I glared at the three doors standing at attention on my front lawn.
“You mean they can’t be moved?”
“Yep. Can’t even be scratched. They’ll disappear in a day or two, anyhow” my neighbor said.
“What? What the hell are they?”
“Some sort of physics experiment. Or maybe UFOs brought them. I don’t know.”
“But – how did they get here?”
“Oh, they were always here,” he said. “Our reality just kinda flows around them. Makes it seem like they move around. Relativity, you know?”
He smiled and winked.
“Keep them closed, all right?”
———-
This is the place where Dr. Schrodinger picked up his favorite cat, in case you were wondering. Anyway…Every Friday, writers from all around the world write 100 word (or thereabouts) flash fiction based on a photo posted that Wednesday on Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ blog.
I welcome constructive criticism; without it I cannot grow as a writer. The weekly photo that inspired this story is below:
glossarch 
I love how the neighbour is so matter of fact in this piece. Live with anything weird for long enough and it becomes normal. Only one slight niggle. The response to ‘how did they get here’ isn’t an answer. I know that in real conversations people often don’t answer direct questions, but somehow the neighbour seems to be answering with ‘Oh, they never move’, but it isn’t an answer if you see what I mean?
Thanks, and thanks for pointing out the inconsistency. I fixed that up in a later draft and reposted it.
Dear Danny,
I had to look up Dr. Schrödinger and his cat. Interesting that the neighbor already knew about the doors. Still scratching my head. Nice one.
Shalom,
Rochelle
That cat just won’t stay in a single place! Thanks for reading.
Dear Danny,
First the neighbor says the doors will go away in two days and then he says they never really move. Which is it? And how does he know in the first place? Nice story but kind of first draft theater, paradox wise.
Aloha,
Doug
Hi Doug,
I’ll have a look at the story and make it cleaner. My thought is that the doors stay in one place, but the world moves around them. Or, the neighbor set them up in the middle of the night as a practical joke. So I have to make things not really add up…but also make it clear that I’m not simply confusing myself!
Danny
This is awesome. I love how nonchalant he is about relativity and reality.
Thanks! Or he’s playing a practical joke…
That too. Nice work!
Perhaps only certain people can see the doors, the way only certain people are invited to see ghosts. Or, whatever it may be! I like all the possibilities you offer here. Well done.
Thanks!
You got me on the Schrodinger’s
Something about the rhyme made that title just work.
The Schrodinger reference! ♥ Very fun idea you’ve got going here. 🙂
Thanks!
For once, I do not agree with Doug. This story is terrific. I love the paradox. I love that reality moves in and around the doors – sometimes they are there, sometimes not. I love the matter of factness of the neighbour and I especially love the last line, “Keep them closed, all right?”
Perfect!
Thank you! I actually modified it a bit after reading Doug’s suggestions. He was right – it was a bit unpolished.