The Influencer

Our gracious host, Rochelle, is asking us to get
creative in 100 words or less using the photo
seen below. Welcome to Friday Fictioneers.

It started with one comment on TikTok.

“New Mexico’s I-25 has, like, the BEST driving energy, ever,” breathed @DesertVibesOnly, her crystals catching the dashboard light. “But ONLY the right lane. The left lane has, like, totally negative aura.”

By morning, four million views.

By noon, a spirituality podcast had confirmed it. A senatorial aide had issued a statement. A crystal shop in Santa Fe sold out of “lane protection amulets” for $47 each.

Now the left lane sat pristine and empty, while the right crawled bumper to bumper past the mountains.

Somewhere, a highway engineer shook his head in bewilderment.

NAR©2026
100 Words

This is “Worse Comes To Worst” by Billy Joel

26 June 2026

^{Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.}