Next to the shoe tree, the bush grew, and the story encoded in its DNA flowered. The newly fruited books hung heavy from the branches.
Daphne plucked one at random, opened it, and read.
“No,” she said, “Juliet is supposed to die.”
“Mutation,” Karl explained. “Random mistakes change the tale.”
For a long time, Daphne was silent. At last she said, “Then nothing is certain.”
Karl nodded. “But, in this universe, I love you.”
.
Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here
Neil MacDonald Author 
Dear Neil,
Imaginative piece. I think I shall go pluck a book from a tree and read. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks so much, Rochelle
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Unusual take on the prompt! Well done!
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Thanks so much, Reena
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There’s an annual event near here called Books in Bloom. How appropriate.
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Lovely!
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Fascinating take on the prompt, in this universe I enjoy writing.
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Thanks so much, Michael
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Right comment! Well done that man!
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A lucky break for him, I think
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Simply delightful Neil, well done.
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Thanks so much, Keith
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Brilliant concept and execution…!
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Thanks so much
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But only in this universe I bet.
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They’ll never know for sure
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Great concept, and well worked through. Karl is a bit of a smooth operator, I think!
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Thanks so much, Penny.
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A great little story there, Neil. Made me smile. The Bard even. 🙂
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Thanks so much, Bill. Sometimes the Swan of Avon becomes an ugly duckling
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Very clever. Do money trees grow around the corner?
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There is no such thing as a magic money tree. They’ve told us and told us this
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I doesn’t have to be magic. I’ll take a regular money tree.
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Wow, I really love that idea, Neil. Fiction being affected by mutations. Such an intriguing concept and well told.
-David
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Thanks so much, David
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Ah if books grew on trees… maybe they wouldn’t chop so many down. Book burning would be brutal though.
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Maybe wood stoves would read to you though
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Now there is an invention.
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Lovely and unusual take, Neil.
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Thanks so much, Jilly
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Oh dear, what happens in the next universe? I liked the idea of mutations. What if every book in the library shifts its story, how long would it be before it was never the same. A bit like rewriting history.
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Most of the universes are, of course, nonsense. A few make startling sense
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I’m sure he loves her in many possible universes. As for the others…
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In some of the others, he’s a frog
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he told her what she wanted to hear. enough said. 🙂
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He was a little tricksy perhaps
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Imaginative and magical, Neil. I love this story!
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Thanks so much. Jade
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You’re very welcome.
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She can be glad there is certainty in his love.
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That she can
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I love this. Imaginative, unique and even romantic. Speculative fiction at its best.
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Thanks so much
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Wonderful imagination, Neil. A really great read 🙂
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Thanks so much, Linda
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Such a clever story. Twists and turns everywhere, and the closing line is wonderfully suggestive.
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Thanks so much, Margaret
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Oh this is clever!
I’d read one of those books… even the mutated ones
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All books were like this once, since each copy was made by hand
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True!
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