Broken Fence

The Fredericks bought Adkins Estate with farmhouse, barn and sheds. The farm maintained itself from land rentals to local farmers. There was also a notorious fence separating it from ancient Indian burial grounds.

That’s why they bought it. They planned to rent rooms to people wanting to spend the night in a haunted house.

They repaired the buildings but broke the fence to make it look spookier. They called their website “Visit Fredericks’ Freaky Ghost House”.

Many rented rooms and left five-star reviews until it became known that after changes to the fence, the ghosts no longer felt welcome.

Linked to Charli Mills’ Carrot Ranch flash fiction challenge with the prompt “broken fence”. Stories are required to be exactly 99 words excluding title. I searched, but I could not find Frederick’s Ghost House. Just in case there is such a place, this is a work of fiction.

Photos: “Deep Green Looking Up”, above, and “Where There’s Sun There’s a Shadow”, below. These don’t look spooky to me, but perhaps I am not looking close enough.

Where There's Sun There's a Shadow

On the Bridge — #writephoto

Ellen stood on the bridge while Nathaniel photographed her from the shore.

“Don’t spoil my memories!”

He did not know how he could spoil her memories, but Nathaniel took multiple shots and made sure the photos looked good. He saw her smile. That let him know she was glad he was taking those pictures. For her part Ellen saw no future that did not include Nathaniel.

Today her face is wrinkled. While she was still able to walk her family decided to take her to her childhood home which seemingly random turbulences over the decades tossed her far away from. She asked to see that old stone bridge. They found the bridge. It was still there in spite of the changes, some challenging, some like windfalls of blessing, that would make almost everything else unrecognizable to her.

As they walked over the bridge, Ellen stopped to the best of her remembrance where she stood when Nathaniel took those photographs. She wondered what happened to him. Why did she lose him that summer?

Ellen thought of her family, husband, middle-aged children and grandchildren starting to have infants to care for. Some of them were with her on the bridge worrying she might fall and guarding her from the edge. She may have another year to share with them. As she breathed the air and watched the water move below she felt an overwhelming gratitude for all of it. The parts of her life she got right soothed those she wished she did differently. She looked toward the shore where Nathaniel stood long ago and smiled at him once again.

Linked to Sue Vincent’s #writephoto prompt. She provided the photo for the prompt. I am also linking because of the reference to gratitude in the story to Debbie Roth’s Forgiving Fridays.

Sue Vincent's #writephoto icon

The Need for Speed

With maddening speed the little weed
Grows through the vacant lot.
When fertilized bare spots concede
They’ve lost to what green’s got.

Photos: “Speeding Past the Green Below”, above, and “This Guy’s in No Hurry”, below, linked to K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge with the theme “the need for speed”.

This Guy's in No Hurry

Buttons

Ryan held the hand-carved applewood buttons. They each had four tiny holes like real buttons.

“Your Uncle Thomas made them for me.” Ryan returned the buttons to his great aunt. He couldn’t see why anyone would have made them.

“He made my wedding dress as well.” Ryan thought that was as odd as those buttons.

“We bought a cake and two rings. I had flowers for my hair.” He heard the story before.

“I forgave him.” Ryan listened. He hadn’t heard that part.

“For dying so young.” He had heard that part.

“I feel him visit me every day.”

Text: Linked to Debbie Roth’s Forgiving Fridays on themes of forgiveness and Charli Mills’ Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge with the current challenge to write a 99-word story prompted by the word “buttons”.

Photos: “Two Golden Rings”, above, and “Sunset”, below.

Sunset

Opposites

Sorrow from the clearing goes.
Joy there lost today.
Rejection grips as sadness grows.
The woods of darkness stay.

I’ll follow sorrow, if I may.
It wanders mindfully.
“Don’t waste your time,” the wise may say,
“Those woods are dark. You’ll lose your way.”
Forgiveness strengthens me.

Text: Linked to dVerse Poetics. Lillian is hosting with the theme of opposites. Also linked to Debbie Roth’s Forgiving Fridays.

Photos: “Light Green Dark Green”, above, and “Upside Down Reflection of Right Side Up”, below.

Upside Down Reflection of Right Side Up Reality