Friday Fictioneers 100-Word Story Challenge
Why is it that it’s always on days when I have a thousand other things I’m supposed to be doing that the Friday Fictioneers picture grabs my imagination and won’t let go? I really don’t mind, except for the fact that I feel to doggone GUILTY the whole time I’m writing the story because I know I’m supposed to be using the time for something else. Aaahhhhh, I just had another thought: Perhaps that aspect of it adds to my creativity …….
THE LIFE YOU SAVE MAY BE YOUR OWN
The image of that chandelier hanging from the scroll-work ceiling is emblazoned on my mind for life. My enchantment with the artistry of that ceiling was almost my downfall. I still don’t know what sound made me look to the right in time to see Sheila leaning over the top-floor banister, aiming her rifle at me. I choked on my questions — and my scream. But the railing broke away a mere second before she fired, so the bullet missed me.
When I’d filed through that railing, re-painting it, I’d hoped it would do the job when Sheila leaned on it as she loved to do. But I’d had no idea how much my own life depended on my success.
~~~
The Happy Wordcrafter 
Dumb Sheila, a shotgun, no imagination! Love it, isn’t it funny how a photograph can grab you and not let you go. It was the smaller version on my desk top that gave me my idea. Just had to go with it. And yes, I’m supposed to be working on something else too, okay, I’m headed there now!
Thanks for stopping by. Yours sounds like fun too. I’ll get over to read it as soon as I can.
Now how will she explain that? 🙂
Good Question, Gilly. I thought about that, but wasn’t allowed any more words.
She should have shot the chandelier down somehow 😛 He wouldn’t have seen it coming then!
Maybe I’ll save that idea for my next story.
There has got to be a moral there somewhere…??
Hey, I think so too, Gerry. Thanks for reading.
Agreed about dumb Sheila. Seems like a family tiff gone too far.
Since I wasn’t allowed enough words to explain the reason for the problem, I let the readers fill in the blanks. That’s one advantage of the 100-word stories. You get to leave out a lot, so you don’t have to figure it out before you write.
I think it means that the brain wins over (fire)power..
Hey, a good point, Bjorn.
I think she may have just gotten away with murder.
I think so too, and everyone will feel sorry for her because it will look like she was actually the intended victim.
So clever!
I detect a high degree of mutual loathing. Now they’ll never kiss and make up!
Good piece.
Thank you. And, yes, loathing was probably the only thing they had in common.
Dear Sandra,
I’d rather hoped that Sheila would be serving time before having another chance. Good thing the MC looked up when she did. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thank you, Rochelle.
Such treachery! Great story 🙂
Thank you.
Well I assume she’s not going to feel guilty, but I’d like to know what the police make of it. Good idea.
Thanks, Sandra. I’d like to know that same thing. But I find it’s sometimes helpful to have a very small word limit. Then I’m not considered a bad writer if I don’t get all the questions answered and the loose end tied up.
Fun story, but I can’t decide who is more wicked: Sheila for shooting or you (her target) for suspecting she might want to shoot you and preparing for that inevitability. I mean people don’t just take aim for no reason… 😉
Actually, the main character was planning to kill Sheila by having her fall through the railing. The clue was that the main character knew Sheila regularly leaned against the railing. She just wasn’t prepared to her to lean on it holding a rifle.
Okay. He was more wicked for sure!
I think I agree with Doc Tracy: I wouldn’t want to tangle with either one.
Agreed!
I don’t want to tangle with either of your characters. Yikes
Sounds like there’s a heck of a back story in there. Not sure who I want to empathise with. Well told.
Thank you. And don’t waste any empathy. They are both cold-blooded killers. Don’t know why that idea just popped right out at me when I saw that picture. But I didn’t want to waste it.
One was a Hatfield and the other a McCoy, right? I suspect this ill will between them had been going on a while.
Seems that way to me as well — at least long enough to secretly file through the top floor stair railing and cover it up with new paint.
That sounds like quite the feud. Great story, so full of possibilities.
Thank you very much.