‘Are we there yet?’ Archie asked. He was feeling claustrophobic in the hermetically-sealed caravan.
Agnes peered out the kitchen window as the countryside whizzed by along the autoroute, ‘Not yet, just passed Paris.’
‘Maybe we should have picked somewhere closer than the Mediterranean?’
‘You wanted warm sunshine and the beach.’
Agnes brought the coffee over to the table. Just as she sat down the truck turned. Coffee sloshed over the table. She cursed the truck driver for the hundredth time.
Archie could see the anger building. ‘This is the safest holiday possible in Covid times.’
‘Define safe,’ Agnes replied, the coffee mug raised in a threatening manner.
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).
To read stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.
You can find all the Agnes and Archie stories HERE.
During the month of April I took part in the A-Z blogging challenge, and posted about my State Trilogy novels each day, including plots, themes, characters and the writing and publishing process. So if you’ve read the books, or haven’t but might be interested in them, I hope it will be of interest to some of you. All the posts can be found HERE.
Iain Kelly 
86 responses to “A CHANGE OF SCENERY”
I’m not sure that this counts as a staycation, even if you never leave your home
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It’s the holidays of the future!
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Haha! Very innovative vacation idea and story idea.
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Thanks Sadje – I’m not sure it’s a holiday I would like to go on myself! 🙂
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Not me either!
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Very awesome. Love it. Nicely done Iain.
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Thanks so much Suzette 🙂
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Always a pleasure to read your work Iain. Thank you!
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It may come to that, I guess. 🙂
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Stranger things have happened in the last year. Thanks Sandra
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Hari OM
LOL – have demountable, will travel!!! Gotta admit, there have been some wild thoughts along these lines, here, but perhaps more involving the sort of RV that costs twice the price I could get for The Hutch! YAM xx
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🙂 A caravan or campervan is definitely the way to go right now, but they cost as much as a small flat!
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Dear Iain,
That’s one way to travel I suppose. At least you’d save on lodging. Imaginative.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle, it would have some benefits – no limit on the luggage allowance either! 🙂
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Archie seems to be a nice husband.
Covid time safe travel- No.2 in the safe travel list actually.
No.1 is- staycation- stay home & drink the coffee without spilling 🙂
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Definitely stay home or stay local for this summer.
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A sharp take on vacations during these times — and the “threatening manner” is such a dramatic way to end the story. Here’s hoping Archie and Agnes survive this “vacation”!
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Thanks Dave – I think being sealed in a small house together will be the toughest test of their marriage yet! 🙂
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Lol. Love it – both the imagination and the absurdities. Well done, as usual!
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Thanks so much 🙂
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Takes me back to Lucille Ball making a cake in “The Long Long Trailer”. They should know to wait until the vehicle is stationery before drinking coffee or more importantly, travel in the truck.
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Thanks Linda – Agnes and Archie should always know better, yet they never seem to learn! 🙂
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This took a whole new approach to backpacking, …
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Haha – that’s a good name for it! Thanks Michael 🙂
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Haha! Not sure it’s that safe! Very creative story, Well done, Iain.
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I have a feeling someone might not survive the journey! 😀
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It’s surprising they made it through lockdown together! 😉
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What a whimsical take on the prompt! Well done, finding some humour in Covid lockdown.
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Thanks Penny – it always helps to find something to laugh about.
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Are they running away from life, or reading out to life? Can’t really say, isn’t it in these fractuous times. Very well written, Kelly.
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I think we would all like to escape at the moment if it was possible. Thanks Neel
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I’d be scared to travel with my house on a truck !
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It doesn’t look very safe, does it!? Thanks Unishta 🙂
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A support bubble on wheels! I bet it’ll be in a right ole’ state by the time they get there!
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Most of the holiday will be spent putting the house right!
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Archie many not survive the trip! Seems Agnes is a bit stressed out. Archie maybe needs to go ride with the (masked) driver 🙂
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I wonder if the driver insisted they both ride in the back! 😉
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🙂
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These are the times for tough choices aren’t they. With her coffee spilled no wonder she’s testy 🙂
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I’m not sure they’ve made the right choice here! 🙂
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Especially if they can’t cut through that plastic!
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Great story! I don’t think I’d bother though – the idea of a holiday is not having to make your own coffee.
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Self-catering only with the sealed house package deal! 🙂
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Brilliant Iain!
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Thanks Di 🙂
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I hope it never comes to that! 😉 Tempers are delightfully fraying… Will there be anybody left alive by the time they get there? Great story, Iain.
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There is a fair chance they will turn round and head straight home! Thanks Jenne 🙂
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LOL! I was going to include in the A to Z a story about a house that they recently relocated in San Francisco but I just couldn’t fit it in. Literally moved an old Victorian home several blocks through the city.
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Amazing what they can engineer these days – save it for next year’s A-Z tour! 🙂
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Ha! A relative of friend of mine actually did something similar. In a manner of speaking. They rented a ‘celebrity bus’ and took a cross-country trip. Taking their time and spending most of the time in quite secluded areas, homeschooling their kids. Turns out they love it! They might still be at now!
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A celebrity bus sounds a much more enjoyable experience! 🙂
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Yep! I thought it was a fab idea when I heard of it! Some of those are pretty well equipped for all the things one needs AND I understood that Amazon delivers to some of the camping sites/wherever they were in!
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There’s safety, and then there’s SAFETY.
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A proportionate response is what seems to be missing in the real world as well as this story.
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All the comforts of home mixed with all the discomforts of travel. It might be worth it just to be able to use your bathroom.
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A definite bonus!
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It’s funny I was thinking about Archie and Agnes just the other day and here they are. Poor Archie. Let’s hope he can talk his way out of getting the coffee thrown at him.
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That’s nice you were thinking of them – they’re always liable to pop up now and then 🙂
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I’m always eager to read about their latest adventures or should I say, misadventures 🙂
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Ha! Getting away without getting out of the house. Still, he may want to take his chances outside…
Great take.
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I hope he has an escape route too! 🙂 Thank you
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Iain,
I’m nervous about how this holiday will turn out. Murder on-the-way-to the Mediterranean?
∼🕊Dora
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It may not be included in their happiest holiday experiences!
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No one likes splint coffee, that would put me in a bad mood.
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Best not have your drink while in this house then!
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Bring your hermetically-sealed bubble with you. Good plan!
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Thinking outside the box is called for!
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Hehehe, they move camping to a whole new level. Fun story, crazy people.
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Thanks so much – they are crazy! 🙂
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Hey, very clever. Just take the house with you! Sound like something my husband would suggest. Perfect COVID vacation. Loved this one, Iain!
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Thank you Brenda – you’re husband must be a very sensible man 🙂
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i guess many years from now they’ll remember this with fondness and laugh about it. that is, if they’re still together. 🙂
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It’s a story to tell for sure!
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Hahaha OMG this feels so inevitable ! Well done Iain. Though I hope it’s a future that won’t come to pass.
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Let’s hope not. Amazingly, today the UK announced we could travel to Australia and New Zealand and return without quarantine – the downside is Australia and New Zealand won’t allow us to enter for a holiday! Great political minds at work again!
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Oh of course! Sheesh!🙄
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Hermetically sealed sounds stifling – sounds like the holiday from hell. Like the coffee sloshing over them again !
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It doesn’t seem comfortable, does it?! Thanks for reading
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Oh, I hadn’t considered that angle… great one.
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Thank you 🙂
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LOL. Love this take on the prompt. I guess that would be one way to travel while keeping social distance rules.
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If you really, really need a holiday! 🙂
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Sounds like they need a holiday away from each other!
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After a year of lockdown, I imagine they might not be the only one’s in that situation!
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Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
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I am thinking Archie isn’t safe right now. LOL!
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