Gramps thinks the machine-men are going to take over the world. Said he saw his first one in the battle of Heartbreak Ridge. That’s why he won’t buy Chinese or Korean goods – he thinks the Chinese started it. But now he is convinced the US made their own machine-men.
Last night he ran out of the house, blasting away with his shotgun, shouting about machine-men.
Craig was working his 4-wheeler and the engine was in pieces. In the morning Gramps pointed to the parts spread over the yard to prove he hit a machine-man.
Mom is looking into nursing homes….
***
word count = 100
Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo by @ Ted Strutz. If you want to join or see other stories, go to the inlinkz linkup.
I haven’t been keeping up with my blog in the last couple of weeks. Sorry if I didn’t read your FF post last week (I hit a few…) and just a warning that I might not read many this week.
Trent's World (the Blog) 
Amusing and disturbing in equal measure. Well done Trent.
Here’s mine!
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Thanks. I never know if I get the right balance with these types of stories.
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Poor Gramps, he never got over the destruction on Heartbreak Ridge. He needs a hobby, perhaps Clay Pigeon shooting.
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I’m sure he never got over it – nobody knew much about PTSD back then and a lot of vets had issues. Perhaps he already was shooting clay pigeons and that is where the shotgun came from… Of course, if he was at Heartbreak Ridge, he is about 90, so may need a more relaxing hobby…
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Good old age.90 years, if only.
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A lot of folks came back from war “not quite right” and who knows what Gramps really saw over there? Your machine-men made me think of Dr. Who’s Cybermen. Perhaps Gramps isn’t as “off” as he seems?
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I agree that what Gramps saw in the war was most likely much worse than any machine-man could ever be. Right now, though, if robots are taking over, I think they are starting with huge ‘bot armies on the Internet…
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Yep, they are every where. Some of the scariest scenes I’ve seen on TV have been about tiny bots infiltrating everything — including us!
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It might be safer just to take the shotgun away from Gramps. Sad and funny at the same time.
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Taking the shotgun away is the first step, though maybe not the easiest (“You can take the gun out of my cold, dead hands…”) It is hard walking the fine line between the dark humor and feeling for poor Gramps.
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That’s the thing isn’t it. Protecting versus compassion.
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Yes, a hard balance, though keeping everyone safe tops the list…
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The sad truth is, he might be right even with all his misguided intentions.
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He might be right in a way, but perhaps needs to go after them a bit more subtly… These days the robots (bots) you are most likely to meet are on the Internet.
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I suppose it makes a kind of sense that if the Chinese invent a weapon, the Americans will also invent a similar weapon…however, I take your point that Gramps no longer has a full deck of cards.
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We all have to keep up with each other.. but, yeah, Gramps was never quite the same since the war.
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Aw, this is so sad. Perfectly written, I could visualize the whole thing.
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It is very sad. Thanks.
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A ha haaa…. gramps is in trouble! Poor engine!
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Poor Gramps.. As to the engine, at least Craig wasn’t still outside working on it…
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Ha! I didn’t think of that… true!!!!!! 😂🤣😂
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If he was, I had the alternative ending of Gramps standing above the body saying, “Who would have ever thought Craig was a machine-man…”
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Ah ha ha ha ha haaaaaa.. well, obviously!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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Dear Trent,
This story is funny and tragic at the same time. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It is tragic, with that twist of dark humor thrown in… Thanks.
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I met quite a few like gramps many years back, all where ex army chaps, sad
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Luckily I haven’t met too many, but I do know they exist, and usually ex-army, and have seen far too much… It is very sad.
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Machine men lurk in the shadows, maybe he’s not as mad as they all think?
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Shhh, don’t say that too loud, we almost had Gramps calmed down…
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Excellent story, poor Grampa 💜💜
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Thanks. Yeah, poor Gramps.
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💜
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I’m on Mom’s side in this one for sure
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Yes, and wished she’d thought of it a few years earlier…
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It’s too bad Gramps’ mind doesn’t match his mobility. I’m so glad nobody caught buckshot. It’s not funny but when he was convinced he’d gotten one of the machine-men I smiled.
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It is tragic, yet with a twist of sick humor thrown in… And, yeah, for a half a second I did think of ending it with, “Who knew Craig was a machine-man, he seemed so normal…” but that would have pushed the bad taste envelope too far…
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LOL
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I don’t know about nursing homes but confiscate the gun quick!! good one, Trent.
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Yep, guns all need to be locked up and make sure Gramps can’t get the key… Thanks.
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Guns all need melting down so the metal can be used to help and not kill people.
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You’ll find no argument from me…
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I do agree 💜
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Oh dear, poor Gramps
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Poor Gramps. Poor everyone else if they can’t get the gun away from him…
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Oh dear… this is worse than PTSD…
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If I had more words I would have tied it a little closer to PTSD (I was thinking that Gramps got that metal plate in his head at that particular battle…)
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Well, the fact that I thought of it means you got pretty darn close ;-)
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:)
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Oh no! Sometimes you cannot dislodge an idea when it’s taken hold.
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Nope sometimes it is lodged in there so tight it will never come out… I guess it is time for all of poor Gramp’s firearms to be taken away…
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Yes, those should be the first ones to go.
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Yes
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👍
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Oh my, poor gramps! Nice twist on the photo prompt.
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Yeah, I think the obsession has finally gone too far…. thanks.
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