PHOTO PROMPT © Amy Reese
Alice approached the blue blazered beaver.
“Rabbit hole?”
“The entrance, Miss? Down there, PVC door.”
“Down this corridor? But it’s so sterile.”
“Thank-you, Miss, we try. Please disinfect as you go. Dispensers placed at regular intervals.”
Rooks like skinny-legged priests loped the length of the corridor, inspecting nothing, very importantly.
“The hole’s too dangerous. Your grandmother was lucky not to hurt herself falling down it the way she did. There is a plaque though.”
Beaver slapped his tail on the marble floor summoning a bevy of jackdaws out of nowhere,
“A few details for security.”
“Sign in.”
“Take a lanyard.”
Written for Friday Fictioneers – a 100 words story based on a photo prompt. Hosted by Rochelle. Read the other entries here.
Michael Wynn 
Nice! Sounds like the Rabbit Hole has gone all “official”. I loved the line “Please disinfect as you go”!
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Yes, the rabbit hole has been made corporate, sanitised and regularised, where will the wonder come from?
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Oh, there’ll be plenty of “wonder” (after strict health and safety checks, of course).
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Very clever. It makes me wonder if, in the politically correct, health & safety conscious, sterile world we live in now, Lewis C would have the imagination to create the adventures he did then.
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You’re right, I lament the loss a little of children’s licence to have adventures and just get dirty. Now zoos can’t let children pet or feed nimals for fer of infection, it’s a shame.
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“Please disinfect as you go” -> I love that line. It made me chuckle. Creative spin on the Rabbit Hole that Mr. Lewis would appreciate as well, I’m sure 🙂
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Thank you, I hope he would. He left us a good legacy to be able to create strange animals in strange situations doing strange things
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So original, Mick. Love this. A sterile rabbit hole with a corporate culture. That could describe a lot of things.
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Thanks I’m glad you liked it particularly as it was your prompt, so hopefully I did justice to it
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Yes, indeed!
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This really makes you think!
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Thanks Dawn, after writing it I did begin to see ways it could be read that I hadn’t noticed initially
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Don’t you just love that?
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Looks like the safety freaks got a hold of the rabbit hole. Such a pity.
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I’m afraid they have, it’s all sterilised now, never mind. 🙂 Thanks for commenting
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I loved the descriptive touch of rooks like skinny legged priests
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Thank-you. I’ve always thought the white bit above their beaks resembles grubby dog-collars and so have always thought of them in this way. Similarly, Jackdaws sport executioner’s hoods but, I didn’t have space for those in the 100 words.
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Oh I love this! So imaginative. My fav this week.
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Well that’s the ultimate accolade of the week, thanks
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I do love this… I think rewriting the old classics is a great idea (btw have the beaver moved from Narnia to wonderland?)
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HI Bjorn, thanks. The Beaver is just an animal that I think looks very self important when sat up on its hind legs but you could read it as it having crossed over from Narnia, after all they are all in that dreamworld we like to read about.
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A truly wonderful story. I loved it and could see all your wonderful creatures. I really enjoyed the part “inspecting nothing, very importantly.”
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Thank-you for your wonderful comments, I’m pleased you liked it so much, and that is a favourite line of mine too.
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Dear Michael,
Is nothing sacred anymore. Alice Wondering in Corporate Land? Clever.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle, pleased you liked it, it was fun to write
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Oh, wonderful. The rabbit hole has changed, everything is administered, but the further in you go, the more new things you discover. And the dispensers turn into gargoyles, and…
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What a lovely comment, thanks. I’m glad it struck a chord
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The place now sounds like a tourist trap or regularized amusement park. I love this Mick. It’s great. Hilarious. 😀 — Suzanne
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Thanks Suzanne. Yes it’s all turned modern and the fun has been homogenised. There will soon be one in every town, a chain of same tedium. 🙂
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I do hope that Alice’s grand daughter is safe. 🙂 I think Lewis Carrol would have loved this. Mike
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Thanks Mike. I’m sure she’ll be safe, it just won’t be as much fun, too many rules
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LOL! Modern day Through the Looking Glass, love it! I especially loved the line about “inspecting nothing, very importantly” – so Carrollesque with the humor and the social commentary.
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Thanks, that seems to be one or two people’s favourite line. I’m especially pleased you thought it was Carrollesque, as it’s always a danger when you attempt something like this that it’ll fall way short of the mark.
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Seems like safety takes the fun out of everything! I mean, as children we rode bikes without helmets for criminy sakes and we’re still alive. I love this piece.
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Thank you and especially because in the spirit of the piece you used the word “Criminy” which we don’t use enough here in England.
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We don’t use it much here in the USA. My Mom used the word instead of cussing. Through the years, the word just worked its way into my vocabulary. It’s a pretty cool word, yes?
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It is and an ideal one for use in Wonderland
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