In 1901 taxidermist Jefferson Thomas constructed a home and a thriving business. His petulant mail-order bride hated rural life.
One day her prized ruby from a former suitor disappeared. Blaming Jefferson, she demanded a divorce. Tongues wagged when she abandoned both her husband and child.
A century later a tornado devastated the house to a pile of clapboard. Amid the rubble, Jefferson Thomas III, found nothing left of his heritage save a lone wall. He tore off a length of wallpaper and yelped.
A glass eyed, mummified woman stared back at him, a ruby ring clinched between her teeth.
OK - now that's funny! I really enjoyed the history lesson!
ReplyDeleteGlad you saw the humor,Sue.
ReplyDeleteOHHHHH that was good. Very Very Good. Thank you for liking me on facebook. Here's mine, I just posted it: http://remakingme-atiyatownes.blogspot.com/2012/05/fixer-upper-friday-flash-fiction.html
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI had a big typo in the first comment; that's why it's gone.
ReplyDeleteYours is excellent--and I swear I wrote mine three days ago before I ever read yours. You'll see why: http://unspywriter.wordpress.com/friday-fictioneers/amontillado/
It's all good, Maggie. I have a few misplaced commas in my story. Don't look too hard for them, okay?
ReplyDeleteI love this; historical thriller in the making. Can we have some more, please? Mine is here: http://readinpleasure.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/fridayfictioneers-lost-without-you/
ReplyDeleteAnything's possible. Always spinning more story in my head.
ReplyDeleteHmm, seems lots of people used this weeks prompt to pay homage to Poe, though each in a different way. I never expected both a ruby and body to be found behind the wall. Very exciting and fun read. Well done!
ReplyDeleteMines at http://whimsicalquestsofacuriousmind.blogspot.com/
Dear Rochelle,
ReplyDeleteI read this story from cover to cover, sucked in immediately by the tone and timbre of your voice. What a wonderful ending. Macabre and yet telling. (Our stories are joined at the hip, and not just by tornadoes. See what you think.)
Aloha,
Doug
http://ironwoodwind.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/the-nerve/
Those mail-order brides can be so fussy. Imagine, loving a ruby more than rural life. She's obviously related to the woman in Doug's story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting mine. Here's the link for others
http://russellgayer.blogspot.com/
Great story! I was hooked from the start. The body in the wall: that was just the icing on the cake.
ReplyDeletehttp://authorbrandonscott.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/this-old-house/
That sounds like the perfect synopsis of a new book to send to a publisher. Well done :-)
ReplyDeleteHere's mine too: http://womanontheedgeofreality.com/2012/05/03/friday-fictioneers-a-wall-to-keep-a-secret/
Exactly! I was thinking of writing something similar, but yours came out perfectly. I love that the ring was clenched between her teeth! What a shock!
ReplyDeleteYours in Bath,
Uk,
Linda Lindaura
Unexpectedly funny, this one.
ReplyDeleteMine is nearly 200 words this week:
http://garybaileywriting.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/175/
Glad you saw the humor in it. I personally thought it was funny so what does that say about me?
DeleteI love this (and the last sentence was totally unexpected)! Well done. :) Here's mine http://alongthewaywithjulia.wordpress.com/
ReplyDeleteHmm, really spooky reveal at the end there. And such a contrast with highly 'factual' voice at the start. Nice one.
ReplyDeletehttp://castelsarrasin.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/dysfunctional-friday-fictioneers-may-2012/
Had a 'Poe' feel, being walled up like that. I wonder if she was dead then walled up, or awoke to find a gem wedged in her mouth in the darkness behind the wall...
ReplyDeleteHere's mine: http://thebradleychronicles.wordpress.com/
Well, the fact that she was mummified is a clue there. Not sure how he killed her but it was justifiable homicide.
DeleteAhhhhh-Sweet Revenge! :-) Loved it. Great job!
ReplyDeleteMine: http://www.vlgregory-circa1800.vpweb.com/blog.html
Hmmm, I think she probably got exactly what she deserved. Nice twist, didn't see it coming. I was expecting him to find just he gem. Great.
ReplyDeleteHere's mine:http://teschoenborn.com/2012/05/03/friday-fictioneers-the-gig/
Excellent! Should have known something was up with hi being a taxidermist, but I didn't. Writing it as a historical account heightens the fictive revelation at the end.
ReplyDeleteMine is at: http://repuestodelatabla.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/friday-fictioneer-100-word-srory-parents/
Yikes. Dark and Creepy. Great twist at the end. Didn't expect it, even though him being a taxidermist was a neat clue. I spook easily so I can imagine what the sight of that mummified face would have done to my heart murmur. Nice work Rochelle. Here's mine:
ReplyDeletewww.triplemoonstar.blogspot.com
Hello Rochelle,
ReplyDeleteI adore this story! Even at the point where I guessed what would happen, the pace and the crisp narrative kept me engaged. Very well done!
Wakefield Mahon
http://www.wakefieldmahon.com/1/post/2012/05/bump-in-the-night-fridayfictioneers.html
Thanks for the high praise. I'm really having a blast with this short story thing. I tried to leave a comment on your blog but it wouldn't let me.
DeleteYour story had a Tom and Jerry meets Charlie flair to it. Love it.
Hi there...whoa....the last part made me speechless.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice, the words are concise. Hope to see you more often.... and read more, too.
Have a blessed day.
http://writeforacause.org/
Oh yes, setting him up as a taxidermist in the first sentence sure worked for this story! Loved it Rochelle. Great twist, lol.
ReplyDeleteWow, this one took me a bit to figure out. A well constructed mystery story, and extremely vindictive. Well done...truly creepy.
ReplyDeleteMine is here:
http://glossarch.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/a-time-for-everything-friday-fictioneers/
I love it! The historical feel did not hide the poor man's frustration.
ReplyDeleteWhoa. Nice! Loved how you took it WAY back!
ReplyDeleteI liked this story better than the others. It was a little more clear on what was happening, and a little suspenseful. Got your message reply. I have the site Writeforacause following my blog site. I am going to submit too, and try a 100 word piece. A little different for one who likes a bit more detail, but we'll see. I'm still teachable. Ha.
ReplyDeleteI understand. I tend to be verbose myself. Having to tell a story in only 100 words causes you be judicious about what you say and how you say it.
ReplyDelete