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40 days and 40 nights

It had been raining inside the supermarket for 40 days and 40 nights and Percy, who had been sitting on a makeshift island constructed from tins of baked beans, was beginning to get more than a little cheesed off.

George, whilst floating by last Wednesday on a barge made from sardine cans and baguettes, had said that Margaret made it to the newspaper stand where Nigel had told her the weather was set to change this week.

It hadn’t and Percy’s island was rapidly shrinking.

Percy sighed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his trusty Swiss army knife.

 

Submitted for Friday Fictioneers photo prompt. See if you can write a piece of flash fiction in 100 words.

 

photo-88

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51 responses to “40 days and 40 nights”

  1. rochellewisoff

    Dear Mr. Binks,

    A bit of irony and humor. Loved George’s barge of sardine cans and baguettes. Made me smile.

    shalom,

    Rochelle

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      Thanks Rochelle, glad you liked it.

      Reply
  2. kz

    i also loved the barge of sardine cans and baguettes 🙂

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      It’s clearly a popular way to traverse a supermarket sea 🙂

      Reply
  3. dmmacilroy

    Dear Mr. Binks,

    Good thing he had the knife. Time to conjure up a boat soon, though. A whimsical tale.

    Aloha,

    Doug

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      Cheers Doug!

      Reply
  4. waitingforaname

    Fun piece to read. Love the personalities.

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      Thank you kindly 🙂

      Reply
  5. elmowrites

    You have all the makings of a longer story here – characters, vivid description, and an unusual scenario!

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      Everything but the inclination to write more than 100 words, yeah! ;-D

      Thanks for the kind words. Very much appreciated.

      Reply
  6. Sandra

    Made me grin. I could just imagine this. Well done.

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      Yay! My work here is complete.

      Reply
  7. buffalostarmedicine

    My mind just mentally thinks of a colony of mice/rats/little people. Very interesting! Think it would make an interesting children’s book.

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      Thanks ever so, for the kind words.

      Reply
  8. Ye Pirate

    This is definitely from the school of East European Theatre of the Absurd – great writing. Reminds me of Czech/Romanian Absurdist writers, a genre I particularly like. Really written in just the right tone, great kickoff line to start.

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      Thanks dude! I do prefer the abstract I must say.

      Reply
      1. Ye Pirate

        You really got it right. The tone was great. East Europeans I know regard this literature form very highly. But I think us Brits have it too, as everyone – ‘Waiting for Godot’ who never comes is a classic of the genre of course.

  9. steviepreater

    Haha, fantastic!

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      Thank you 🙂

      Reply
  10. sustainabilitea

    I particularly liked “cheesed off”, first, because I say it often and second, because it’s perfect for the grocery store scenario. 🙂 Fun stuff and thank goodness for Swiss army knives!

    janet

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      Cheers Janet. I’ve not used “cheesed off” for a while, but it’s a great phrase and seemed to suit Percy.

      Reply
  11. anelephantcant

    AnElephant finds this very amusing.
    And very well written.

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      AnBinks thanks AnElephant for AnLovely comment. Cheers!

      Reply
  12. Linda Vernon

    Oh I love this. You introduced so many characters and tons of back story and the ending was perfect. So well done and so much fun to read!

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      I so enjoy trying to cram as much into these 100 word stories without trying to over-think it. My brain often doesn’t have the capacity to think, let alone OVER think so it’s safer that way.

      Glad you had fun reading; amazing what an interesting photo and 15 minutes can deliver.

      Reply
      1. Linda Vernon

        It is isn’t it? I find with these challenges it goes the best when you step aside and let your brain have it’s way! Thinking really slows things down for me. HA!

  13. Deanna Bollinger Hill

    Haahaa! I love the barge made of sardine cans and baguettes! You took a common public place and made it into an adventure – love it!

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      Thanks for the cool comment. A lot of love for the barge 😀

      Reply
  14. talesfromthemotherland

    Witty and magical. I want to know more… like who/what are they, and how did this all happen. A good story makes a reader want more. More!

    Reply
  15. MrBinks

    Witty and magical? Me or the story?

    Isn’t it fun that there ISN’T any more. Too much of a good thing, and all that… (wait, that sounded really big headed. I mean to say… oh… never mind.)

    Thanks for the comment!

    Reply
  16. MrBinks

    I think this has been my most popular one to date – many thanks to all of you that have taken the time to read and comment.

    Reply
  17. Lindaura Glamoura

    This story was pretty hilarious. I have a vision of it only raining inside the supermarket – some terrible plague or curse from a mom and pop store put out of business by Costco!

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      I like that it’s given everyone a slightly different skew on what is happening. Thanks for reading!

      Reply
  18. Steve B

    I loved it. Reminds me of “The Phantom Tollbooth” for some reason. Great tone to the narrative. Funny how he get’s “cheesed” about something so silly when he’s in the midst of catastrophe. Fun read!

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      Thanks for reading, Steve!

      Reply
  19. moondustwriter

    I thought of the children’s story Stuart Little by E.B. White. Critters and people do what they have to do to survive. A Swiss army knife is the key.

    Reply
  20. lingeringvisions by Dawn

    I could see this story page by page, illustrated beautifully in pencil. I want to read it to my grandchildren.

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      Ok. I’ll do it, if you promise to read it 🙂

      Reply
  21. zookyworld

    A wildly fun scenario you conjured up. Your various details set the scene perfectly to cause me to imagine it. Hopefully, Percy will fashion an adequate vessel out of empty baked bean tins (40 days of eating beans? hello stomach ache!). Remind me to bring swim fins next time I go to the grocery store.

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      Really glad you like it, thanks for reading and taking the time to comment.

      Reply
  22. Mike

    All is well as long as he has his Swiss Army knife. Thanks for a great read.

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      Thank YOU for reading!

      Reply
  23. Björn Rudberg (brudberg)

    Oh 40 days on beans — life’s a gas 🙂 v ery funny and absurd story

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      😀 Thank you

      Reply
  24. Jan Brown

    This was great, providing some hilarious imagery, especially the barge! But I hope he’s going to use the knife to open another can—not planning to use the knife on himself???

    Reply
    1. MrBinks

      You’re the first person (other than myself) to notice the darker option here. Changes the kids story angle somewhat, don’t you think 😉

      Reply
  25. annisik51

    You’ve used interesting contrasts in this tale. There are those 40 days and 40 nights, which suggests it’s going to be a serious, perhaps religious/spiritual/moral tale to do with The Great Flood which was sent to cleanse the world; and also of Lent, which is to do with self-sacrifice. Then you introduce some great and comic visuals (the rafts, especially). The Swiss Army knife, so specific that it suggests it’s significant. Nothing is resolved. Good read. Ann

    Reply
    1. camgal

      You beat me to it annisik51. Definitely a good read MrBinks 🙂

      Reply
      1. MrBinks

        Cheers 🙂

    2. MrBinks

      Thank you 🙂

      Reply
  26. Big Shop | me.you.coffee

    […] Oh my word, it’s been a while but here we go with another slice of Friday Fictioneers. I’ve seen this prompt before – choosing then to let my imagination go on a strange journey for 40 days and 40 nights. […]

    Reply

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