9 May 2025

Published May 7, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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PHOTO PROMPT © Lisa Fox

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I admit this is quite similar to a story/rant i wrote five years ago February Nothing’s changed. If anything things have only gotten worse. So you may refer this as a sequel.

Genre: Anectdotal Rant
Word Count: 100

ONE PILL CAN KILL

Every day a new one appears. If you live in these Divided States, you know what I’m talking about. Prescription drug advertisements.

Who comes up with those colorful names? They’re insane, usually starting with the letters X and Z. They treat everything from obesity to bipolar disorder.

Ya gotta love ‘em—from bright and breezy to sensual and sleezy. They all make me queasy. While happy people prance across the screen celebrating life, the gentle voice over recites a list of possible side effects.

Wait! I got lost somewhere between anaphylaxis and cardiac arrest. What was this supposed to treat?

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Okay, this one starts with A. But it’s pretty much what I’m talking about.

2 May 2025

Published April 30, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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PHOTO PROMPT © Ken Arnopole (friend of Ted Strutz)

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Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100

GENERATIONS RUNNIN’ WILD

Joanna checked her reflection in the full-length mirror. Her white go-go boots offset her mini dress. Swaying her hips she practiced moving to the Jerk and the Watusi. Tonight, she would dance the night away.

Granny Maybelle’s voice startled her. “In my day young ladies didn’t do such suggestive dances.”

Joanna pointed to a photo of young Maybelle in a fringed dress. “What about the Charleston in the 1920’s?”

Blushing, Granny shook her head. “That dance swept the country like wildfire. Not so different from these 1960’s I suppose. But I’ll have you know I was quite good at it!”

And a little history of the dance if you care to READ ON. 😉

18 April 2025

Published April 16, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook

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Genre: Fiction
Word Count:100

TRUTH, JUSTICE, AND A BETTER TOMORROW

Mia and Tommy entered the comic book shop. He went right to the Superman section. “Ooh, this one’s vintage. From 1942. Wow! He’s changing from Clark Kent to Superman in a phone booth. What’s a phone booth?”

“It was an eight-foot box where people could pay to make telephone calls when they were out and about.”

“Why didn’t they use their cell phones?”

“Cell phones weren’t invented yet, Goofy.”

As they exited the shop, Tommy pointed. “Look, Sis! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman!”

Mia rolled her eyes. “You dork. It is a bird.”

Below is the intro to one of my favorite TV shows as a small child. Incidentally in 104 episodes of this program, Clark Kent never once changed clothes in a phone booth. Great Caesar’s Ghost!

28 March 2025

Published March 26, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

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INVISIBLE WARRIOR

The second world war to end all wars raged. Thousands of young men were invited by their draft boards to participate.

Eighteen-year-old Susan read a want-ad in the Baltimore Sun. “Eastern Aircraft is hiring women to be riveters.”

“That’s no job for a lady,” said Mama.

“It could pay my way to college.”

Determined, Susan joined 600,000 black women.

“We ladies worked together as an integrated America.” Ninety-nine-year-old Susan Taylor King, who’d earned two college degrees from Morgan University, told reporters. She fingered her red polka-dotted neckerchief with pride. “I’ve lived long enough to be black and important in America.”

21 March 2025

Published March 19, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook

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Genre: Fiction
Word Count: 100

SHINE ON

Granddaddy leaned back in his threadbare recliner. The faraway gleam in his faded blue eyes told me a story was coming.

“Ginger stew. Mommy mixed in brown sugar and ginger. According to her it’d cure jest about anything.

“Rainwater made the best moonshine. And ya needed good tree cover in the woods. A-course it weren’t legal. We was always lookin’ over our shoulders for the law.”

“Why’d ya do it?” I gasped. “Wasn’t ya scared?”

“It was our cash crop. Scared? Nah. It’s like dating a woman that’s married,” he chuckled. “If it ain’t got risk, it ain’t no fun.”

14 March 2025

Published March 12, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot

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Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED FROM THIS?

Thirteen-year-old Pieter woke up to silence. Had everyone died? Clawing at fleabites, he waited for the camp guards to come with their clubs. Hunger gnawed at his empty stomach.

Beside him, Heinrich sat up. “What’s happening?”

Pieter rushed to the front gate, followed by his friends Heinrich and Vlad.

A Russian soldier on the other side of the gate, shot off the padlock. “Doctors, food and medication will be coming soon.”

That night, for the first time in a year, Pieter, freshly showered and fed, embraced the joy of freedom while fighting off grief and nightmares in a soft bed.

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The following song would later unofficially become Israel’s National anthem in 1948 and officially in 2004. Hatikvah means “The Hope.”

7 March 2025

Published March 5, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

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Genre: Anecdote
Word Count:100

FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH

“Something’s happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear.”

My thoughts scatter this morning like bits of flotsam, jetsam and lagan. The news blares in my ears and assaults my mind. Opinions swirl and spin with tornadic force. As the saying goes, everybody has one…nu?

Meanwhile, I’m gagging on social media fast food.

Yes. I have my own views. I don’t care to get into a virtual shouting match. Speak to me in private. I’ll say what I think. Or maybe I won’t. I hope we can still be friends. If not, perhaps we were never friends to begin with.

And while we’re at it:

28 February 2025

Published February 26, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100

THE SEVEN DWARVES OF AUSCHWITZ

“As in the fairytale Snow White, there were seven of us,” says Perla. “My brothers, Micki and Avram, my sisters, Frieda, Rozika, Elizabeth and me. All of us entertainers—singing, dancing and playing musical instruments.”

Tears sting her eyes. “Not only were we deformed, we were also Jews. The Nazis deported us to Auschwitz.

“We fascinated Dr. Mengele. He syphoned our blood, extracted our teeth and did painful experiments.” Perla shudders. “Yet he kept us alive.”

“Are you sorry he wasn’t executed?” she’s asked.

“No. I was saved by the grace of the Devil. Let God give Mengele his due.”

To read a more about them CLICK HERE.

21 February 2025

Published February 19, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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If this photo prompt looks familiar to you, it’s because it’s a rerun from Aptil 2016. I’m sort of rerunning my story from that week although it needed tweaking. 😉

Genre: Fact and Fiction
Word Count: 100

SOURCE OF KNOWLEDGE

At a critique group I shared an excerpt from my historical novel set in 1904.

“‘…The taller officer, an imposing presence with dark skin, fascinated Havah. Although she had read about them in Professor Dietrich’s books about Africa and American history, she had never met a Negro face to face.’”

“I hate to burst your bubble,” said another writer with self-assured conviction. “I doubt there would’ve been a black officer back then.”

Returning her smug smile, I opened my Kansas City history book to a photo of Lafayette Tillman on horseback. “Second one on the KC force.”

.

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14 February 2025

Published February 12, 2025 by rochellewisoff

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A bit of a note here. WordPress is getting more and more challenging. There were a few posts I tried to comment on the last go around and was notified that I wasn’t allowed to comment. But with a second try it worked. Athough there was one in particular that wouldn’t let me comment at all. Very frustrating.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100