The train pulled into Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof. The knot in her stomach was now tied around her throat. She couldn’t breathe. Some huge, cosmic vacuum cleaner had sucked out all the air. There was nothing left. Anonymous, invisible, lost without being lost, her heart was churning like a clunky washing machine. Her mind was detergent. How could she fall in love now? With Europe at her feet, she needed a man like a fish needs a bicycle
“Mark, I’m in Heidelberg. I..I..I.”
Clunk. The coins devoured with gluttonous greed, he was gone.
Humph, turns out fish might need bicycles, after all!
……
This has been another contribution to Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rochelle Wishoff-Fields. This weeks photo prompt was kindly provided by © J Hardy Carroll.
Beyond the Flow 
Not to mention vacuum cleaners and washing machines
That’s probably why I never phoned home. I remember it well, the noise of coins being swallowed. I hope she found a replacement—Europe was full of them 🙂
That’s such an intriguing title, Rowena. It inspired me to read up the History of the idiom. Thanks.
I wish she finds an un-Mark man! 🙂
Lovely story.
An intriguing title, and an intriguing story. Thanks for sharing with us.
So much for Mark. I “liked” the image of the coins being swallowed. Good story, Rowena.
Great language here. That first para had me gasping on the floor.
Very well written. Good that she had one last confirmation that Mark was not the bicycle she needed.
Good old Gloria Steinem lives again! I hadn’t heard that expression in years 🙂
Love this! Delightfully different.
Click to read my FriFic
That’s the beginning of a longer story!
So much for the heart-breaker Mark. Dreams die hard. Loved your last line — with her money wasted she may well need cheap transportation now.
There are so many ways this story could continue. Nice snapshot! Well done!
Thanks very much for that suggestion, Liz. I am intending to go through my flash fiction efforts to both compile them into something as they are, but also to look at what could become longer. There’s a local short story competition I’m in the process of entering.
Thanks very much, Keith. You’re was funny and I really enjoyed it.
Best wishes,
Rowena
It used to be around in the 1980s and 90s while I was at university here. BTW I check out the source of the quote as I’d thought it was Dorothy Parker and it turned out to be an Australian, Irina Dunn, who wrote it on the back of a toilet door at Sydney University (BTW that’s where I went and the toilet doors did have great graffiti. I photographed it once and will have to did up the photos.) Here’s a link: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/414150.html
xx Rowena
Well, i’ve been wrong all these years. I thought it was original with Gloria 🙂
Looks like she needs freedom from Mark and those hungry phones. Nice one. I did like reading up about the history behind the phrase too.
Pingback: Welcome to My Birthday Coffee Share 30th July, 2017. | beyondtheflow
Interesting, wasn’t it. Proud as punch a fellow Australian came up with it.
What a great and original take, Rowena!
All worked up for Mark – for nothing!
Interesting story. The language really makes one think.
Thank you, Dawn.
The path of much romance! Thanks, Dale xx Rowena