The rain wasn't something I wanted to get caught in these days. Just a little too acidic for my taste. It had been a hard day at the creamery today. My refrigeration unit kept shutting down. Fuse kept blowing. Ruined at least three vats before I could get the machine to operate according to specs.

It's funny how you spend the whole day around food and somehow forget to eat. I guess I was just so wrapped up troubleshooting that piece of crap fridge unit that I lost track of time. Next thing I know, I'm handing the controls over to third shift.

It's not raining hard. Just a little more than a sprinkle, but I'm glad my umbrella wasn't stolen today. It took a week for the acid burns on my skin to clear up after the last rain.

Lenny looks bored. I don't think the guy ever leaves his stand.

"Hey, Lenny! How's business today?" I call across the street.

"Same." Lenny is a man of few words.

"The usual?" He offers.

"Yeah, that sounds great," I say as I make my way over.

A thought occurs to me as I cross the vacant street. It's been two years to the day since I last walked into Sakukido next door for a drink. I guess today isn't so bad after all.

I’d like to invite you to write your own piece of flash fiction based on this image. Set a timer for 10 minutes and see what you can come up with. Then, share a link to your story in the comments.

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