Finally! It’s First Friday and three authors post their 150-word stories based on a single photo.
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| Photo by LM Whitaker |
Eldering
Ghost in the Graveyard
Gracie loved playing hide-and-seek with her older brothers,
but not the regular daytime one; the one played at night called ghost in the
graveyard.
One night the brothers agreed to be the seekers and allowed
Gracie to hide. She quietly snuck over
to the old stump; the remnant of a tree taken out by lightning many years
prior. She crawled through the brambles
and sat propped up against the stump.
After looking for about an hour and not finding Gracie, they finally
decided it was getting too dark and cold and went into the house. They all agreed that Grace was probably in
her bed.
The boys checked on Gracie but could not find her. All the neighbors, family and friends went on a search for Gracie. For many days, the search continued. No one ever found Gracie, slumped in eternal sleep hidden behind the old stump and brambles.
Whitaker
Walking gingerly
through the tangle of vines, Erin yelped as her foot struck a hidden
birdbath. An oakleaf hydrangea sheltered
a painted stone: Kitty’s final resting place.
She continued her
trespass through the memory cemetery of a stranger’s life, uncovering a turtle,
a bunny, an angel. Next to a stump she
found a headless child, half buried in the sandy soil. The statue, now upright, grasped its flowing
skirt, creating a dirty bowl. Erin sat
on the stump and wondered if these effigies should be, could be, displaced.
She stood to
leave, giving the statue one backwards glance. The bowl was no longer empty,
the child’s head having found its way home.
Erin screamed.
Vidler
When the Bough Broke
Drawn by memories, Caroline followed the rutted track to the
once-proud house. She parked the car and stared at the blackened ruins. Vines climbed
the pillars and sprouted from the chimney, all that remained. She’d hoped never
to come here again, but Simon’s passing forced her return. Over the years, he’d
refused many offers for the land. He said his heart was buried here, and it
was.
She saw the ancient oak as if it still stood, the old tire
swinging from the huge limb. Heard Julia’s delighted shrieks as she swung
higher and higher above the little white figure she called her friend.
Until the bough broke.
Their hearts broke with their daughter’s neck. Simon cut
down the oak the next day, and they buried Julia nearby. A year later, in a
final blow, lightning burned the house.
Caroline fell to her knees by the broken figure and wept.
About the Authors
ELYSABETH
ELDERING
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| At Amazon |
Ms.Eldering makes her home in upstate South Carolina and
loves to travel, read, and crochet. When
she’s not busy working her full-time job, she can be found at various book or
craft events.
You can find her at https://elysabeth-eldering-author.square.site/ and https://www.amazon.com/Elysabeth-Eldering/e/B002BLQFFK
The Ties of Time
Moving to a new town was difficult enough, but that was only the beginning of what life had in store for Kelly Watson. Soon, a strange connection to her old family home led her down a path riddled with family secrets and mystery.
Linda M Whitaker is a retail data scientist, and a writer of science and technology thrillers, as well as a few creepy short stories. By day she plays with numbers, by night, with words.
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| Amazon |
Linda started writing around 2011 when she took her first mystery class with Ellen Hart, a prolificMinneapolis mystery author. Though Linda lived in Minnesota only a few years, she quickly learned the benefits of writing fiction as a means to hide from the long, dark, cold winters.
The Crucible of Steele
Fast forward a
decade, and the many years of learning and perseverance have finally led to her
debut novel. The Crucible of Steele is a fast-paced techno-thriller filled with
unexpected twists, ethical entanglements and provocative science. Buy
here, or visit her website,
lmwhitaker.com, or facebook page, for more details.
Today Linda resides with her husband in the mountains of Western North Carolina. She loves running in the forest, gardening, cooking, and playing with her dog and cat.
ELLIS VIDLER
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| Free 5/5 at Amazon |
Haunting Refrain
Suspense, a little romance, a touch of paranormal . . . (Free
this weekend)
Photographer Kate McGuire hopes for a little fun in her life
when she joins a parapsychology experiment--visions of murder aren’t part of
the plan. Then her eccentric friend
If you’d like
to join in, leave your 150-word story in the comments. Or let me know you’d
like to participate. I’d love to have you. Ellis at ellisvidler dot net.
