
Two Choices.
Herself. Or her friend.
One lives.
One dies.
And Allison had less than two minutes to make the choice.
Closing her eyes to shut out the blinding light she mentally blocked the ticking clock. Allison let her memories with Georgie replay, as if flipping through the pages of a photo album. They’d heard of a promised land, a place they could go live. It was a fairytale passed around to everyone. It provided hope. In this world, hope was a cruel thing to offer.
The click of the countdown stopped and Allison’s eyes opened sharply. A blanket of calm coated her entire body. Allison knew what choice she’d make.
A haze of smoke clouded her vision for a moment and a being walked out coming to a stop in front of her. Wearing a black cloak, and a brown mask, with goggles and a large hook like nose, her captor presented itself as a benevolent deity who provided a second chance at life. But Allison knew when she was looking at a sadist. This figure enjoyed tormenting her.
“Your choice?”
“I want to see Georgie.” Allison demanded.
The figure stepped aside and suddenly Allison was looking at her friend, sitting across from her, in a worn wooden chair, looking every bit as uncomfortable as Allison felt. “You okay?”
“I made my choice.” Georgie said looking at her best friend with tears in her eyes. Georgie dropped her head in shame.
“Me too.” Allison’s eyes never left Georgie’s face.
A booming laugh shattered the silence, the figure walking past them over to the control panel. It was so busy pulling the lever it missed Georgie lifting her head and smiling at Allison, it missed Allison’s wink in acknowledgement.
Their captor pulled the lever.
The sound of tearing paper ripped through the air, as a swirling blue and silver portal opened in the middle of room. Georgie pulled her hands out of the rope binding her at the same time as Allison did. An enraged scream emanated from their captor. It was too late.
While they didn’t know what they were running towards, they both dived through the portal, to a world they hoped was better. But a tormentor, was never going to offer salvation.