This is for Sonya’s three line tales prompt.
The photo is ©Rosan Harmens
I passed the kid every day on the way to work, already looking like a derelict, already a hopeless wreck of a human being.
This morning he caught my eye, his gaze abnormally bright and piercing, as I hurried past, almost reached out a hand, then turned the gesture into a shrug, leaving me with a feeling of guilt, though what could I do?
I gathered my things together and made for the door as evening shadows filled the car park, and as I reached to turn off the light, a movement made me turn and the sound of heels drumming against the filing cabinet—he was there, waiting for me, as I had half-feared he would be.
Jane Dougherty Writes 
That has an ominous ending.
I can’t help feeling that one day those invisible poor are going to rise up and take what they’ve been deprived of.
Undercover agent? I am hoping for this.
Not a scenario I’d envisaged, but if it would make you happier…
I think it is influenced by a book I was just reading. The same kind of book I read a lot. The paths are ingrained in my mind by now – spies! espionage! people are facades!
You mean there’s something behind the ugliness? More ugliness, I suspect, only different.
I always hope not. I am maybe a little over optimistic, but I still hope.
I hope too. It’s just that I never expect it to be justified.
Yes, me either, I think they call that “cautious optimism”?
Somebody’s bound to have a word for it. It must be pretty common by now. I don’t think I know anyone who sees a bright sunny future for the world.
I don’t think this era is alone in that. It is interesting to read from the past that people felt the same way. Think black Death, World War I, the fall of Rome…something is always going wrong! It’s the status quo. I prefer to hope and work from that standpoint. Cautiously.
We know more about what’s going on around us than people have ever done in the past. It’s not just what’s going wrong in our little village, but the entire world’s problems that we have to deal with. Unless it suits the agenda of the most powerful nations, the suffering and destruction will go on as it always has. Maybe though, it will become in our best interests to stop it. I can hope for that.
So sad.
We live in a world with a nasty underbelly.
That’s why we dream and hope.
And he’s probably not come to have a nice chat… Great if slightly disturbing take on the prompt!
I’d say you’re right there. I don’t know exactly what he’s after, but it’s probably not pleasant 🙂
No, I can see a handful of scenarios develop here, but none of them include a happy ever after. Very good lines 🙂
Thank you!
This could be a true tale. That’s kinda scary. But it made a good story.
Glad you thought it made a good story 🙂 I don’t know about you, but I think that what goes on in the minds of people who are excluded from what we take for granted must be pretty twisted.
A sad story which is very well composed! This is something which could actually happen!
If all the poor decided to take what they’ve been excluded from, would the ‘haves’ be able to stop them?
Surely not!
Love what you did with just three lines! The eerie feeling that’s invoked supports your underlying message about poverty really well.
Thank you! I’m glad you got it. Poverty isn’t nice and it distorts people’s emotions. Something has to give in the end.