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.
And this week she also provides her own cheery little photo as the prompt!
The idea, as always, is to write a story of around 100 words based on this picture, below.
© Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
Click here to hear the writer read his words:
Fingernails
I check my fingernails.
They are filthy, packed with earthy crud, like hardened brown mud.
I sigh.
It has been a long, difficult day.
Not all my tasks fell within my area of expertise.
Like the flowers.
I have never planted anything before.
But a man’s gotta do…
I stagger to the bathroom, discarding clothes as I go.
I stand under the shower, the water scalding hot.
The muck dissolves slowly.
It runs away in streams of brown, red, and then pink.
The blood is soon gone.
Tomorrow I will check her grave again.
Make sure it can’t be seen.
Sound Bite Fiction 
Seems to be a running theme, the underpass leads to dark roads and thoughts, brilliant stuff
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Brilliantly creepy & dark.
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An elegant and creepy tale, leaving sinister hints, especially the shower running with blood. Like the cool detachment of the narrator.
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Gave me the shudders. I started to suspect when you talked about planting flowers. . . then the shower, just plain creepy!
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Dark and sinister. Although I am not sure about going back to the scene of the crime, what if she has gone!
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Oh no. Rule number 1… Never return to the scene. Great story
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He’s going to get caught.
But you didn’t hear that from me!
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Some days are more difficult than others…Wash away the day and start afresh tomorrow…
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A man’s gotta do alright, just not sure my gardening skills are even up to his level, I don’t think I could pull it off. 🙂
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Quite the gentlemanly killer, doesn’t enjoy getting his hands dirty but what’s there to be done. The flowers are a superb touch, quite daring on his part not wanting the grave to be noticed. Clever story!
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Rather than concentrating on improving your gardening skills, perhaps you should go with artificial flowers. So much easier and faster, plus they don’t wilt or loose their blooms in the fall.
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I’ll be seeking help if ever I need to do this – yours probably as you are experienced in these matters!
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It is not easy to bury someone all by oneself. That too when the aim is grave should not be visible. Hardwork indeed!
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A bit of hard work never killed anyone, sir.
Well, apart from her, of course
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I love the line about tasks not being “in my area of expertise.” It leads to all sorts of questions. Do murderers specialize? Do they refuse work offered to them as being out of their comfort zone or too easy? Though Id just s soon not find out. 😊
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Don’t we all tend to stick to what we know best? Maybe murdering folk is just a hobby, and he is actually a rocket surgeon!
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I was sure this cheery picture would contain a body… I think putting flower on her grave might be a giveaway for it to be found though
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It is tailor-made for corpses, isn’t it!
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Likable or not, very clever killer. Beautifully written. I thought wow, planting flowers then it stuck hard. You are good at it.
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You are always so kind, Indira, thank you again.
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You write so well, can’t help but appreciate.
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Why did he plant the flowers, I wonder. The next line answers that …’a man’s gotta do. A gentlemen killer, I suppose. Good writing, Ceayr.
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One does try to maintain certain standards, Neel!
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Hmm… makes you wonder. Why the flowers? Great visual!
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Maybe it was their anniversary?
Romantic fool!
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I don’t think the day will come when he can stop checking the visibility of that grave. Good take.
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Maybe he is less vulnerable than Poe’s character, and will just skip happily away with ne’er a second thought!
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Dear CE,
Better he’d just planted the flowers. Somehow, I didn’t feel a lot of sympathy for him at the end. Happy birthday.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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He’s actually a nice guy, just a bit misunderstood!
Thank you, m’lady, for the good wishes.
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Nice touch – the flowers. Your man’s all heart… Hope you’ve recovered from any birthday celebrations. 🙂
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I guess he’s like me, a real sweetheart deep down!
I don’t do birthdays, had enough of them.
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Chilling story! Very well written.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thank you, Susan, very kind
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Nice piece! 🙂
We both saw the dark grave in the pic! 😉
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It does look like a place to leave a body, doesn’t it!
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Totally! 😀
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As always, cleverly constructed and dark!
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Thank you, Clare, but there is a darkness to the photo, I feel
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I saw the same opportunity for disposal, it does lend itself. I wonder why Rochelle was there…?
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Has Jan been seen recently?
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I am not sure I should like this.😉
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Laughing. Always your choice, Michael!
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Ooh very dark! Wonder what she did to warrant an end like that.
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Maybe they were married!
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Hehe
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Nice that he planted flowers
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Just covering his tracks, Neil
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