copyright Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
Jimmy rushed to the airport from his night shift at the I-20 overpass. He took the architecture entrance, trying not to step on any early morning commuters in his haste.
“About friggin’ time,” Tommy muttered, the third shift A15 pillar on Concourse D. They carefully switched places. Pillaring wasn’t exciting, but it was steady work for those cursed to be 100 feet tall.
Jimmy awoke to tiny screams. He was on his knees, the roof sagging above him. He’d smashed the Gate 24 United counter. Again.
He ordered a ventimila* from Starbucks. This was going to be a long day.
*ventimila: 20,000 ounces (about 156 gallons)
June 19th, 2019 at 9:40 am
I bet his fat fingers have difficulty doing the dip as well
June 19th, 2019 at 10:19 am
Again? Maybe he needs a new line of work! Ha!
Loved this story… very inventive take on the photo prompt.
-Rachel
June 19th, 2019 at 2:45 pm
Thanks, Rachel. As I wrote that, I thought, “How does he still have a job?” I guess the airport really values the human architecture aesthetic. 🙂
June 19th, 2019 at 10:59 am
A very long day from the sounds of it.
June 19th, 2019 at 2:44 pm
You probably even do good people watching from that high up.
June 19th, 2019 at 11:28 am
Haha! What a lively and original take on the prompt!
June 19th, 2019 at 2:43 pm
Thanks, Penny! 🙂
June 19th, 2019 at 12:05 pm
Dear David,
Now that’s one quirky take on the prompt! Tiny screams and 100 ft giant. Not many jobs to be had by a man his size. The title has me rolling. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
June 19th, 2019 at 2:43 pm
Thanks, Rochelle. I saw the pillars in the picture and that’s what I thought of, although I set this in Atlanta and not Tel Aviv. I’m sure he needs to work all the time just to buy food. 🙂
June 19th, 2019 at 3:08 pm
That’s what I call a LONG day, with that much beverage. Sh*t happens…
June 20th, 2019 at 8:05 pm
Hehe, yeah. That will probably come after he downs that ventimila. 🙂
June 20th, 2019 at 4:31 am
Perhaps he should work for Starbucks instead! Delightfully different David.
June 20th, 2019 at 8:02 pm
As long as he doesn’t have to serve anything too small, he’d do okay. Might keep him awake a bit more. 🙂
June 20th, 2019 at 5:07 am
I think that’s probably going to be the most original offering today. Well done David.
June 20th, 2019 at 8:01 pm
Thanks, Sandra. I’m glad you liked it. 🙂
June 20th, 2019 at 8:33 am
What a great and imaginative take, David!
Loved the title – so good.
They might not give him yet another chance, poor bugger.
June 20th, 2019 at 8:00 pm
Thanks, Dale. I can’t imagine he’ll get too many chances if he keeps crushing things. 🙂
June 20th, 2019 at 2:17 pm
David, I love the imaginative take. You’ve put a whole different perspective on this post. And I think your title was brilliant. Atlas Snoozed, Atlas Shrugged–great contrasts.
June 20th, 2019 at 7:59 pm
Thank you, Linda! I’m so glad you liked it. It was a fun one to write. 🙂
June 21st, 2019 at 2:02 am
Even giants feel thirsty and hungry working long hours. Can’t blame Jimmy for wanting to buy a coffee, that too a Starbucks coffee..
June 21st, 2019 at 4:03 am
Fantastic story. Who’d be a pillar? Crumby job. No wonder he fell asleep.
June 21st, 2019 at 11:03 am
Not exactly what you’d call skilled labor, even if the average person couldn’t do it.
June 21st, 2019 at 4:49 am
Wish I could meet a man like Jimmy. Sigh. He’s George Clooney with a Hulk finish….caffeinated. You’re the King of Flash Fiction David. Such an art. 🙂
June 21st, 2019 at 11:02 am
He’s hardworking, but he might crush the whole city block if he rolls over in his sleep. 🙂 Glad you liked it.
June 21st, 2019 at 12:49 pm
He’s got Gulliver tendencies, what can he do. 🙂
June 21st, 2019 at 11:33 am
Very clever – and I like the spanish numerical system at Starbucks!
June 22nd, 2019 at 5:14 pm
Thanks!
June 21st, 2019 at 11:38 am
ha ha ha
Cute. Thanks for the laugh.
June 22nd, 2019 at 5:14 pm
🙂 Glad you liked it.
June 22nd, 2019 at 4:40 am
What a creative story and well told too. I love it! Poor Jimmy, but at least he’s got enough coffee to make it through. 🙂
June 22nd, 2019 at 5:13 pm
Thanks, Brenda. 🙂 I’m glad you liked it.
June 22nd, 2019 at 7:40 am
Your imagination ran wild with this one, David. He must need a truckload of food every day. He better watch how much coffee or whatever he drinks on the job. He could flood the place. That’s an unpleasant thought. 😀 — Suzanne
June 22nd, 2019 at 5:13 pm
Haha, yeah the implications are unpleasant. Waiting at the airport is bad enough already. 🙂
June 24th, 2019 at 9:37 am
😀
June 23rd, 2019 at 3:29 pm
I think I would complain if I’m seated next to Jimmy
June 24th, 2019 at 10:46 am
Heh, that’s brilliant. I love that you focussed on the pillars. Snoozing or shrugging would both have similarly desastrous consequences.
June 24th, 2019 at 7:48 pm
Pretty much anything he could do besides standing perfectly still would be pretty bad: Atlas Tripped, Atlas Puked, Atlas Sat… 🙂
June 25th, 2019 at 6:13 am
😀
June 24th, 2019 at 8:23 pm
Inventive.
June 25th, 2019 at 1:06 am
Quirky, indeed! 😉
June 25th, 2019 at 6:15 pm
Absolutely fascinating…read it three times to get all the nuances you wrote. Bravo!
July 8th, 2019 at 9:22 pm
Thanks so much! I’m glad you liked it. 🙂