Each Wednesday, the wonderful and majestic Rochelle sends a photo to inspire us to write one-hundred or fewer words that tell a story. Friday Fictioneers is fun. Click on the prompt photo for the access to her special page.
Here is the prompting picture and my fib.
Genre: Sci-Fi
Title: It Is What Was
Word Count: 100
“This SUV is a time machine that transports mentally, not physically. You can only go back during your lifetime, not forward.
“That mirror shows exact time and place holographically. You go from now to then for about five minutes, then you are back here. You may change any past decision of yours, but rules disallow affecting life or death—kind of a prime directive. Your life will change based on the new decision. Any questions?”
What if I change my mind afterwards?
“We allow one free return trip to reset things. So far, everyone has done that. Ready?”
Not yet.
Look both ways, regret little, love much, and be yourself.
Mind the gaps and SUV, time machine sales staff.
“Finish each day and be done with it.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Our Literary Journey 
I’d worry about the butterfly flapping its wings. We can never know what the chain of causation is
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And so it goes, Neil. 🙂 Thanks for ringing in.
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Too funny! Love it.
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Thanks, Kathrine. Glad you liked it.
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Jeez… now I see what you mean. Our titles are kinda sorta similar though our stories are far from!
I think this “special machine” would come in handy for those missed quips we wish we coulda said. Then again, any time we go back, we have the potential to shit-disturb so maybe you keep that machine… or have it crushed in a scrapyard 😉
Your mind the gaps and Emerson say it all, as far as I am concerned. Regret is a waste of time and we gotta love ourselves and be who we are otherwise, what’s the point? I have to remember that “Finish each day and be done with it.”
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Yes, those L’esprit de l’escalier moments I have so many of. 🙂 I could write a book of just those quips.
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I love it! L’esprit de l’escalier! Lookit you 🙂
And maybe you should…
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I’ll put it on my “to do” list. 🙂
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You do that…
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Will do.
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😉
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🙂
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All fun and games until someone makes the wrong choice. Wonder if you can get locked out of your own mind?
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What an interesting concept. 🙂
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Dear Bill,
How many times have we said, “If I’d known then what I know now.”? On the other hand, what far reaching effects would one changed choice have on the rest of a person’s life. In all honesty, I’m not sure I’d want to take that chance.
Thought provoking piece. Brilliant.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Good Morning, Rochelle,
Thank you for praising my story.
My failures are as much a part of me as are my successes. There were a few things that I would risk changing. Not many.
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Either everyone is a bad decision-maker or current life just seems always better
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Good point, Bernadette.
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I’m afraid I’d never get out of the SUV and would tweak myself right out of my life 🙂 Wonderful speculative sci-fi, Bill.
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Thank you, Lisa. 🙂
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You’re welcome, Bill.
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That is some concept you created here! Thought provoking and actually mind shattering. Would I go back and change the one or other really big mistake I made in the past? Wouldn’t I have followed up with another, maybe bigger mistake instead? I guess I stay where and who I am now.
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Thanks for your interesting comment. I have a few I would attempt a redo on,
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I like that everyone has taken a return trip to reset back to the way life was/is. A very clever story, Bill! Love time travel. I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend!
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That’s a really interesting concept. I might have to dedicate some thought to that. Well done!
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Thank you, Sandra.
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That would be quite a gamble. I suppose depends on how satisfied you are with the way things from the past led you to where you are today. Listen to me getting all philosophical!
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Since I wrote that, I decided I might change anything in the past for which I am now paying the price heath-wise. 🙂
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sounds like a great idea until you realize how much the price you’d have to pay. it must cost you millions of dollars if not your soul. 🙂
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Soul’s already mortgaged. 🙂
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It might be fun to try just to see what changes, but I can see why everyone has hit the reset button. Even the smallest things could have huge knock-on effects.
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🙂 Might be worth a try.
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that’s the difficult part, being done with the day
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Oooooooo such an intriguing idea! I want to know more
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We probably learn more from when we make a wrong decision than a right one. But it’s everyone opting for that one free return trip that bothers me.
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I have several that I would need no return trip to amend. 🙂
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