Tag Archives: Mondays Finish the Story

Sad News

Mondays Finish the Story

I am sorry to hear about Barbara Beacham who hosted Mondays Finish the Story and the blog My Life in the Foothills. I have participated in Barbara’s Flash Fiction challenges in the past few weeks and followed her recent posts about her battle with cancer. Her husband posted the news this morning that she has passed. She was very supportive and kind in her comments, and in her posts about her illness she showed a great spirit and courageousness. I wanted to post this as an expression of appreciation for her.

Just Two Buffalo Nickels

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“She lived a life that some would describe as being on edge.” She had only two nickels to her name. This was a familiar experience, at least lately. It was hard to stretch her Social Security check to the end of the month. She didn’t want to tell her kids about how she was struggling. She had worked hard but never made enough to save anything. Besides, much of the work she did was not paid work. Taking care of her own kids, cleaning her own house, chauffeuring her kids to all their activities, car pooling kids to school, grocery shopping and preparing thousands of meals, caring for her family when they were sick, and taking care of her parents and her husband’s parents when they needed help, all of this was unpaid and not recognized by society as being of much value. So why should Congress think she deserved enough in her Social Security check to make it through the month?

Mondays Finish the Story hosted by Barbara Beacham who provided the image of the Buffalo Nickels.

Mondays Finish the Story

High Heals Can Be Hazardess to Your Health

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“I watched the vulture looking at me hungrily as I lay on the ground bleeding and injured.” I felt like such a klutz. I knew better than to wear those high heals but I wanted to look good. I was late and rushing to get to the Halloween party when I tripped on the hem of my Glenda the Good Witch costume and fell in a heap.

I gazed up at the vulture and our eyes met, Didn’t your mother ever tell you that it’s not polite to stare! I shouted.

Don’t worry about Agatha. She’s already had her dinner, a stranger said in a low voice as he helped me to my feet.

Thanks for stopping to help, I replied as I limped along on his arm.

No worries. You were irresistible, he smiled and the moonlight gleamed off his fangs.

Mondays Finish the Story

Mondays Finish the Story hosted by Barbara Beacham who also provided the image of the nice vulture.

The Weekend Hike

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“Not knowing what to expect, he made his way into the dark of the forest.” His doctor had told him at his last checkup that he must get some exercise. He decided this was the day to begin. It was the first day of his vacation. He walked determinedly toward the hiking trail. It was a 2 mile loop and he thought he was up to the challenge. As he hiked further and further along the trail he thought to himself, This seems longer than 2 miles and I should have brought a water bottle! That was when he heard it. A loud snorting and the thumping of a heavy footed creature. The kids must have hidden the warning sign again, the Ranger remarked. Every year we get one of these hikers run through by the wild boars.

Mondays Finish the Story hosted by Barbara Beacham who provided the image above.

Mondays Finish the Story

Cornelius the Candy Thief

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“Now this is living the life of Riley.” Total relaxation, no obligations, and no worries. Except my name is not Riley and this is not my life. My name is Cornelius and I am married to Esmeralda, the Good Witch. We have a happy home life with our cat Cassiopeia. Well we usually have a happy home life unless I happen to get on the wrong side of Esmeralda. It was really not premeditated on my part. I was foraging around looking for a sweet and found the stash of Intense Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt. It was very tasty. Later that night my dearest wife was about to read her favorite collection of “Cat Tales and Broomsticks” when she got an urge for something chocolate. The last thing I remember is her eyes, that strange glow, and poof! I found myself covered with fur and had a strange urge to eat a mouse.

This is my contribution to Mondays Finish the Story hosted by the gracious Barbara Beacham.

Mondays Finish the Story

The Hidden Castle

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“Few knew about the castle hidden inside the island.”

Few knew about the castle hidden inside the island. Robert said he would build it for me and I would be his queen. He was so different from me. An adventurous spirit who had come to the Gold Country to find his fortune. I was always so timid and was happy to let him take center stage in our lives.

Shortly after we were married I noticed a change in my husband, the black moods and rages. He had locked me in the bedroom again. Moonlight flowed in through the window. The full moon over the lake reminded me of happier days as I whispered his name, Robert. A noise brought my gaze to the clearing at the back of the castle. A wolf like creature that was walking on it’s hind legs. It turned toward me and I recognized his eyes.

This is my contribution to Mondays Finish the Story graciously hosted by Barbara Beacham who also provided the photo for this challenge.

Skagway Story

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“The A&B Building was made entirely from driftwood.” The Artic Brotherhood was established so that prospectors would have a safe place to socialize and someone to look after them and their families. I joined up when first coming to Skagway looking for my fortune. I had heard of others striking it rich overnight and hoped to do the same. My young wife and two little daughters waited for me back in San Francisco. Halfway up White Pass Trail the blizzard hit. The Brotherhood buried me outside of town and sent my meager belongings and the few dollars I had on me to my family. Some say they’ve seen my ghost on White Pass Trail climbing toward the summit.

Monday Finish the Story

Mondays Finish the Story

The Tree House

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“She lived in a Mango Tree,” she heard the kids shout as they ran past the house. Her husband had built the tree house when their kids were little. This was where their kids spent many hours playing and even slept there on hot summer nights. She had been spending more and more time up in the tree house lately.

As she climbed the stairs she thought she heard their laughter. They shouldn’t be up here now, she thought, it’s time to get ready for school. The caregiver came to the house later that morning. When she couldn’t find Miss Grace in the house she knew where to look. She found her asleep on the old bunk bed. She woke the old woman saying, “Miss Grace you know you shouldn’t be up here. You’re liable to fall and break your neck.”

The neighborhood kids would often sing out when running past her house, “There was an old lady. She lived in a Mango Tree….”

Mondays Finish the Story

The Witch

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“From her small balcony, the witch watched the world go by.” It was getting harder and harder for her to get up and down the stairs. The neighbors seemed to ignore her when she did venture out. The children would giggle and point as she made slow progress down the sidewalk. She often looked like she was lost in her own world.

“A penny for your thoughts,” said the mother to her little girl.

” I was just thinking about that old lady that lives up stairs. Some of the kids say she’s a witch! Do you think she’s a witch Mommy?” her face showing her apprehension.

“I think we should go up ask her if she needs anything from the market. It must be very hard for her to get her groceries,” the mother answered.

They quickly climbed the stairs and knocked. A strange light spilled out as the door opened. The luminous being spoke, “So glad you’ve come. I have finished my observations of this planet. I was going to report that your species is hopeless but you have changed my mind.”

Mondays Finish the Story

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“The cemetery spread along the area known as Devils Abode.”

The cemetery spread along the area know as Devils Abode. This was not encouraging to the residents of Sunny Hills Rest Home whose facility butted up against its boundary. They were reminded daily of their next destination after their time on earth was over.

Sunny Hills was located on part of the old site of the Dixmont Psychiatric Hospital. In the early days it had been a large facility to house the criminally insane of the state. The remaining patients had been moved to other facilities years ago, except for one.

In all the confusion of the last days he was forgotten. He had hidden out in the old coal storage building ever since. He still made his daily visit to the cemetery to see some of his old friends. His cold empty eyes gazed over to the cheerful grounds of Sunny Hills.