Morning all! I should probably apologise for this one in advance – I don’t really believe in ugliness, not of face anyway, but this was what I saw when I got the prompt. Blame my tiny, twisted mind 😀
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An Unfortunate Face
Some people are just too ugly for words, so you have to resort to non-words like ‘bleurgh’ and ‘yeeesh’. Greg was one such unlucky soul, his mother fainted when he was born, twice, and several times thereafter when he caught her unawares.
Then Greg’s father bought him an antique diver’s helmet for his birthday, and it transformed his life. Finally, he could hold his head up high (with his hands, anyway).
Every year they would ceremoniously lift the helmet to see if there was any improvement.
‘Sorry, son,’ said his dad, as his mother hit the floor. ‘Maybe next year…’
(100 words)
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For those who don’t know, Friday Fictioneers is a challenge to write a 100 word story from a picture prompt. It’s hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields, and anyone can play. Thanks for hosting, Rochelle! Check out the link below to see what other fictioneers did with this week’s prompt.
Need more Friday Fiction? Click the blue frog to read more stories from other fictioneers!
EL Appleby: Brain Fragments 
Very silly! But a lot of fun.
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Thank you – yours was also very silly – and my favourite this week 😀
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Quite a take. Enjoyed this.
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Thank you 🙂
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LOL i laughed right at the very first line 🙂 i so want to feel sorry for him but this is just too funny 🙂 🙂
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thanks kz. I think I may have overstepped the mark this week, but only a little 😀
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Farcically funny! I fell about whilst feeling guilty at the same time. 🙂
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Hi Sandra
I felt the same while writing it, but the funny outweighed the guilt in the end 😀
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This would be tragic if true, but it’s fiction and farce, so I feel free to think it’s very funny. 🙂
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Thanks! I’m glad you allowed yourself to laugh at it 🙂
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I know this is meant to be funny but unfortunately it happened to one of my cousins whose wife delivered a baby with a deformed face. But the saddest part is that the mother disowned the little girl and refused to care for her, but fortunately, her grandmother took her under her wing and now she is all grown up and working in a bank. Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction, isn’t it?
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Wow! I’m doubly glad I apologised in advance now. Sounds like the little girl was ok in the end, though. And Greg in my story is a happy chap with his divers helmet and the love of both parents. Thanks for commenting.
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Dear EL,
I don’t know if you’ve had the opportunity to watch the Twilight Zone in your neck of the woods. There’s a classic episode called Eye of the Beholder. Your story reminded me of it. Fun piece as always…although a little sad.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hi Rochelle
Yes, I’ve seen a few episodes and I think they’re re-running them on one of the more obscure channels so I’ll keep an eye out for that episode 😀
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Oh dear, poor Greg 😦
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Don’t worry, Greg’s ok. He has two parents who love him and a cool diver’s helmet!
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Love it! Happy Easter! Almost hated to like this one, but it struck a giggle from me, a sad, sadistic type of giggle. Strange, but so easily pictured.
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It’s odd, isn’t it, I laughed like a drain when I wrote it, but then realised what I’d done and almost had second thoughts. I think I portrayed Greg as a well-adjusted child though, so all ok in the end. Might try being a little less controversial next week, though!
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Nothing wrong with controversy. Sometimes, it makes us think about our actions, or lack thereof, and their consequences. This was an excellent story!
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aww that’s sad. poor kid. well done.
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Thanks Rich
Greg’s ok – he has a cool diver’s helmet (something my son would love to own!) and a nice life. Thanks for commenting 🙂
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Poor Greg! Great story! You had me hooked from the first line!
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Thank you – I loved the first line too – there were more ‘non-words’ that had to go to please the word count, but I’m pleased with the end result 🙂
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” … to see if there was any improvement” HILARIOUS!
This sounds like something my own dad would have said when I was a teenager! Hahaha!
Way to go, EL!
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Thanks Kent
When my kids were little and shy, they used to bury their heads in my lap when my friends tried to say hello, then I’d stage whisper that they were hiding because they were so ugly. they soon popped their heads out to prove they weren’t 🙂
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Hahaha! That’s great!
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Love it! Poor mom, tell it like it is dad, & Greg. Well done.
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thank you!
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This is VERY funny! At least they still have hope. “Maybe next year . . .”
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thanks alicia. Yes, there’s always next year… 🙂
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This was hilarious! I laughed out loud! Nice job. 😀
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thanks – glad I made you laugh 😀
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I think laughing at this is like the black humor policeman have in dealing with things that aren’t really funny but would otherwise be almost unbearable. In this case, since it’s fiction, I can laugh without feeling bad. In real life, it would be too similar to my story to be funny.
janet
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HI Janet
I got my comeuppance with this one when my young niece came to stay a few days ago and told me that my face was horrible! That’s karma for you!!!
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very very funny:)
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Thank you very very much 😀
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Oh no! Poor guy. I’m not surprised this bit of fun came out of your tiny (not so) mind, El!
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Hi Amy
I worry about myself sometimes, just hope something a little less controversial comes out of my tiny mind next week!
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They should pack the helmet full of facial creams and whatnot and see if it helps. 🙂 It’s great to see such supportive parents. Nice, light-hearted story.
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Thanks David
I don’t think many people got that his parents are loving and supportive (even his faint-hearted mother) – glad you took this at ‘face’ value – as a light hearted tale. Thanks for commenting 🙂
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That is so sad and very unfortunate for poor Greg. I wish I wasn’t laughing so hard.
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Sorry about that. I’ll try to write a serious one next week (but I’ll probably fail) 🙂
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LOL
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Poor thing. But funny as hell.
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maybe next year sounds about right. miracles do happen.
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El. Poor kid. Perhaps eventually his mother will become immune and no longer faint. Very funny.
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OMG…that was horrible. Made me laugh, though. 🙂
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Thanks Dawn. It was a tricky one wasn’t it? You laugh but you know you shouldn’t! Thanks for commenting 🙂
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Damn Funny! ‘fainted when he was born’… love it!
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Thanks Ted. I imagined this as a Tim Burton film with a small boy and an oversized diver’s helmet and comedy sound effects when the mother faints 🙂 Me and my imagination had a lot of fun over this one 🙂
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Poor soul !
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Funny story
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“.. when he caught her unawares.”OMG!Am really laughing so hard-so wrong of me to laugh at Greg’s misery but couldn’t help it and the last line-more lol !Hillarious El 😀
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That is a tough one. Funny but so sad. Now, I have this friend …
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You have the greatest voice in telling stories. Every time I read one, I literally laugh out loud, causing my boss to wonder what the heck I’ve got on my screen that’s so amusing .He’s not a very understanding man, so I should probably save your stories to read at home. Anyway, I feel terrible for the kid, I truly do. But I’m glad someone so ugly existed (in your mind) as to inspire such a wildly entertaining story! 😀
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That is so so wicked! I love your twisted mind. Hilariously funny, and sad – ‘with his hands, anyway’. Poor Greg.
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