Sunday Photo Fiction is a weekly challenge presented by Susan Spaulding, who has taken over this great weekly prompt from my old friend Al Forbes.
This week’s delightfully sunny photo is provided by Anurag Bakhshi, and reflects my mood in this glorious September weather.
The idea is to write a short story (200 word max) inspired by what you see in the picture (below).
Click on this link to enter your tale, and see what others have written.
© Anurag Bakhshi
Click here to hear the author read the tale:
The Bus
They get on the bus at Port Grimaud.
Two pretty girls.
Pretty enough for me to notice them but, at around sixteen years old, far too young to hold my attention.
My eyes drift out the window, enjoy the view of the beaches of the Côte d’Azur.
And across the Gulf of St Tropez to the little town on the far side, celebrated as the home of legendary French actress Brigitte Bardot.
But something is not quite right, I feel a vague gnawing inside.
A few miles along the coast, just before St Maxime, the girls stand, ding the bell.
As they move to the door they pull up hoods.
I get that familiar prickle on the back of my neck.
I realise that they are the source of my unease.
But they get off without incident, walk along the side of the bus.
As they pass below me, on impulse, I rap the window with a coin.
They pause, look up.
I stare down at two ancient, wizened faces.