"All those stairs! They look like they lead to nowhere!"
"I realize it's a lot of stairs, sir, but you'll really like the apartment. And you'll find they're not nearly as bad as they seem."
"I can't even figure them out! They go this way, and that way, and ... and ..."
"Things are often not what they seem, sir. Bet you'll find living here inspiring!"
"I doubt that. I've a feeling this is only gonna be temporary."
"Whatever you say. Ready to check out the apartment, Mr. Escher?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Picture prompt above, story below, 89 words and I'm really rocking the limit of 100 words no end these days! It may have been mathematically improbable, but I seem to have finally climbed the staircase of the 100 word challenge --- Relativity speaking, that is.
This is my weekly contribution to the Fabulous Flying Friday Fictioneers/You Won't Believe Your Eyes Association. Click the link when you're ready to ascend to the other Fictioneers' impossibly interesting takes on the subject.
Meanwhile I'm looking for another set of stairs to climb, like the ones below. Wonder what the rent is on that place ...
Depending on the age of dear Mr. Escher I don't blame him wanting it to be only temporary! ;-)
ReplyDeleteSomehow I think it turned out very much otherwise! Thanks for writing.
DeleteThat was great to go with an Escher comparison.
ReplyDeleteIn your story was cute and fit well into the Escher/spiral staircase motif.
Good job had me smiling and chuckling.
Thanks, Randy
Thanks for dreaming the impossible dream with me, Randy!
DeleteI thought of Escher when seeing this picture, too, so it was good to see a twisted (spiral?) story like this. Mr. Escher must have gotten plenty of exercise!
ReplyDeletejanet
Somehow I'll bet he never quite made it into the apartment at all! Thanks, Janet.
DeleteThe dialogue was really spinning around there, much like the spiralling staircase - I enjoyed the poor man's confusion and desperate sales talk!
ReplyDeleteDesperate sales talk that seems bound to succeed, I think. Thanks for your comment!
DeleteMysterious. The landlord or super seems a bit anxious to get a new tenant. Nice story.
ReplyDeleteHopefully the tenant-to-be one day remembered him in his will. Thx for writing!
DeleteOkay, I have to say I love your bio better than the story. And "Hey!" to the slurs against Justin Bieber and Abe Vigoda. I am a fan of both! But that aside, on the story... I liked the reticence to climb the stairs that Mr. Escher exhibited in his silence.
ReplyDeleteGlad you loved the bio, but there are no slurs. Mr. Vigoda is referenced only because he is old, therefore it's a good name for a Jewish old, old age home. I'm sure he would approve.
DeleteAs for Mr. Bieber, I am merely referencing the fact that it is unlikely he has many fans at the Abe Vigoda home. All to the point that anybody who dreams about wanting my life must be about as cool a guy as the President of the Justin Bieber Fan Club at the Abe Vigoda Home for Very, Very Old Jews.
Glad to have the opportunity to clear that one up.
Funny and clever. Now, if the apartment Mr Escher at the top of that spiral turns out to be a Mobius Strip, we'll never see him again!
ReplyDeleteConsidering that guy, I don't know how we ever could have seen him in the first place! Thanks for the comment, Ann.
DeleteFunny guy!!!
ReplyDeleteScott
Mine: http://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2013/03/06/friday-fictioneers-482013-bye-bye-genre-horror/
Aww, shucks!
DeleteSo amusing, the realtor for MC Escher. There is a sort of Kafkaesque quality here that could build into a nice short story. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteYes, I think Kafka and Escher go hand in hand. In fact, they may be the next Rogers and Astaire!
DeleteOh yes, You made me chuckle also. Very clever take on the prompt!
ReplyDeleteLindaura
I live but for to make you chuckle! Thanks for writing, Linda.
Deletelove your story, Perry. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's a ray of sunshine in my life! Thanks!
DeleteHa ha ha! You nailed it!
ReplyDeleteOnly three "ha's?"
DeleteSomewhere along this trek he's going to have to use the bathroom. Perhaps that's where his drawing of the hands comes in. BTW, I linked you in my story this week. Perhaps it will drive one of my two fans your way. Westinghouse seems curious, but Jesus is reluctant.
ReplyDeleteRussell,
DeleteYou need to get out more. Your mind seems to be awash with indoor plumbing this week.
Gee, if I get one of your two fans, I'll owe you one fan back just as soon as I get me one.
DeleteYes, I hope Escher was able to hold it. At my stage of the game, I'd have to go on just about every flight.
Hmm wonder if Escher ever lived in a place with alot of stairs? Quite possible. What a great perspective
ReplyDeleteI think Escher probably spent his life in ranch houses, which led to his obsession with steps, poor guy!
DeleteGreat potential back story Perry! Escher is one of my all time favorites, and it slides right into this prompt so nicely.
ReplyDeleteTune in next week for the next chapter in the back story "Escher in Love."
DeleteHi Perry
ReplyDeleteGreat story - made me laugh out loud and I can definitely see how you got the Escher reference from the picture. One little niggle though, did you mean 'nearly not' or 'not nearly'?
Good catch! I jumped ahead to answer yours out of sequence when I saw your comment and have already fixed.
DeleteWhat are your charges for proofreading?
Dear Perry,
ReplyDeleteAnother Escher fan here so I loved the reference and the picture. Did you ever see Barefoot in the Park with Jane Fonda and Robert Redford? Mostly what I remember of that flick was the top floor apartment with the killer stairs leading up to it. Your fun story put me in mind of it.
Nice job,
Shalom,
Rochelle
Remember "Barefoot in the Park?" I remember "Birth of a Nation."
DeleteIf Escher had designed the stars for that movie, Redford and Fonda would have been divorced in a week ...
Perry,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the laugh. Rocking the 100 word limit...good to hear since I blew it out of the water at 342 words this week....Just taking up the space you left I guess.
Tom
Can't wait to see that. But don't worry; I'll fix it for you!
DeleteI see you put a new perspective on the prompt.
ReplyDeleteEscher is one of my favorites.
Well, now you know how he got his start! Thanks for writing.
DeleteDear Perry,
ReplyDeleteYour reference to mr. Escher puts me in mind of the convoluted path one must tread to leave a comment on Blogspot. I love your story and M.C. so i'm going to try. if i'm not back in a few days, call the coast guard.
Aloha,
Doug
I've heard something like this before, but I don't really understand the problem. The security feature is off, isn't it? If it's easier for you, please send me an FB message on this so I can try to fix it.
DeleteIf only Mr. Escher knows how to leave a proper message here, no wonder I'm so lonely here!
nice thinking. Looks like Mr. Escher will give in to the sales talk in the end:)
ReplyDeleteYep, good thing for him he has such weak sales resistance. Thanks for writing!
DeleteWonderful, what a good eye you have Perry..
ReplyDeleteJust like mr Moebious never could see it from another side.
I can't deal with Mr. Moebious so my eye is probably pretty crappy after all. Bu thanks for the compliment!
DeleteI would have thought that this place would have instantly appealed to
ReplyDeleteM C Escher! Though while on paper never being able to reach a destination looks clever and pretty, in what stands for 'real' life, it would be somewhat irritating!
Cute! I *love* Escher's work (He and my Mr Fibonacci would have got on, I think). nice twist
ReplyDeleteJust like a salesman to try to pump up the virtues to overcome the negative aspects. No matter how much you like the place the stair are always there to lessen your enthusiasm.
ReplyDelete