Friday Fictioneers is hosted by the wonderful Rochelle, the undisputed master of what I call Sound Bite Fiction.
She sets the weekly challenge, the standard, and the prompt photo.
The idea, as always, is to write a story of around 100 words based on the picture below, which this week is supplied by Ted Strutz.
I am still on walkabout in Bonnie Scotland, so this story is a rerun from a couple of years ago.
© Ted Strutz
Click here to hear the author read his words:
The House
There are rumours that the house is haunted.
But who believes that stuff nowadays?
Not a sceptic like me, certainly.
And I have always been quite cynical, right up to when that competitive little thug from Marseille put a bullet in my head.
It is amazing what you learn when you are dead.
Like the truth about ghosts.
Do you know there is no limbo as we understand it?
No, there are houses like this one where it seems that the souls of the wicked just hang around, ineffectual, impotent, invisible.
And over a period of time they rot away, quite painfully, until there is nothing left.
Sound Bite Fiction 
Maybe he will be joined by his murderer soon.. the can have some fun while decomposing together
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Interesting take on the prompt.
Ronda
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Laughing.
‘Interesting’ is usually the polite way of saying it was not your cup of tea!
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Fun twist in the middle. He has probably stopped replying to his emails too. When people think he has ghosted them, little do they know.
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Maybe the Wifi is down…
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Great narration, CE. Now we know, don’t we? Wonderful to read and hear.
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No surprises in the afterlife, Bill!
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Indeed, CE, now we know.
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Nice take on the ghost theme. Something new to me. Jacob Marley would be proud.
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I know him well, Kent.
Five out of five Tiny Tims!
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Fantastic take on the photo prompt! I loved the twist right in the middle of the story – caught me by surprise, which doesnt happen often 🙂 Bravo.
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Thank you, Sue, I try not to be too predictable
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I am reassured, talking with the dead. I understand that being dead isn’t any different from being alive or are you just hanging around waiting for the thug to turn up.
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I think, James, that you might be as sceptical as I am!
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I hadn’t read the original so I’m very glad you reposted. Great story and I hope he deserves his grim ending in the house of ghosts.
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Glad you enjoyed, Siobhan.
I am not judge and jury, just the court reporter!
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what can i say, it takes one to know one. 🙂
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Laughing.
Okay!
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Is it too late for me to stop being wicked? Sounds a bit hellish to me.
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Nah, Keith, you are doomed, doomed, dooommmeeeedddd!
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Urk. It’s not a great life when you’re dead.
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If you’ve been bad, it’s not good
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A chilling story. I really like the last line.
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Happy it worked for you, Josh
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Chilling!
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Thank you, Paula
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Secrets of the afterlife revealed…troubling secrets…hope there’s a different way. The audio sealed the fate of this tale. Wickedly good.
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Thank you, Ms Doodle, but this might not be a 100% accurate portrayal of the next stage.
Although my granny does tell me stuff…
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I enjoyed the voice immensely. I’ll never see houses like this the same way again. Creepy!
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Glad you enjoyed, Brenda, and for me ‘creepy’ is good
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So I guess the moral is not to be wicked otherwise you’ll live a wretched life and a wretched death, good stuff, this is why ghosts moan, probably!
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Laughing.
Good point, sir!
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That kind of sounds like life. Eventually, our bodies break down until we’re trapped inside, and over a period of time, we rot away, quite painfully, until there is nothing left.
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Having a good day, sir?
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Exceptional.
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Thank you, Honie
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I renjoyed your audio recording: it gave just that extra bit authenticity to the ghost persona 🙂
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So I sound dead?
Ah well, life goes on…
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Haha! Not at all!
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I loved the phrase ‘competitive little thug’. You somehow imbued it with menace, disdain and out-and-out hatred. Great stuff!
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Thanks, Penny, I like that you found something special here
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Your guess is as good as any. Interesting to hear from the p.o.v. of the ghost.
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Actually my granny told me all this…
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Was she alive when she told you?
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I’m starting to feel bad for those ghosts… Even if they were evil 😦
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There is no escaping due punishment, Bernadette.
Maybe…
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Rotting away painfully? Sheesh. I think I’ll stay alive a bit longer :). Loved the POV in this story.
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Only for the bad guys, Linda.
Glad you enjoyed.
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Your final line is a real chiller!
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‘chiller’ is good, Liz, thank you!
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Right from the ghost’s mouth!
Who knows the truth?
There’s so much we’ll learn after we are dead…
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None of us can know the truth, Anita, that is what fascinates us so
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Oh dear! That churned my stomach a bit. But it’s good to know what happens to us in the after life 🙂 I would be happy as long as I don’t have to meet Trump’s ghost.
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Sorry, JJ, just my somewhat optimistic view of what happens to bad people who don’t get punished in this life.
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That’s why I believe in rebirths. Karma always gets you in the end 🙂
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I remember this one from the first time round – so it must have left an impression. Hope it’s just the prompt that brought it to mind and not your visit to a rather dreich Scotland!
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Thanks, Iain, that is quite something.
And the weather has been great, I burnt my nose on the beaches of Ayrshire!
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Being ignored and invisible the best hell for some. I enjoyed the p-o-v.
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Glad you did, Tannille
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Grim, grim and grimmer. Always worth a re-run.
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Yeah, not many laughs this week…
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Wow! What a vision. Lonely. Great writing!
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You are too kind, Trish, much appreciated
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Dear CE,
Perfect story to resurrect for this photo. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you, m’lady
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Loved your vision of the afterlife. Ghosts are just people who don’t know they’re dead. If you tell them, they go away
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I find the afterlife a fascinating subject, Neil.
You might equally enjoy Limbo on my YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1VzeyCgI56mxrlkvVIlwcg
Thanks, as always, for your kind words
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