Charlie was such a character. He took everything literally. Maybe it was his upbringing; when he didn’t do exactly as he was told, his cruel father punished him.
People who knew Charlie spoke differently to him. Nobody ever asked Charlie to ‘kill’ the light, as he might actually shoot it.
The same held true for the detour sign. Most people might read the sign, and then take the road around the area where the sign pointed. Not Charlie. He went straight across the lawn into the light pole. Damn near killed himself.
this is my entry into this week’s Friday Fictioneers.
Smart take on the photo. I hadn’t noticed the figure at the foot of the lamp-post. 🙂
it was the first thing I seen when I looked at the picture…lol
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one that didn’t notice the man until reading this. 🙂
This made me laugh. But then I went back and that first paragraph quenched my laugh. Such a different take from mine, with the same subject.
Ha.. yes that would be a very natural explanation of the picture.
I laughed out loud! Sorry Charlie. 🙂 Great response to the prompt.
Poor Charlie; he must have a difficult life. Great take on the pic.
Hee-hee-hee! Hilarious.
I found this really moving.
thanks
I did notice the sign and I really liked how you used it in this tale. Interesting character sketch. 🙂
-HA
Poor Charlie. I love how you picked out such a small element and created such an original entry though, really entertaining.
Very cute piece. Could be the start of a series “Charlie who Takes Everything Literally.”
Your story made be laugh but I also felt deeply for Charlie and his view of the world that was shaped so much by the cruelty of his father.
Well told
Great story! I really did lol. I finished reading your story, laughed, looked again at the prompt and noticed all the elements in the picture, I laughed again. 🙂
You’ve got a good balance of humour and seriousness here. Charlie walking into the pole is funny, but the cruelty of his father gives a sad undercurrent. It works really well.
I know a boy who does take everything literally – because of his special educational needs. Of course in *his* case, his parents look out for him (as your character’s friends do). Glad Charlie survived this particular detour!
Dear SNB,
I’d say Charlie’s bound to be a danger to himself. Cute story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Yes! I wanted to do something with that detour sign but just could not find the angle. You nailed it!
This was wonderful! I almost wrote about the fellow on the lawn . . . Glad I didn’t. You took two great points in the photo to make a fun story. Kudos!
Smart and funny write. Great job!
Lily
Loved the story … we take colloquial language so much for granted, what would happen if … 🙂