© Jean L. Hays
Ellen’s dreams of chrome, of highway sunsets, of always going west had faded into dust. She once lived for Eldorado fins and rock’n’roll, for V8 rides and gasoline.
Someway along the road she settled and replaced her highway dreams with speed of needle-tips and cigarettes. Her ride, a shopping cart was filled with odds and ends. With unpublished poetry and songs she’d ceased to sing.
On her final ride through Amarillo, the Cadillac broke the speed limit for the last time, but the Sheriff let her pass. After all the hearse had a last speed delivery to six feet under.
The image brought me back to one of the classic records by Bruce Springsteen: The River. Somehow the dream of big cars and rides across a continent inspired me to this story of failed dreams.
Friday fictioneers is managed by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields and every week we write 100 words to the same picture.
July 1, 2015
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Dear Björn,
Someone did his homework. 😉 Great use of metaphor and terrific all around piece. That last ride made me gasp.
Shalom,
Rochelle
I still remember the record cover of Bruce Springsteen’s record, and it had a picture of those Cadillac’s in the sand. :-). I read some interpretations that Bruce’s song is really about hearses, and the whole record is about broken dreams, so it came quite easy.
Amarillo: is this the way?
I never liked that style of car: all that chrome and wings just seemed superfluous to me but I can see the nostalgic value.
Clever take on the picture.
Amarillo TX, is where he picture is taken.. a place called Cadillac Ranch that also inspired Bruce to his song.
“Is this the way to Amarillo?” was also a hit for Tony Christie in the sixties.
Maybe the cars of Cadillac Ranch are the ones that got there… “you can check in any time, but you can never leave”… but that was not Texas I think.
Great piece of writing, Bjorn, you just keep getting better.
And great to see a young Springsteen again.
He was a better then I think 🙂
Lots of heart in this piece, Bjorn.
Thank you.. so sad with broken dreams.
Wow Bjorn, a wonderful and thoughtful take on the prompt. Glad she got to break the speed limit one last time. 🙂
I think for many the only Cadillac trip they ever will make is with the hearse.
Nicely done
Thank you 🙂
that “songs she ceased to sing” line is heartbreaking and great.
I think many of us has those songs.. actually just listen to Charles Bukowski reading bluebird.. so just maybe there is something that inside.
oh dang – so sad when dreams crash and are replaced with second hand hopes…ugh… makes my heart ache a bit – i wish she had found her way and published that poetry
It would have been so much better too.. but Springsteen song is about death so the story makes sense-
This is my story in part. Live fast die faster. Excellently written.
So glad you are still alive.. 🙂
🙂 me too.
You wrote your own song of broken dreams here, it’s very beautiful in its hopeless sadness.
There is something about death in those Cadillacs that just seems obvious,
Clever nostalgic piece.
Thank you.. Yes those cars are sad in a way.
You never cease to amaze me with your wonderful words, as if they play in your head and you allow us access to that romp.
It was amazing.
Thank you.. I just write what first occurs to me.
wow! A great story with an all too familiar message….
Alas.. So much sadness for way too many.
Shades of Eleanor Rigby – so sad and beautifully written.
I had not thought about that, but I think you’re right,
Tragic and a story too often repeated. Well done!
Alas too often repeated..
Beautiful metaphorical piece. You weaved a much bigger and sad tale with your metaphors today! There’s nothing tragic as the songs she ceased to sing.
Dreams that die are sad.. and yes I still recall the sadness of Bruce Springsteen’s texts.. I wanted to catch that feeling.
You really develop your character well…especially considering the limited number of words.
I think I use some cliches almost.. it becomes well-known and then it’s easier to develop the character in few words strangely enough.
Gorgeous, Bjorn, just gorgeous.
Wow, I was gasping at the end too.
Splendid character, but, the ending caught me off guard!
The title goes so well with the theme! And, ha, what a benevolent sheriff to forgive the speeding hearse.
The contrast between the first and second paragraph was a bit sad. But in the final one you made sure we laughed rather than cried.
A heartfelt story indeed! i’ve seen those Cadillacs in Amarillo.
Ah, the American dream gone sour. So well done.
Love this! Resonates!!!
Great story!
Wonderfully done. Ode to broken dreams, rock n roll, and icons of the past. Loved it!
:Love how you tired this all together.
Great story of lost potential.
You got me with your last line, a powerful piece of writing.
A very good story. Well written and very visual.
DJ
This is fantastic! That last line was riveting. This has lots of depth – a whole lifetime in just 100 words. Bravo, Sir!
Love it – sad tale of broken dreams and I like the hearses imagery as well.
Quick check – is there a typo in this line:
…replaced her highway dreams with speed of needle-tips and…
? It just reads oddly.
Anyway, nice.
It was actually intended… the speed of needle-tips is a referral both to fast cars and drugs.
This piece is starkly beautiful, Björn– the final line truly haunting.
Oh last ride. When you ride the night train, it tends to go faster and faster until we burn out and die.
Ah! Thank you, I was trying to find the source of that photo but did not succeed so changed my track. This little story about songs of broken dreams was really poignant.
Nice tie-in, good detail, sad story.
Sadness so beautifully written.
Well done, Bjorn. What a tragic story. Her fast ride was brought to a halt and is finally over.
you never disappoint,
Well written, Bjorn. Sad story, but timely. Drug addicts often live long lives. The drugs take over. Good use of the prompt. Thanks for the music. 🙂 — Suzanne
Uh-oh, sorry about the typo. 😦 I meant to type “Drug addicts often “don’t” live long lives.
Sadly, she was speeding toward the cemetery long before she died. When I see a homeless person and their shopping cart, I alway wonder about their story. Perhaps someday I’ll ask.
Sometimes when someone is speeding toward their dream, we wonder why they are in a hurry – your writing reminds us speeding towards a dream is better than speeding out after having given up a dream. Thank you for this reminder!
A steely accordian of American car culture. Left in the desert in limbo where it belongs.
A great story. A life gone wrong leading inevitably to that final last ride. Really well done.
Lovely mingling of images of dreams, dust and speed. A tragic story, beautifully told.
I would listen to the music link, but my headphones are in the car and the wife has already complained about playing music from the phone in bed. Best not risk it. Good story with a strong ending!