Mid-Week Flash Challenge - Week 75
This week's picture prompt is by Patricia Brennan, an artist from the UK. She some wonderful fairytale like, literary-esk creations. Quite dreamy. She calls this one 'At the Stroke of Midnight'. You can view it over on her page at Deviant Art.
This little piece is influenced by the book I am currently reading - Wizard & Glass by Stephen King. So many dystopian stories talk of women being used to produce babies. I wondered what it would be like if it was the other way round.
The General Guidelines can be found here.
How to create a clickable link in Blogger comments can be found on lasts week's post here.
There is also a Facebook group for Mid-Week Flash, if you fancy getting the prompt there.
Lissa's selection
She smoothed down the front of her dress. She’d never felt anything quite like it, the rough smooth sensation of the material they called ‘Silk’. She looked at herself in the reflective glass and didn’t recognise herself. Not that she’d seen herself often in such a thing, there weren’t many left in the small village she came from, but she had never been in a dress before - no one besides her mother had been.
Larissa had been a little stunned when her DNA had been selected. By rote everyone’s was taken when they turned sixteen, it was no big deal; just something they did like when they came and counted up the live stock and produce for distribution. She’d never heard of anyone locally qualifying since her mother. It had sent the place into quite a flutter. All the women had come and paid her tribute, all a gaggle over who’d she select for the new lines.
Her mother had taken her aside and given her some advice.
“Now, Lissa, the choices have been selected from the top one hundred. Those boys have the best seed this side of the ocean. They’ve also been trained in how best to serve you when the time comes. But remember, you want to pick at least three to start with.”
“Only three, Mama? They said I could pick up to ten?”
“Sweetie, remember you can only handle one at a time – well maybe two if you fancy it, but they can get pretty carried away – if you’re lucky!” Her mother nudged her with her elbow and giggled, and Lissa grinned. “Take your time, there’s no rush. You can only produce one child at a time, and three different seed will be enough in the short term.”
“Will it be hard having the babies, Mama? Rachel said it can do all sorts of terrible things to your body.”
“No, sweetie, that was back before the world changed, when it was the men who controlled everything. Times are different now woman are in charge. Everything will be taken care of properly. You’ll see. There’ll be daily massages, a special chef assigned to you who will cook the most wonderful nutritious stuff taking into account all the things you like. There’ll be nurses and midwives on call. A whole itinerary of things to keep you and the baby in your tummy occupied. It’s going to be so exciting.”
“Did you enjoy it Mama?”
“I had the best time, Lissa, the best.”Her mother put her hand to her face. “I’m so happy my first born is going to get the same opportunity, and it gives your sister’s hope too. I’m glad I picked so well.”
“I hope I pick well.”
“You will, hunny, you will.”
Larrissa took a deep breath and walked to the door of the ante-chamber, ready to enter the great hall where the boys were waiting and where she would greet them one by one. She hoped to find more than three to her liking, despite what her mother said. She planned to select at least ten today, and then try them all out, using protection initially of course. The next few weeks were going to be so exciting.
This little piece is influenced by the book I am currently reading - Wizard & Glass by Stephen King. So many dystopian stories talk of women being used to produce babies. I wondered what it would be like if it was the other way round.
The General Guidelines can be found here.
How to create a clickable link in Blogger comments can be found on lasts week's post here.
There is also a Facebook group for Mid-Week Flash, if you fancy getting the prompt there.
Lissa's selection
She smoothed down the front of her dress. She’d never felt anything quite like it, the rough smooth sensation of the material they called ‘Silk’. She looked at herself in the reflective glass and didn’t recognise herself. Not that she’d seen herself often in such a thing, there weren’t many left in the small village she came from, but she had never been in a dress before - no one besides her mother had been.
Larissa had been a little stunned when her DNA had been selected. By rote everyone’s was taken when they turned sixteen, it was no big deal; just something they did like when they came and counted up the live stock and produce for distribution. She’d never heard of anyone locally qualifying since her mother. It had sent the place into quite a flutter. All the women had come and paid her tribute, all a gaggle over who’d she select for the new lines.
Her mother had taken her aside and given her some advice.
“Now, Lissa, the choices have been selected from the top one hundred. Those boys have the best seed this side of the ocean. They’ve also been trained in how best to serve you when the time comes. But remember, you want to pick at least three to start with.”
“Only three, Mama? They said I could pick up to ten?”
“Sweetie, remember you can only handle one at a time – well maybe two if you fancy it, but they can get pretty carried away – if you’re lucky!” Her mother nudged her with her elbow and giggled, and Lissa grinned. “Take your time, there’s no rush. You can only produce one child at a time, and three different seed will be enough in the short term.”
“Will it be hard having the babies, Mama? Rachel said it can do all sorts of terrible things to your body.”
“No, sweetie, that was back before the world changed, when it was the men who controlled everything. Times are different now woman are in charge. Everything will be taken care of properly. You’ll see. There’ll be daily massages, a special chef assigned to you who will cook the most wonderful nutritious stuff taking into account all the things you like. There’ll be nurses and midwives on call. A whole itinerary of things to keep you and the baby in your tummy occupied. It’s going to be so exciting.”
“Did you enjoy it Mama?”
“I had the best time, Lissa, the best.”Her mother put her hand to her face. “I’m so happy my first born is going to get the same opportunity, and it gives your sister’s hope too. I’m glad I picked so well.”
“I hope I pick well.”
“You will, hunny, you will.”
Larrissa took a deep breath and walked to the door of the ante-chamber, ready to enter the great hall where the boys were waiting and where she would greet them one by one. She hoped to find more than three to her liking, despite what her mother said. She planned to select at least ten today, and then try them all out, using protection initially of course. The next few weeks were going to be so exciting.
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