Curious Performance

PHOTO PROMPT (c) Amanda Forestwood

Thirty minutes until her performance. Time enough, perhaps, to discover why she’d been hired.

“A birthday?” she asked the bartender. She’d already ruled out a wedding because there was nothing resembling an altar on the lawn.

“Don’t know,” the bartender said. “All that matters is they’re paying 10% over my standard rate.” She was also being well compensated, but still…

Other staff being similarly unhelpful, she returned to the chair where she’d left her violin. An elderly woman approached, and asked if she wanted to know why she was here.

“Yes?”

“I’m dying today. As are all my guests.”

Friday Fictioneers is a weekly flash fiction challenge.

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Wild

PHOTO PROMPT © Liz Young

“That man isn’t playing with a full deck,” he said.

His partner disagreed. “He’s got 52 cards, all of them jokers. His actions are unpredictable but calculated; you never know what he’ll do but he’s always working to his advantage.”

“Jokers also come in pairs,” their boss added. “He always has a backup in case his original plan doesn’t work. And with 26 different pairs, he’s got many different plans to choose from.”

“He’s wild,” the partner said. “And powerful.”

“So… what do we do?”

“Wait for him to play his card. And when we respond, look for the second.”

Friday Fictioneers is a weekly flash fiction challenge.

Today’s Specials

PHOTO PROMPT (C) Rowena Curtin

Adjacent to the closest parking lot, the pub’s rear door served as the primary entrance. A narrow flight of four stairs with wrought iron guardrails led down to a heavy wood door that was difficult to open in cold weather.

The obligatory St. Patrick’s Day special was a discount on all Irish ales, beers, and liquors, plus an even steeper discount on the signature entree: corned beef wrapped in a rye flatbread, lightly fried and served with garlic-seasoned cabbage and thousand-island dressing tinged with paprika and crafted on site.

Even without the discounts, business would be good this day.

Friday Fictioneers is a weekly flash fiction challenge. Enjoy the holiday!

Banquet

PHOTO PROMPT (C) Jennifer Pendergast

The banquet room was as expensive as his ego.

Polished silverware, crystal drinking glasses, and delicate bowls had been set in military formation on the white table linens. A frosted bonsai sat at the center of the round table, and the overhead lights were covered with shades in the shape of large white roses. A padded chair stood behind each place setting like a sentry. The surrounding walls, covered by intricately carved wood panels and gilded portrait frames, completed the room’s opulence.

The bowls were for soup, as their meal would, of course, start with a soup course.

Friday Fictioneers is a weekly flash fiction challenge.

Evening Shift

PHOTO PROMPT (c) Miles Rost

Sally (her parents said that would be her American name) was a Laundry Attendant at the hotel. At the beginning of her shift at 8 PM she loaded the bedsheets and other linens from guest rooms into the industrial-size washers. After transferring the loads to the even larger dryers the tablecloths and napkins from the dining room were available for the washers. When the dryers finished Sally transferred the linens to the pressing and folding machines. By 4 AM, she had stacked all linens in storage for use by custodial staff.

Regular coffee consumption at work was essential for Sally.

Friday Fictioneers is a weekly flash fiction challenge.