Sunday Photo Fiction is a weekly challenge presented by my old friend Al Forbes.
The idea is to write a short story (200 word max) inspired by what you see in the picture (below).
This week’s prompt is a photo by Eric Wicklund, a very funny writer, so I immediately thought of an old joke. Then cannibalism. So I wrote something unrelated to either.
Click on this link to enter your tale, and to see what others have written.
© Eric Wicklund
Click here to hear the author read his words:
Honeymoon
‘What is going to happen to her?’
‘When I married your daughter, Mrs McCulloch, I made a promise, in sickness and in health, and I will never break it.’
We are in a private room, in a private hospital, looking down at my wife’s pale, sleeping face.
‘I just wanted to give her a honeymoon she would never forget. Perhaps Australia was a bad idea.’
‘Do they still not know what it is? There are lots of poisonous things in Australia, aren’t there?’
‘They will continue to do tests, I won’t let them give up. She did have mosquito bites, so they can’t tell what caused it.’
‘And she just went to sleep and didn’t wake up?’
‘She felt drowsy, then I couldn’t waken her again. I felt we had to get home. The medical people here are as good as anywhere in the world, and at least we can visit her. I have arranged a room so that you can stay with her whenever you want to.’
‘You have been wonderful, so kind.’
‘Thank you, but I still feel responsible for what has happened.’
Well, of course I do.
I gave her the potion.
But she can’t die yet.
Sound Bite Fiction 
I’m usually quite all right with questions left hanging at the end, but with so many guesses about this story that missed the mark, I now feel compelled to ask. What exactly is in store for the wife, and why can’t she die quite yet? What is this guy up to? Great story. Good suspense, and you clearly piqued everyone’s interest.
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Well, Mandie, I am sure that a lady as smart as you can think of several reasons why a chap would marry and immediately put his bride in a coma. But I will give you a clue, it is NOT about money.
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Judging by the other comments, you really surprised us all with those final few words! Brilliant.
Click to read my SunPhoFic!
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Cheers, Keith
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Given your track this was expected but still i found it a very good read, Ceayr.
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Thanks, Neel
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Ha ha ha, that was wicked. Though I kind of agree with Pixel Joy, the husband being responsible was kind of predictable given your track record 🙂
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I meant Joy Pixley. So sorry for that.
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Boringly predictable, I am devastated!
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Noooooo, not that extreme…
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How is anyone ever surprised when the twist in one of your stories is that the husband kills the wife? As soon as I saw the sick wife, I thought, yep, another wife-killing story from CE. I was hoping for a “twist” that he was actually honest and concerned about her! Ah well, maybe you’ll surprise me next time. 🙂
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No one is dead here, Joy, that is the whole point of it.
So nah nah to you, dear lady!
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Not dead *yet*, you mean! But the fact remains that he’s trying to poison her, whether he succeeds or not. So nah nah back to you, dear gent!
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Laughing.
No, no poison involved, just a sleeping potion.
She needs to be alive or the plan does not work.
I won’t say nah nah, because that is a tad childish!
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Ah I see — I think I misread potion as poison the first time. I still don’t think I trust whatever plan he’s up to.
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Those last lines were just chilling! Caught me by surprise, and I like it. Great story!
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Thanks, Eric, cool photo, took me in various directions before I saw the groom carrying the bride across the threshold.
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Hope everything has left himself enough time to claim the inheritance. Wonderfully wicked as always.
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No inheritance involved, Iain, more devious than that. See below.
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Nice twist. I wonder if there’s an inheritance involved?
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No inheritance involved, James!
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Oooh… a clause in the will? Nasty boy.
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Nothing to do with a will, Jules!
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Just a nasty boy then…
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Ah, I was suspicious from the start! But that ending certainly does make me worry he has something even worse in mind. Can we even have a little hint of what it might be? 😉
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In fact this is a heavily doctored excerpt from a longer piece under development. So no hints, sorry!
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