Friday Fictioneers: Sunglasses at Night

Posted on by

It’s time for Friday Fictioneers, a chance to write a 100-word story or poem inspired by a random photo. Thank you to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for hosting and to Ted Strutz for this mysterious photo.

The sunglasses were strategically placed near the toys that fly. Most people ran right up to the flying toys and sent them whizzing through the air. They didn’t see the need for sunglasses, even as the toy airplanes buzzed by their eyelashes and almost landed on their heads.

Jake put his sunglasses on and strolled up to the giggling pack of girls. They became shadows. He could no longer see eyes rolling or the possibility of condescending looks. He walked up to the girl and held out his hand. She took it. Without a word, he led her away.


64 thoughts on “Friday Fictioneers: Sunglasses at Night”

    • That’s true – they must have super powers. For some reason, it seemed funny to me that the flying toys were near the sunglasses.

  3. Those sound like some powerful sunglasses. 🙂 Giving confidence to Jake? Turning him into something different? Hmm, such possibilities!

    • Hah – yes let’s hope so but I think they probably are. At least he’s saving her from the giggling pack for a while.

  6. Awsome. When you send more stuff seestor? Winter is coming and the part of my brain that thinks is waking up and hungry.

    • Hey Mike! I’m glad you liked it since I was thinking of you when I wrote it! But then, I think of you all the time anyway. It’s good to know your brain is waking up – I’ll send more stuff. Love you!

  9. I like the ambiguity here. It could be that he simply found the nerve to ask one of them out-or there’s something about those sunglasses that bends reality a little bit. If the latter, it has a touch of the sinister.

    • That’s funny – I didn’t think of them as bending reality but it sounds more interesting that way. Lots of possibilities.

    • Hahah – yes it could be – I was thinking of it as more of a rescue from the girls but it’s interesting that different readers will bring different things into it.

    • I guess it could go either way. 🙂 I was thinking he was a good guy because he needs the sunglasses and would be too shy without them. But then I became obsessed with saying something about the flying toys instead of talking more about his personality and ended up running out of words.

      • haha!
        I agree, 100 words are too less sometimes. But it’s better this way don’t you think? There’s a lot left to the imagination. Perhaps you could pick this thread in a future Friday fiction post.

  13. I remember the power you feel behind a pair of sunglasses. There was even a song about it (in Swedish) we used to play at parties.

    • Yes, they can be pretty powerful (and you’re wearing them now too)! I like the disguise factor, but at night it must be even better if everyone turns into shadows like that.

    • It is nice to be able to be in semi-disguise sometimes. I think it does help us to put aside some fears and be more like the person we want to be. I’m glad you don’t use those super powers for evil!

  20. I like you take on this one. My practical side was thinking the sunglasses were to protect their eyes from flying toys. I like your thoughts and imagination much more!

    • I’m glad you liked it! I was thinking that the sunglasses are for protection from both the flying toys and condescending looks so you had the right idea.

  21. I could use a pair of these. Does the confidence comes as a package? Or is that extra? 😉 Pretty neat idea, magical glasses or not. Sometimes all we need is the slightest of barriers to give us confidence. I think it’s a beautiful ending.

  24. Dark side sunglasses. Love the use of the prompt and the imaginative way you conjured up this tale. Sinister, otherworldly and simple. An excellent foray into the night.

    Aloha,

    Doug

  25. Wow…those sunglasses must have turned him into a instant “stud.” He better not take them off for she may see he’s only a weak-looking “weasel”…

    • hahah – those disguises need to come off at some point – hopefully by then she’ll like him enough anyway and won’t go running away

  27. I agree with all the above. I particularly appreciated the power of no longer seeing the negative judgment, though I also wonder if Jake’s newfound confidence comes at the cost of a conscience (because I read those books, too). So well done.

    • Thank you. I was focusing on the negative judgment but it’s true that because everything was a little too easy, that could have strange effects on his personality. I guess we need more than 100 words to figure these things out. 🙂

  29. Wow..the new place to hang out, the sunglass tent….! Awesome piece, Sheila! Safety behind the dark glasses, confidence too.. I liked it!

Comments are closed.