Flash Friday: Real Life

by Michael Seese

Another dual-flash week. Tonight, I will share my latest Flash Friday story, and tomorrow, 100 words for Janet Reid. (Actually, 98, think.)

And I seem to recall I'm missing one or the other from last week.

This week's Flash Friday asked us to use this picture,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and write at most 200 words that also included a dollmaker or a fugitive. I kicked around a bunch of ideas, but nothing came of it. 

Then around 11:15, in the middle of watching reruns of the "Big Bang Theory," It hit me. Dead tired, I forged ahead, and posted it at 11:53, seven minutes before the deadline. Then, I rushed the dog out for her evening walk so I could get my 10,000 steps.

The result is "Real Life."

The curator's request seemed simple enough.

"Make them lifelike."

To the layman, it might sound straightforward.  But delve into the specifics…

The skin has to mix flexibility and resilience.  It needs to be thick enough to withstand the slings and arrows the battles of life hurls at it, yet respond kindly to the touch of a loved one.
 
The eyes must be able to focus, laser-like, on the task at hand, yet have the foresight to gaze into the distance, searching the horizon for unseen traces of the future.   

Now let's talk about the gut for a minute.  The gut needs to digest both critical nutrients and the truth, all the while serving as the ultimate arbiter of life's greatest decisions.

And the heart.  It has to remain a closed loop, efficiently delivering blood to the critical organs, yet be open enough to allow entrance to all who need a piece of it.

Quite the challenge.

In the end, I just decided it would be easier to just "borrow" a few of the specimens from our last foray to Earth, encase them in acrylic,  and put them on display.

So far, I've gotten two nice comments from fellow bloggers. Results will be available tomorrow morning.

Now, I wonder if I have the energy to complete a 350-word Weird Christmas story, due at midnight.