Feet First
a micro fiction
When the painting was uncovered, Theodore lost his breath for eleven seconds. “It will kill me,” he said. Nobody believed him, of course. The man was more dramatic than a soap. Yet he seemed magnetized to the canvas, examining it from every angle, even the floor, for weeks, convinced it was wrong.
Those around him tried to understand his meaning, offering suggestions for what made it so befuddling. Yet, this was Theodore: determined unto death. When they found him dangling from the ceiling, they thought he’d solved it. And indeed, his note read: “upside-down.”
But, really, they should have guessed.
Untitled [glossy black painting], Robert Rauschenberg, ca. 1951
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Thank you for reading! This is part of a micro fiction series where I take a photo and write a story inspired by it. Each story is 100 words.
If you enjoyed this one, you might also like:
About the Creator
Mackenzie Davis
“When you are describing a shape, or sound, or tint, don’t state the matter plainly, but put it in a hint. And learn to look at all things with a sort of mental squint.” Lewis Carroll
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Copyright Mackenzie Davis.
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Comments (2)
Lol, that's a Eureka moment for sure. He paid with his life for his discovery! I've had that experience with art before, except I didn't go to those lengths. Who is the artist there?
Not me trying to imagine a bar of soap being dramatic and not me turning my phone upside down looking at the pic 🤣🤣🤣 Loved your story!