I took another break from Visual Fiction this week and decided to do Alastair’s Photo Fiction prompt.

copyright Alastair Forbes
Gumdrop Miners
“Come on, pixies, down the hole!” the foreman yelled
The pixie miners lined up at the head of the gumdrop mine, dried and crusted sugar stuck to their overalls.
Saccrin checked his gum-saw and his bag of powdered sugar. When it was his turn, he grabbed hold of the rope and was lowered into the dim expanse below.
Their deposit was yellow and the intense smell of lemons engulfed him. In the gloom, he could see other pixies sawing out blocks of gumdrop, dusting the edges with powdered sugar and loading them on transports.
It was a hard life, being a gumdrop miner. He wore a mask, but still, diabetes and “gum-lung” were rampant. Plus, they paid him in chocolate coins.
“Hey Saccrin! Get your candy-coated butt over here. We hit a peanut brittle layer lower down; you’re on chopping duty.”
“Sugar!” Saccrin cursed and went to get his axe.



