When Ian began working at the prestigious St. Croix Medical Center, he was eager to prove himself. But nothing prepared him for the mysterious X-ray machine hidden in the basement.
It looked ordinary, aside from a strange hum and a worn plaque:
Emotionally Enhanced X-ray System
Authorized Personnel Only
When Ian asked about it, his mentor brushed it off as “just an experimental model.” But curiosity got the better of him. Late one night, he powered it up and scanned a recent ER patient.
What appeared wasn’t just bone, but emotion. Fear. Regret. Guilt. Memories rendered in shadow, as if the machine could see into the soul.
He covertly ran more scans. Each one revealed hidden truths: sorrow, love, shame. It was haunting and beautiful.
Then Ian scanned himself.
At first, everything seemed normal. Then came the flickering: panic, dread… a buried memory. His sister. A car crash. Her terrified face. His hands, bloodstained. He had caused it. And he had buried the truth.
The machine didn’t just reveal emotion. It exposed the past.
Shaken, Ian turned it off. But the truth it had unearthed couldn’t be hidden again.
***
189 words
Does everyone write about X-ray or xylophone for X? I'm curious to read other blogs and see. The dictionary had a funny entry admitting that not many words start with X, but a lot of Dahl's silly words end in X! I considered using a word that ended in X (and did for the St. Croix Medical Center name), but figured I could keep my (unintentional!) creepiness going just fine with this one.
Oh, that's very good! Very much enjoyed the concept.
ReplyDelete@samanthabwriter from
Balancing Act
Thanks for reading!
DeleteThere are other words I've seen so far. I used Xenophobia.
ReplyDeleteDonna: Click for my 2025 A-Z Blog
I was teasing because my brain was drawing a blank to an extent! Off to read your Xenophobia now
DeleteI used xerox this year, although I think I used x-ray in at least two other A to Zs.
ReplyDeleteOooh xerox is a good one! Double letter score, haha
DeleteFun take on X-ray. I wonder if there was a machine like this, if we would want to use it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I would. I love getting to know people naturally but there are things you don't need to know. And if you learn them, would you really understand them the same as if they were told to you and you could ask questions and feel empathy? Or would the influx of emotional knowledge push you away?
DeleteReally good writing, Allison. You come with some great ideas for stories.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteWhat a great story! In my last 7 A to Z challenge themes I have only used Xylophone once when I was doing a A to Z limerick theme in 2022 as part of a three themed year. The limerick went like this:
ReplyDeleteI'll compare in 5 lines of this poem
the glockenspiel and xylophone
spiel's bars made from metal
and the phone's by Gepetto
Tap on either , they make a nice tone.
This year I did xenophile as part of my ABC's of me theme.
I love that limerick! I'm surprised xylophone wasn't in the Dahl dictionary now that you mention it. I feel like my childhood was filled with xylophones, haha.
DeleteNice - and double X credit for using an ending X word, too. Nice Dahl tribute.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading!
DeleteI always enjoy seeing what people come up with for X. This is a good one.
ReplyDelete