Wednesday 4 September 2019

DISGUISED - 100 word story

Loved this week's Friday Fictioneer's photo prompt. Never mind the shelves - it was the plant that sparked my imagination.


PHOTO PROMPT © Penny Gadd


DISGUISED

When Xognan was posted to the planet called Earth to study the highest life form he was aghast. The project would swallow nine million xano-years of his life and he regretted signing up with Planet Discovery. He'd only done it because the pay was good.
Xognan wasn't overly happy with the flimsy disguise he'd been given either.
Hey-ho.
Now he sat high on a shelf in what these lifeforms called a 'house'. Fine filaments on Xognan's limbs caught microscopic bacteria to feed on. He nervously relied on the lifeforms to water him.
And he studied their behaviour with undisguised astonishment.




I hope you enjoyed this story and I look forward to your comments. 


If you wish to read more Friday Fictioneers stories, you can find them listed HERE


If you'd like to join in the challenge, you'll find all the information posted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields 


- her blog is listed on 'My Blog List' on the right hand side of this page.


On a final note - I always attempt to visit the blogs of everyone who comments on mine. If I haven't commented on yours it's either because I haven't been redirected to your blog when I've clicked on your name or because you have a wordpress account that requires me to sign into wordpress first. 
Please check and amend your settings. Thanks.

56 comments:

  1. I bet he can't believe what he is seeing! Good fun.

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  2. Dear Susan,

    Sounds like a rough assignment. Hope the life forms keep him watered. Fun Story.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

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    1. Yes, it's all a bit nerve wracking for the poor little alien. :)

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  3. Poor ET. The horrors she/he must see ��.

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  4. Oh, I love this. From the perspective of a space alien, human behavior probably does seem beyond strange :)

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    1. He he - I find it pretty strange a lot of time myself so goodness only knows what a little alien would make of it. Thanks for commenting, Linda.

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  5. He nervously relied on the lifeforms to water him. ... Love it!!!

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    1. Thanks for the feedback, Ted. Glad to know it worked for you.

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  6. Horrid assignment, if you ask me! Let us hope they are not like me and are better at keeping him alive!

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    1. Nerve wracking for our little alien to say the least. Glad he's not observing humans in your house, Dale. :)

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  7. I'm sure HQ will approve his report recommendation of condemned.

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    1. I wonder which aspects of human life astonish him the most. :)

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  8. But the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy labels the planet as "mostly harmless"

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    1. Ah yes! Harmless, but nonetheless astonishing. :)

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  9. Poor Xognan, stuck there watching our weird behaviour unfold. Good job he isn't relying on me to water him, I'm a bit forgetful :-)

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    1. And it's not like he can jump off that shelf and go elsewhere!

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  10. I love this! It does look like something from another planet!

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    1. Thank you, Darlene. As soon as I looked at the plant I saw a little figure with legs and multiple arms. :)

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  11. Not the most exciting job but at least the pay's good! Nice one.

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    1. He he - it needs to be well paid considering the potential danger. Thanks for commenting.

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  12. Poor Xognan is kind of a big dill, probably not a good thyme to be on this planet.

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    1. Ha ha - so someone had to make a few puns!! :)

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  13. If he lived in my house he'd have a very short life span, either being parched or drowned. Good idea and nicely done too.

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    1. I'm afraid I've done my fair share of 'house-planticide' too, Sandra. Thanks for commenting.

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  14. That is a funny story and I wonder if he can walk off that shelf when the humans are sleeping or away. he can get into the fridge to eat, turn on his favourite soaps and figure out a ray to give trump the death ray

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    1. Nice idea Birgit, but sadly, he's stuck until his Planet Discovery employers release him from his contract. :)

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  15. Ha!! What a grim assignment, but if he will be greedy, its quality of life which is important.

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    1. Ah but maybe his quality of life on his planet isn't too great?

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  16. Good one. I can easily see that plant as an alien life form. Xognan of die in my house. I am bad at watering plants, and my roommate is worse.

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    1. I saw a little creature the minute I looked at the plant. Good job he isn't in your house!

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  17. Haha OMG the things he will see. What a job to have! I hope they do remember to water him. fun story

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    1. I shudder to think what he's seeing. Thanks for commenting.

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  18. I love your take on the prompt. Very clever and fun story!

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    1. Thanks for the kind comments, Brenda - glad you enjoyed it.

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  19. i'm not sure xognan will enjoy his big paycheck relying on humans to water him to survive. :)

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    1. Yes, he knows he's in a delicate situation to say he least!

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  20. An inventive take on the prompt Susan, I could imagine reading more episodes of your story.

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    1. Now there's a thought - it would lend itself to a longer story, wouldn't it?

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  21. It does look like an alien life form. Nice story

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    1. Yes, that's what I saw the instant I looked at the photo. Thanks for commenting, Jo.

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  22. What an engaging narrator; he sounds so human - I can't imagine why he was so astonished by what he witnessed in the 'house'. Lots of fun.

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    1. Thanks for the feedback, Margirene. I should think most human households hide their fair share of astonishing behaviour when they don't think they're being observed! :)

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  23. "undisguised astonishment". Perfect phrase -- I often feel that way myself when observing the dominant life form of this planet. Well done.

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    1. Ha ha - too true! Thanks for commenting, Eugenia.

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  24. I just imagine all the things he might see... (no that would be too terrible to ponder)

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  25. I enjoyed this sci-fi story, Susan. I love it that "the pay was good". I wonder what astonishment on a plant looks like. :D --- Suzanne

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    1. Thanks for commenting - with apologies for the long delay in replying, Suzanne!

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Many thanks for commenting. I appreciate your feedback.