Short Story

City In Ruins

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for Only Murders In My Mind
Weekly Writing Prompt #73 and the
photo prompt shown below.
Here’s where the image took me.

Image from Mike @ OMIMM

Once a peaceful neighborhood, the city had descended into chaos as mass riots broke out unexpectedly. Among the many affected were a retired couple, Leonard and Margaret Erlandson, who had lived alone in their home for over four decades.

As the violence escalated, the Erlandsons knew they had to leave. They placed their file box with important documents in their car, packed a few essentials into backpacks and locked the door for what they feared might be the last time. They had no idea where they were headed, but they knew they had to keep moving to stay safe. With no known family, all they had left was each other.

Before getting into their car, Margaret and Leonard turned to take one last look at their city in ruins. Leonard squeezed his wife’s hand in encouragement. Though their future remained in limbo, they found comfort knowing they had each other. They had always faced the challenges of life together with fortitude and resilience. Now they were determined to rebuild their lives once more.

NAR©2025

This is “War” by Edwin Starr

Weekly Writing Prompt

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27 thoughts on “City In Ruins”

  1. Rebuild they will! Deeply touched by this dramatic story. Thank you, Nancy. Reminds me of a situation a few years ago… had to flee from a fire in CO Springs (friend’s house) – a neighboring older couple had to do the same. The fire took everything, but they were safe. 💕

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    1. The same is true for friends of ours in CA. They live in an area prone to wildfires and always have bags packed in case they need to evacuate quickly. It’s a dreadful way to live but it’s what needs to be done when time is of the essence. I had to leave my characters a vehicle and a way out; without one, they would face certain death. Thanks for an excellent comment, Michele. I’m sorry for your friend’s loss. 🫶🏼

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      1. Sounds a stressful way to live but being surrounded by beautiful trees/nature would be incredible. Thank you for your compassion, Nancy. It was a devastating fire. Two people lost their lives, worrying about things instead of fleeing. Life is precious. 🫶🏼

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  3. My take on this prompt, which I wrote before reading yours, is scheduled to post at 3:00 am my time tomorrow morning. It’s similar to yours, but I think that’s to be expected because there aren’t too many ways one can look at this image and write a story about it. I really liked what you wrote.

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    1. Thanks, Fan. That doesn’t surprise me either. My initial thought was to have these two people wake up from some sort of deep sleep only to find their world was in chaos. I wrote a few sentences, then abandoned the idea. I’m not a Sci-Fi writer and I wasn’t feeling it. Truth be told, I wasn’t really feeling this image either. I’m sure someone more talented than me could take that ball and run with it. I look forward to reading your story.

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      1. Hes, inthought the image spoke for itself, making it hard to come up with a story about the image and the only thing I could think of was to make a very personal story about the hand holding old couple.

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    1. Exactly! This is why people have a bag packed at all times. I know someone who lives in California and when the recent wildfires arrived, he and his family evacuated and took their already packed bags with them. Makes perfect sense to me and the only way I could respond calmly in a moment’s notice. Thanks, Iris.

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