What do you see?

A child's police car on a tree stump, photo by Martin Horton

What do you see when you look at this photo? 

In some ways the answer is obvious. Exactly what the caption says, but what do you really see? What does your imagination see, what does the writer in you see?

It's the start of the new Alpha season, the online writers group that I've been a part of since 2019, and I was asked to provide the first challenge. So this is what I chose. 

I took the photo whilst my wife, Eva, and I were in Southampton over the Easter weekend visiting a good friend. I was walking our dog, Charlie, and there on a tree stump was this. So I couldn't resist taking a photo, believing it could come in useful in the future. 

What is the story behind this little toy?

Who what when why where 

We know the where, now we need to know the answer to the other W's. 

If a child did leave it there, then why? Was it sheer forgetfulness? Were they been rushed by the adult who was with them? Were they distracted by a huge slug, ladybird, robin singing away? 

Who left it there? Was it a child or was it a parent who left it there in memory of their child who'd died? Wrenched from this world far too soon. And what is the story about the owner. Who are they?

Was it left there an hour before I took the photo, minutes, was the owner near by, or was it days or weeks ago? 

Is it some part of an art project? Children's toys left in random places

Or do we go for the ridiculous answer? We are witnessing life in miniature and there are mini police officers also somewhere on that tree stump or around who are desperate to get back to their car before they are gobbled up by some beast? 

Or we could go darker, much darker - is their a virus on the car, one of a dozen planted around the world, that could bring the human race to it's knees. Does the car contain a bomb or a recorded message that forces the person who picks it up to carry out some nefarious act. Or is their a video camera inside the car set to record when it arrives in it's new destination, and then the burglars will move in, or is their a little droid hidden inside - all of these ideas came whilst walking my dog, it's amazing what can come when you are dog walking. 

None of these answers are wrong. I've sent this photo out to 15 writers, so I'm expecting 15 different versions of events, 300 words or less. I've given the writers permission to write in what ever genre they want. They can write a letter, poem, story. It's up to them. 

What I do know, is that I'll be surprised, stunned and baffled by what I'll receive. They'll be scenarios I never even thought of. Will God appear in any of them? Only he knows.

As I write this, it's come to me, that we are acting like detectives. Investigating this mystery.  If it helps, I'll give you a clue. This photo was taken on April 9th 2023, at 19:21. 

I'd love to hear what you think. Let me know in the comments section or on Facebook. 

Martin is a writer, baker, photographer and storyteller. He's been published in the ACW Christmas anthology and Lent devotional and four flash fiction anthologies. He's currently honing his craft at flash fiction and you can find him on Twitter here.