Iain Kelly

Fiction Writing

JUST VISITING

‘What is he doing?’

‘I have no idea.’

‘He’s just standing there.’

A small group of onlookers stopped on the sidewalk to stare at the man standing in the middle of the intersection.

‘Did he just come out of the manhole cover?’

‘Should we ask if he needs help?’

The lights changed. Yellow cabs swerved past, horns blaring. The man didn’t seem to notice.

He wore a black trilby and a grey trench coat. With a last look round, he stepped back to the manhole cover and slipped back down, replacing the metal disc behind him.

‘Huh,’ shrugged the onlookers.

The lights changed to red.

delayed-green-naama-yehuda
Copyright Na’ama Yehuda

Written for Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above). Time traveller? Screwball? Tourist? P.I.? You decide, I have no idea what he was doing there or where he was going!

To read stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.

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92 responses to “JUST VISITING”

  1. Tannille Avatar
    Tannille

    I am left thinking Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? 😀

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      I love that answer! He’s looking to hire them of course! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. ceayr Avatar
    ceayr

    Guy just looking for some peace and quiet, far from the madding crowd…

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Took a wrong turn somewhere around Boston

      Like

      Reply
      1. Russell Gayer Avatar
        Russell Gayer

        Or Philadelphia, as W.C. Fields used to say. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  3. neilmacdon Avatar
    neilmacdon

    I strongly visualised Rene Magritte here

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Excellent, a little bit of surrealism.

      Like

      Reply
  4. Sandra Avatar
    Sandra

    The things you see. And I expect they will have forgotten it by the time they get home. Nicely done.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Just one of those things in New York, filled with gar stranger sights than that every day. Thanks Sandra

      Like

      Reply
  5. rochellewisoff Avatar
    rochellewisoff

    Dear Iain,

    One has to wonder where he came from and where he’s going. Interesting take on the prompt.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Rochelle, some good responses to those questions already 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  6. justjoyfulness Avatar
    justjoyfulness

    Time travelling Sherlock Holmes, looking for clues?

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Another good idea,I’m enjoying people’s suggestions 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  7. Susan A Eames Avatar
    Susan A Eames

    Ha ha – and so you leave us with so much to ponder. Loved how you did this. 🙂

    Susan A Eames at
    Travel, Fiction and Photos

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Some good ideas about who he could be in the comments! Thanks Susan

      Like

      Reply
  8. Sadje Avatar
    Sadje

    This is a great story! Very interesting and intriguing

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you. Who do you think he is?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Sadje Avatar
        Sadje

        Dr Who? I would think of his as he is my favorite time traveler!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Iain Kelly Avatar
        Iain Kelly

        Always popping up is the time lord!

        Liked by 1 person

      3. Sadje Avatar
        Sadje

        Yup!

        Liked by 1 person

  9. J Hardy Carroll Avatar
    J Hardy Carroll

    Sounds like the beginning of any one of a dozen superhero films. Well paced.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      But which superhero could he be?

      Like

      Reply
      1. J Hardy Carroll Avatar
        J Hardy Carroll

        Lube Man?

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Iain Kelly Avatar
        Iain Kelly

        Erm…!!

        Like

      3. J Hardy Carroll Avatar
        J Hardy Carroll

        did you see Watchmen? There’s a character who squirts himself with oil and slips into the sewer. Google it!

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Iain Kelly Avatar
        Iain Kelly

        Will do!

        Like

  10. Keith's Ramblings Avatar
    Keith’s Ramblings

    Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Sewerman!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Not well known Sewerman, for some reason…

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  11. Gabriella Avatar
    Gabriella

    He certainly did not look like an underground worker. An inspector maybe.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Gabriella, but what could he be investigating?

      Like

      Reply
      1. Gabriella Avatar
        Gabriella

        Checking on the people’s work or investigating a shady murder.

        Liked by 1 person

  12. granonine Avatar
    granonine

    Huh. Maybe he just feels safer in the sewer with the rats and gunkies. Or maybe he has a secret tunnel that leads to his magnificent hideaway under a mountain somewhere 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Both could be true 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  13. magickmermaid Avatar
    magickmermaid

    Yes, he took a wrong turn somewhere! Great story! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Easy to get lost in NY!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  14. larry trasciatti Avatar
    larry trasciatti

    The trench coat is a part of the official spy dress code. Maybe he’s a secret agent man.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      He’s taken his underground spy role too literally. Thanks Larry

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  15. Shilpa Nairy Avatar
    Shilpa Nairy

    So quick he is!! Great observation of photo and lovely take on prompt.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you Shilpa

      Like

      Reply
  16. wmqcolby Avatar
    wmqcolby

    Creative, Iain. I liked this one. It seemed like he was a human “prairie dog” lost and looking around … or like Bugs Bunny once said in a similar situation, “I KNEW I should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque.” Good job!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Prairie dog – I like that image of him peering about!

      Like

      Reply
  17. msjadeli Avatar
    msjadeli

    Quite the mystery man! I hope there is a part 2 to this one.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Not sure – if there was, what would you have him be?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. msjadeli Avatar
        msjadeli

        A time traveler 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  18. gillyflower Avatar
    gillyflower

    So intrigued by this fellow and where/when he came from! I imagine a Victorian sewer inspector who took a really wrong tunnel.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Ha, love that idea, he’s going to be scratching his head for a while!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  19. Na'ama Yehuda Avatar
    Na’ama Yehuda

    ah, I have me some idea, but being a New Yorker, I’d probably just give ‘im a glimpse, raise my brow, and go on as if I see this every day. Ya know, we New Yorkers have seen it all … 😉

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      I know, this is a pretty minor incident by NY standards!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Na'ama Yehuda Avatar
        Na’ama Yehuda

        LOL, yeah … we do have a pretty high ‘tolerance’ for eccentricity … 😉

        Liked by 1 person

  20. J.A. Prentice Avatar
    J.A. Prentice

    Fun story. I wonder who he was…

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Care to hazard a guess?

      Like

      Reply
  21. draliman Avatar
    draliman

    What a strange man! He reminds me of the “Observers” in the series “Fringe” 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      I had to look up Fringe, that one passed me by, but yeah, he sounds like one of those Observer types!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  22. Liz Young Avatar
    Liz Young

    Oo-er! A Man in Grey – sinister.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Could be, who knows!

      Like

      Reply
  23. neeltheauthor- author of WHEN LIFE THROWS THOSE CURVE BALLS Avatar
    neeltheauthor- author of WHEN LIFE THROWS THOSE CURVE BALLS

    Down that rabbit hole, again. Your inquisitiveness makes for one more riveting story, Kelly.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you Neel

      Like

      Reply
  24. Dale Avatar
    Dale

    See… He came up at the wrong place and rather than look sheepish, he owned it, made like that’s what he wanted to do all along and then disappeared!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      A nice save, I wish I had that sort of confidence! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Dale Avatar
        Dale

        😉

        Liked by 1 person

  25. Woman walking Max Avatar
    Woman walking Max

    Intriguing take Iain, I like the open endedness. Maybe he’s character who escaped from an Orson Wells film ?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      He dresses the part for sure 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  26. Russell Gayer Avatar
    Russell Gayer

    Maybe he’s part Pairie Dog. That’s what we call people who work in cubicles and pop up to peek over the walls.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Or wants to live like one.

      Like

      Reply
  27. Nobbinmaug Avatar
    Nobbinmaug

    I’m guessing he’s starting a new society underground. The one we have up here seems to have fallen into shambles. He was probably checking to see if it was worth coming back up. In less than 100 words, he decided it wasn’t.

    When I was a kid, I told my parents they were not my parents. I used to live in the sewer, and I came out to live with them. I have no idea where that came from. I don’t think I knew what the sewer was. I wouldn’t last 30 seconds in a sewer.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      I would hate to live in a sewer, but like you say – would it be much dirtier than the world we have created above ground?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  28. plaridel Avatar
    plaridel

    it looks like he was lost in his own thoughts whatever they maybe. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      He should watch out for the traffic 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  29. Laurie Bell Avatar
    Laurie Bell

    OMG I want more now… so intriguing. I’m dying to know what happens next!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Laurie, perhaps Toni Delle would know? Someone she is after perhaps, hiding out in NY!

      Like

      Reply
      1. Laurie Bell Avatar
        Laurie Bell

        😳😱😱😱😱 what do you know?

        Liked by 1 person

  30. Inside the Mind of Isadora Avatar
    Inside the Mind of Isadora

    Oh, how captivated I was to find out who he is.
    I think it’s an escaped prisoner … lost and unaware of modern traffic lights.
    Good intro to a longer tale, Iain. Be safe … Be Healthy … Be Happy
    Isadora 😎

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      I like that idea 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Inside the Mind of Isadora Avatar
        Inside the Mind of Isadora

        👍😎

        Liked by 1 person

  31. Natasha Avatar
    Natasha

    Iain, I am thinking “It” the clown? 😮

    Stephen King IT’s gotta be!

    Your 100 words have let our imagination run helter-skelter.

    Good one!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Oh, the first to suggest that! Too scary for me 🙂

      Like

      Reply
      1. Natasha Avatar
        Natasha

        Ha! Ha! Spooky is fun right, Iain?

        Liked by 1 person

  32. doodletllc Avatar
    doodletllc

    I clapped my hands in delight…reminds me of “Enchanted”…a Disney movie that poked fun at the princesses…but your version has dark intrigue and spookiness – just ripe for a fabulous story.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you so much 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  33. Bill Avatar
    Bill

    Some sci-fi with a twist. Well done.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Bill, much appreciated.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  34. James McEwan Avatar
    James McEwan

    Perhaps he decided that the world was not yet ready for him, and he returned to his sewer for some peace and quiet. His anomie having developed from repeated lockdowns and society’s response.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      I like the idea of him turning his back on the world and searching for some peace – like you suggest, the recent months have found a lot of us wishing to do exactly that! Thanks James.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  35. ahtdoucette Avatar
    ahtdoucette

    This one really made me laugh for some reason. I felt like oh here’s the point in the movie where the hero emerges from the sewer, as viewed by a bystander glad to be just a bystander. =D I like it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thanks Anne, always good to raise a laugh 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  36. subroto Avatar
    subroto

    Nice. Seems like a time traveler took a wrong turn in the portal. Who could it be? Or rather could it be Dr Who?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      I hadn’t thought of the Dr, but he has 2 votes now.

      Like

      Reply
  37. Mike Avatar
    Mike

    I wonder is it Oliver Hardy looking for Stan Laurel

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Haha, nice idea Mike!

      Like

      Reply
  38. Fatima Fakier Avatar
    Fatima Fakier

    I expect that’s what it must be like for regular folk when they witness a superhero or a villain going about their business.

    Like

    Reply
  39. MrBinks Avatar
    MrBinks

    Very good; smothered with intrigue.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
      Iain Kelly

      Thank you

      Like

      Reply

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