Flickr Fiction
To some it was a mistake.
To others it was a miracle.
Me, I didn’t really care one way or the other. According to the papers it appeared I was the only one apathetic towards the whole thing.
Well, it didn’t affect me really. Not at all. It didn’t affect most of the denizens of the city either but the whole freedom of speech thing had them thinking that they couldn’t just sit back and say nothing, their rights had been granted and by god, they were going to make use of them.
So the debates and the growing undercurrent of ‘us’ versus ‘them’ grew throughout the city. It started off as a sort of joke. Newspapers vying for sales, building each side up on alternating days. Interviewing those with radical views, inciting fear and loathing in the general populace.
Media had gotten very good at that type of thing. They’d had so much practice, first with the towers and then with Iraq. Providing less of an objective standpoint, they’d become soothsayers, charlatans, mouthpieces for the corrupt few in power.
The worst thing that could have happened to them came to pass.
‘Peace in our time.’
Who would have thought it. Certainly not I. The veterans, those from Iraq, Korea (the third time) and the later war of Patagonia felt vindicated but confused. How could it have been so simple? They grieved for lost limbs, senses, friends.
The rest of us went about our day to day life. Blissful, unaware, same as it ever was.
The Coming was the biggest thing to hit the city since Peace had fallen like a dark blanket over us. It was a new start, a new chance. Things would change now.
You see, Peace wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. It wasn’t all daisies and buttercups. Humanity needed conflict. The Coming was the perfect thing to begin a new conflict.
Who’d have thought a golden milk cow could cause so much trouble?
————————————-
This half assed attempt was more of an exercise in ramping up for Nano than a proper Flicktion. Oh dearie, dearie me. From flickr pictureKing Kow by Flickr user isolano. Not sure who else is in this week but check out the usual suspects: The Gurrier, Chris, Linus, Tadmack, TeaandCakes, LittleGoat and Aquafortis.
I like the idea that once freedom of speech was granted everyone felt that they had to take advantage of it.
Comment by Isobel — October 29, 2006 @ 1:22 pm
Golden cows just say ‘biblical doom’ to me too.
Comment by Donal — October 29, 2006 @ 4:51 pm
The ‘buttercups and daisies’ all bring to mind cows, butter, doing that cupping a buttercup beneath your chin to see if you’re going to marry shtick — innocent Springtime crud. And then the idea that peace was something that wasn’t simply an ‘is,’ but something that was given… and made so little difference to so many.
Soothsayers and charlatans, indeed.
Comment by TadMack — October 30, 2006 @ 7:13 pm