Friday Fictioneers is hosted by the wonderful Rochelle, the undisputed master of what I call Sound Bite Fiction.
She sets the weekly challenge, and the standard.
This week’s prompt is a quite brilliant shot of the Cathédral Notre-Dame de Paris.
Taken by my best friend, writing partner, and editor extraordinaire, Emmy L Gant, a poet of unmatched ability.
Biased?
So sue me.
The idea, as always, is to write a story of around 100 words based on the picture, below.
Copyright Emmy L Gant
Notre Dame
Our Lady.
Standing in the background, quite magnificent.
Unlike my lady.
Oh, everyone says she is magnificent too.
They say I am a lucky guy.
I have always thought so.
But she does not like to be in the background.
She likes to be openly admired.
By everyone.
She needs the adulation for her ego, apparently.
And she goes to any lengths to get it.
It hurts that my love has never been enough.
Maybe she will appreciate it more in the future.
Because I will always adore her.
Even without her beauty.
Which I brutally consigned to history’s dustbin.
Sound Bite Fiction 
Oh wow this had me at the edge of my seat! Thanks for the splendid read!
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Hi, and thank you for visiting and commenting, even if it took you 18 months to do so! Glad you enjoyed the story.
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Hahahahaha for whatever it’s worth i joined wordpress very recently but ay t’was a pleasure, really!
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I hope you return to read some of the stuff I have written this century!
And thank you for your kind words, much appreciated.
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I certainly didn’t recognize Notre Dame from that angle. If I’m not mistaken he’s done some damage to his wife’s face. Well written, C.E. — Suzanne
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A tidy murder – the best kind. Sinister.
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Hmm, yes, I like sinister, thank you.
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jealosy has never been better expressed… I wonder what he did…
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If you ask Rochelle for another 20 or 30 words I will tell you, secretly
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Edgar Allen Poe couldn’t have done any better, C.E. Marvelous!
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Whoa!
While I don’t think for a moment that is true, I am bouncing around the room in glee!
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And you should.
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I love the feel of this. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?
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Happy you liked it, Adam.
And yes, always true, regrettably or otherwise.
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Very gothic – suits that picture.
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Thank you, and well spotted.
The Notre Dame is indeed a classic example of 13th Century French High Gothic architecture.
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His is the kind of love one can do without.
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Very probably, Liz, very probably.
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There used to be a TV commercial where a young woman said, “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.” It wasn’t her beauty that made me hate her, but the narcissistic attitude.
I think this narrator would be better suited married to a wallflower.
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Oh, Russell, so cynical for one so young.
And is it really healthy to go around hating the poor folk in TV ads?
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Sent shivers down my spine. Well done!
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Lucky shivers.
Or lucky spine, perhaps.
Glad you liked it, regardless.
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Nice parallel, but everybody’s killing and maiming women this week! Whatever happened to chivalry? Always enjoy the intriguing structure of your stories.
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I believe that chivalry merged with regally and started distilling Scotch.
I am happy you found something to enjoy, Perry.
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I’ve missed your dark protagonists. I fear murder was on both of our minds this week.
Tracey
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Why, where have you been?
Do you have a note from your mother?
I will pop over shortly, I have had major computer problems this week, did a Factory Reset.
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I was in Internetless Hell. Just living the dream in Margaritaville.
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I always think of Key West when I hear Margaritaville.
If there is a reason I have forgotten it.
Internetless sounds cool, if planned.
And uncool if, like me, you are trying to work and it just disappears.
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Yikes!
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You know, Dawn, I never know how to respond to your comments.
But I love that you make them!
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What HAS he done? You’ve definitely got me wondering. Like Sandra, I may need to turn all the lights on.
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Oh come on, Alicia, just chill out and go with the flow.
No lights required…
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Very dark and ominous. Leaves loads to think about, well done
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Then my job here is done, thank you, Mick.
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Good reflection, C.E.
All my best,
MG
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You are too kind, ma’am.
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Wonderful ending as always. Reminds me of Robert Brownings “My Last Duchess.” The Duchess smiles too much at others, not just especially for the Duke, so he kills her and seeks another. Great write!
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Thank you, Mandibelle, though I am unconvinced that Mr Browning would be flattered by the comparison!
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Lol. Good thing he isn’t alive, so has no say 🙂
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Nice! ‘history’s dustbin’ is a really cool concept.
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Thank you, but a less cool reality, I think.
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Dark! Well done narration.
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Thank you, as always, glad you enjoyed.
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At first I thought we were going to enter the church, but no a dark deed was done. Shades of Robert Louis Stevenson here.
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To be mentioned in the same sentence as the great RLS is enough to send me dancing through the streets, Michael.
Thank you.
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Ah, to be a lover scorned…it can push one into unimaginable depths. Beauty and darkness intermingled nicely.
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Some go off and write sad poetry.
Others are more proactive.
Glad you enjoyed.
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Very dark – my mind has conjured up the worst.
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I wonder…
Maybe we should have a worst scenario competition some day?
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Oohh I like that idea!
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This is also some kind of love though horrible. Very well written.
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Thank you, Indira, it is rather nasty.
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Oh you brute!
Dark massively sinister as Sandra said… Brrr!… and then this reader’s imagination goes in all kinds of directions. Well done.
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Yeah, well, a man’s gotta do and all that stuff.
And your imagination has no self-control at the best of times!
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harrumph!
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Dear CE,
You leave much to the imagination. Back in brutally, murderously good form this week. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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‘brutally, murderously good form’!
Thank you, I think!
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There it is, that cold voice again. Your narrator just can’t stand playing second fiddle can he? So massively sinister, I think I need to go and turn all the lights on in the house.
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I do like ‘massively sinister’!
And leave the lights off, please, it is more fun that way…
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Ah, so that’s what that structure in the background is!
And I shudder to think of what your protagonist did to his beloved.
Very noir, and very well done!
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Thank you, a shudder is always good to hear!
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🙂
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