Janet dropped her fork and gasped. I could feel the disapproving eyes of the couple at the next table.
“Are you OK?” I asked.
“The ceiling blinked at me!”
A sidewards glance at the smirks. “Blinked?”
“Yeah, right there it opened up and for a moment I could see a tunnel of colorful tile that stretched forever.”
A waiter appeared. “Is everything alright?”
As I was trying to formulate a response, the ceiling opened and sucked the laughing couple at the next table out of the room.
“Yes,” I told the waiter, “but can I see the wine list again?”
***
word count = 100
Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo by @ Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. If you want to join or see other stories, go to the inlinkz linkup.
Trent's World (the Blog) 
Definitely loved this and can relate being the brunt of major bullying through all my school years. You’d think at 63 yo I’d get over it, but no; I’d like to have one of them try to bully me now! 😈
A magic eye window would work too!
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Sorry, I somehow missed this comment from over a month ago!
Thanks! I’m sorry you suffered bullying as a child,and sure it is hard to get over, even years later. “I’d like to have one of them try to bully me now!” – great attitude!
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No worries! I can barely keep up with all the incoming WordPress emails now myself! 😊
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Wonderful. Maybe the punishment for being jerks is a bit harsh but maybe they were spit out without much harm again. Reminds me not to stare when someone does something odd though.
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Maybe a bit harsh, but, as you said, we really don’t know what happened to those people. Maybe they were just sent to a “rude people” part of the restaurant… Always err on the side of kindness, particularly when in this place ;)
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that’s scary, the stained glass
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It only looks like stained glass… lol, yeah, very scary, and I’m sure everyone there will mind their manners when they are around it.
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I think I would be requesting the wine too. 😀
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After seeing that? Maybe the whiskey list! lol
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Hell yeah, and a big bottle… 😀
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Yep
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I wonder if there’s a warning sign on the restaurant door!
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I think it would be fair if they did. Hmm, maybe the person who said “No” to putting up such a sign was sucked up to Never-Never Land themselves…
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I wish more restaurants provided this useful service.
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I agree, it would be nice. As long as we knew the exact rules…
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Phew. I bet he’s going to be on his best behaviour in that restaurant. It’s good that the ‘eye in the sky’ is just removing the nasties but can it be trusted? I enjoyed this story. Made me chuckle.
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Always be kind when eating at that restaurant! That is my question, too – who (or what) decides what is appropriate behavior and what behavior deserves the cosmic vacuum to wherever? As to “eye in the sky”, after Anne brought up the song, I had to go listen to that one – it’s been a while. Thanks, I’m glad you got a chuckle out of it.
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Nice to know that one isn’t hallucinating!
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Yes, a huge relief! And perhaps a more peaceful dinner now that the rude people are gone… ;)
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You made me laugh, Trent. We could call it that karma light. :-) Well done.
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I like John Lennon, so Instant Karma Light ;) Thanks.
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My goodies, can we check out that wine. Poking fun at others always has a comeuppance.
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Very good wine, and if the results are like that all of the time, we don’t mind paying the high price… Typically the cosmic payback doesn’t occur so rapidly, but nice to see it does work.
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Your story made me smile, Trent. Thank you!
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Thanks, glad you liked it :)
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And just like that, SLURP! through a cosmic straw and they’re gone! love it :)
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Yep, SLURP, through the giant cosmic straw to who knows where… Thanks!
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LOL. Now, I have this song in my head. Feels like somebody’s watching me. Can’t remember the song title, but yeah. Super creepy! I might want to eat elsewhere next time. Just in case.
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Eye in the Sky by Alan Parsons Project? Yeah, I’m not sure how the “vortex” decides who is rude and gets sucked away, but it might be safer someplace else, just in case…
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Karma is a b%43h!
lol!
This was nicely done dear Trent.
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Usually a lot more subtle than this, but a b173h non the less ;) Thanks!
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More than one bottle for me.
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Well, one bottle for now, but if it happens again, that bottle had better be whiskey!
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I got Lovecraftian vibes from this and I liked it!
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Thanks, Shannon!
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I enjoyed your take on the prompt, which I saw as dragons eye
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I did see an eye as well. I didn’t think “dragon”, but it is fitting. Thanks.
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Dear Trent,
That will teach that couple to laugh at others. Next time I go to that restaurant I’ll be watching that sun roof for blinks. ;)
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Always be kind! lol Who knows, next time you are there it just might blink… but only if the rude neighbors are making you uncomfortable.
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That blink sounds like a vacuum! Haha, good one, Trent.
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Some weird cosmic vacuum cleaning what it sees as bad behavior lol. Thanks!
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It’s the best vacuum, needs more floating around the world!
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I agree. Would make nice people’s lives a little less stressful, though it may add to the stress of people who aren’t so nice.
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Now that’s a handy thing to have in a restaurant. Could I book one for the annoying people who talk or use phones at the cinema too?!
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I’ve been in restaurants where I wished something like that would happen… All cinemas should have that feature!
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MIB V ? (Men in Black) aliens?
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It could be aliens, or perhaps some ancient Greek gods are visiting, all I know is that I will be very kind to others when visiting that restaurant ;)
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Very cinemagraphic short. I like it.
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Thanks, Rebecca :)
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Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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That was one powerful blink the ceiling gave. Love your story all through and smiled when
the ceiling opened to suck the laughing couple out.
Where did the first wine list go?
Miriam
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A very powerful wink! lol. The main character handed the list back, not wanting to pay 5 times the amount for a bottle in a restaurant that he’d pay if drinking at home without a very good reason. Well, he got his good reason ;) Thanks
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LOL… delightful use of this photo! If only karma worked that fast! ;-)
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Yep, very fast! Even John Lennon’s Instant Karma wasn’t that instant… lol Thanks.
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Proof positive that it is not okay to laugh at others…
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Yep, true “Instant Karma”…
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No kidding!
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