There’s vivid muralling at the entrance, invoking tropical sunshine and hibiscus flowers. But strait is the crude gate and narrow the way. This house promises rapture. This house threatens destruction. Look! Sinister nozzles in the ceiling.
Enter? Run away? Are these the Pearly Gates or the Maw of Hell? Maybe, those are one and the same.
I turn my back and trudge on down the grey streets of Purgatory. Perhaps I have denied myself love; but at least I’ve forestalled eternal torment.
.
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 
Obviously not quite ready to dance today – but maybe another lesson or two will sort out the head (and the feet) and shimmy away the dark thoughts.
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That gave me a smile. Thanks, Jilly
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Not a dancer, either.
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Or, at the very least, a cautious one
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Thought provoking piece, Neil. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks so much, Rochelle
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A perfect distillation of the image.
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Thanks so much, Iain
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The choices we make; not always the best ones and yet, not always the worst, either.
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Otfen we can never know
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Especially in the moment.
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I like your questions and ask myself those same things often. Love your concluding sentence.
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Thanks so much, Jade
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You’re welcome.
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What’s that they say about the road to hell? I believe you made the right decision.
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Very existentially done!
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Thanks so much
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You captured the feel of the photo perfectly!!
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Thanks so much
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You’ve masterfully captured the essence of the idea of purgatory, neither here nor there.
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Thanks so much, Clare
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Two sides to every choice – who’s to say which is best.
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Indeed
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I love the way you blended those iconic religious ideas into this one prompt.
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Thanks so much, Linda. I’m glad you noticed the moving parts
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A dilemma. Some things we’ll never know.
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We just have to guess, sometimes
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it seemed he played it safe. someday he must wonder what could have been.
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Someday, maybe. But today he’ll thank his lucky stars
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Love and eternal torment? Do those two belong together? Surely not. I feel for your poor narrator, making such a choice. You show his fear and doubts wonderfully here, and the images you include make his predicament painfully real.
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Thanks so much, Margaret
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I liked your take of the mixed signals in the photo prompt.
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Thanks so much, Angela
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As fate will have it, the end can wait. Clearly, he was not ready or decided which way to go, so procrastination won the day.
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It may never be possible to go back, of course.
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Exactly, so what’s the rush.
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I loved this concept, “Maybe, those are one and the same.” That would seem to make passing the best option.
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Thanks so much
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Neil, very interesting story of indecision and risk. Very thought provoking. I like it.
-David
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Thanks so much, David
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Temptation and resistance, perfectly presented with great metaphores. I’m a bit sorry for the person to be so hung up on the afterlife when there is one life to be lived now and here.
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Thanks so much
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Oooooo what a choice, and the answer unknown until they choose their path.
A clever piece. You’ve got me thinking.
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Thanks so much, Laurie
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Oh, I love that last sentence. So many moments when you need to decide to take a risk – or not. Without more information, I agree he made the right choice, but I’m still curious about if he made the wrong one. Well done.
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Thanks so much, Anne
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Decisions decisions.
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A million a day
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Think what you might have mossed – but then you’ll never know, will you.
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Indeed, so no heartache
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seems like the are already a tormented soul, maybe have always been. Very thought provoking story.
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Thanks so much
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This is what I thought when I saw the photograph- the bright tropical painting and the wooden frame mesh gate didn’t go together. Enjoyed you perfect description of it.
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Thanks so much
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An interesting take on the prompt that I enjoyed very much, thank you.
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Thanks so much, Heather
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