2023-10-27
Furious Fiction: A Matter of Perspective
I find myself in a furious fiction dry spell. I didn't succeed in winning a nomination for three months in a row now. This is starting to get embarrassing ;-)
No, just kidding. I shared my story with a publisher and it is now selected for publication in an anthology featuring 'Alice in Wonderland' stories written by different Dutch and Flemish authors. That counts as a 'win' too, doesn't it?
These were the criteria for the October challenge:
- Your story must feature someone looking through either a TELESCOPE or BINOCULARS.
- Your story must include a five-digit number. (E.g. 90210 or 10,000 etc)
- Your story must include the words BLIND, WIND, FIND and MIND.
(Longer words are okay if original spelling is retained.)
This was the story I submitted:
A Matter of Perspective
“Excuse me, Mr. Rabbit,” Alice calls out. “I fear I have lost my way home. Would you mind helping me find it?”
“Incidentally,” the White Rabbit answers, “I may have just the gizmo you need.”
He reaches into his pocket, producing a fancy pair of pink binoculars: “These magical field glasses allow you to see Wonderland like you have never seen before. You can keep them. I never use them anyway. I am a rabbit; I have sharp eyes.”
Alice eagerly accepts his present, her eyes widening with anticipation, but her excitement quickly fades.
“Oh no,” she cries as she peers through the lenses. “I do not see a thing! Have I suddenly gone blind?”
“Do not worry, Alice,” the White Rabbit smiles, taking the peculiar device away from her eyes. “Let me fix that for you.”
Swiftly, he removes the lens caps, then returns his gift to the girl.
“Why Mr. Rabbit,” Alice exclaims. “How come you are suddenly so small? What happened?”
The tiny little bunny laughs: “Sometimes, things look different when you look at them in another way.”
“You are right,” Alice agrees. “Once, I read ‘07734’ on a calculator. I did not understand what it was trying to tell me, but then I flipped it upside-down, and it said ‘hello’.”
“Exactly!” the White Rabbit says. “Simply look through the reverse side of the glasses and everything will be alright.”
Alice turns the binoculars around: “Oh Mr. Rabbit, now you have grown into a giant!”
Gently, the colossal creature guides Alice into the right direction.
“Wow,” Alice whispers. “You were right, Mr. Rabbit. I have never seen Wonderland like this before.”
“Do you see the long and winding road leading to your home?” the White Rabbit asks.
“I believe I do! I even think I see Dinah in the distance,” Alice answers. “Mr. Rabbit, I am extremely grateful for your assistance.”
“You are welcome,” the White Rabbit says, “but now I must rush. I am already running late.”
Alice watches him until he has disappeared from her sight. She puts the binoculars down, and sighs: “Thank you so much, Mr. Rabbit, for showing me a world where even the smallest things become extraordinary —if only you look at them in the right way.”
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