A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in Sammi’s Comment Section
This morning I’m taking the liberty of rerunning a Friday Fictioneers story from November of 2016. It’s historical fiction, a bit embellished perhaps…but, hey, that’s the fiction part. I added 8 words to meet the word count. (Title not included 😉 )
“…it was intended to be the Mercury theater’s own version of dressing up in a sheet and jumping out of a bush and saying, ‘Boo!’ Starting now we couldn’t soap all your windows and steal your garden gates by tomorrow night so we did the next best thing.” Orson Welles, October 30,1938
THE NIGHT AMERICA TREMBLED
In 1938 my dad sprang for a new RCA Victor 7K1 console.
The radio took a prominent place in our home. President Roosevelt’s voice filled our living room. I loved Charlie McCarthy. My sister adored Bing Crosby and soap operas like Our Gal Sunday
One night, putting the finishing touches on my Halloween costume, mom turned the dial. “Stardust, Ramon Raquello and his orchestra.”
I rolled my eyes. “Boring.”
A panicked voice interrupted. “Ladies and gentlemen this is the most terrifying thing I’ve ever witnessed…”
We cowered, believing, as many Americans did, invaders from Mars had landed.
What a pity they weren’t real and didn’t devour the Reichstag.
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
Ha, if they did they would probably have died from indigestion. It sure made Orson Wells a household name. Good twist there M’luv.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, m’luv. 😉
LikeLike
David Bowie’s ‘Life on Mars’ came on the radio as I was reading this. Spooky or what?
Here’s mine!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Keith,
Very Spooky. Thanks for coming by.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Rochelle,
Excellent repurposing of an FF… if only a few peeps/organisations hadn’t been devoured…
Shalom and lotsa love,
Dale
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Dale,
Like I said, the aliens from Mars needed to devour the Reichstag and the Führer. Thank you re my repurposing. Just seemed the right time. 😉
Shalom and lotsa well grounded hugs,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 2 people
I won’t lie… I like when you use these prompts for your personal stories 😉 But this turned out perfect!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lazy PJ day. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are allowed… Lots of ’em! 😉
LikeLike
😘
LikeLiked by 1 person
😘
LikeLike
That thing on the story was the original ‘fake news’ …
Yeah.
At least it became clear what it was (or did it? I think some still believe it was a true story that was leaked and then covered up … oy …).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Na’ama Y’karah,
Apparently, not as many thought it was true as I’d been led to believe, but enough to make it a sensation. Orson Welles delivered a public apology. At any rate, it was fun to write about. 😉 It was one of my dad’s favorite stories about how gullible people can be. Thank you for coming by. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I know of the story (even if I wasn’t part of it in real time …). And … yes, people CAN be gullible (said one who tends to believe people for the most part, even some unlikely stories … though does not appreciate lies …). Not as many people had believed it as originally thought, but SOME continued to believe it even after it was PROVEN to have been fiction, and the author himself apologized. … I suspect some of those who insisted on believing the story against all facts to the contrary are … um … a chip off the same block of some who these days choose to believe conspiracies and lies over facts and science. Sigh …
Well timed as always, Rochelle! And it goes without saying that it was well done!
🙂
Na’ama
LikeLiked by 1 person
😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’d heard, as you say, Rochelle, that fewer people believed the broadcast was true than has previously been stated. Still, it just shows what we will believe if we’ve a mind to and this fact alone is particularly pertinent in these days of fake news. If anything, ‘facts’ are more difficult to come by than ever. At least Orson Welles came clean and apologised!
Wonderfully told, human tale as always
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Lynn,
And how many people truly believe they’ve been abducted by aliens. 😉 Color me skeptical. It’s hard to know what’s fake and what isn’t these days, isn’t it? Personally, I take it all with a grain of rock salt.
At any rate, thank you much for reading and taking the time to comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
I think you’re wise to be sceptical. So many people out there with an agenda. Always my pleasure, Rochelle
LikeLike
A nice slice of history to bring back distant memories.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Neel. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike