‘Fiction In A Flash Challenge’ Week #15 NEW Image Prompt. Join in the fun! #IARTG #ASMSG @pursoot #WritingCommunity

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Suzanne Burke came up with another wonderful image for a flash fiction prompt, one that thoroughly enchanted my muse. If you’d like to participate, check out the rules and deadline HERE. In a nutshell—-750 words or less in the genre or format (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, etc.) of your choice. I always seem to come in right at the 750 word mark, or just under. Today’s count is 746.

old door with shattered glass stands open to weathered stairway, discarded junk and trash on floor

FREE Image by  Peter H  from Pixabay

Atonement

Julian St. Croix. stood on the first step, testing the weight of the rotted tread. Behind him, Rexmont kicked through detritus littering the floor­—slivers of wood, dried leaves, tattered scraps of paper. Small puffs of dust wafted from his shoes, tickling the sensitive tissue of Julian’s nose.

He sniffed and dragged a sleeve across his face. “Second floor’s off limits.”

Rexmont stopped long enough to raise his head. “How come?”

“This step feels like rice paper and the others look as flimsy. Too much dry rot to risk it.”

“That sucks.” Rexmont wandered closer. He craned his neck to gaze toward the landing where shadows nested in a pocket of charcoals and grays. “Up there’s where he hung himself.”

“You’re sure?” They’d only been in the abandoned house forty minutes, and already Julian felt the drain on his energy.

“I did the research.” Rexmont swiped a paw over the back of his neck. He was a big man, twice Julian’s size, with massive hands, a chest like a double-wide freezer, and close-set eyes the color of motor oil. Most people labeled him a gorilla, but he was every bit as gifted in intellect as brawn, which was why Julian valued him so highly. If there was friendship between them, it straddled the line between employer/employee, still too new to venture deeper.

“No choice then.” Julian gripped his cane, the anchor that kept him from crumpling when spirit energy deserted him and all that was left was mortal stamina. “You stay here.”

“You’re the boss, but…is that wise?”

“The steps would never hold you.” Julian tested the first one. He was a trim man, not quite six feet, all lean muscle and bone, but still the wood groaned its fragility. Using his cane, he prodded each tread before adding his weight. When he reached the second-floor landing, he paused to glance down at Rexmont. “It’s an old house, but the structure is sound.”

His hired muscle snorted. “You’re two centuries older, at minimum. What’s that say about you?”

Julian’s lips curled. On his worse day, he could still pass for late thirties. “Let’s pray my fortitude is every bit as resilient as this structure.”

Without waiting for an acknowledgement, he ambled down the hallway. Over moldy carpet, once a rich burgundy, now frayed and discolored by grime. Fat cobwebs clung to the ceiling and sprouted in the corners. He followed a pulse of dark energy to a room on the right. The furniture had been cleared out years ago, but Sight allowed him to see the area as it had once been—a king-sized bed, ebony bureau, standing wardrobe, and roll-top desk.

His stamina wavered and he closed his eyes. When he looked again, the desk lay face down, papers and books scattered over the floor. A toppled ink well left a stain like blood on the paisley carpet. Above, suspended from the rafters, hung the body of a thirtyish man with white-gold hair. He had not died easily, his face bloated and purple.

Julian drew a breath to center himself. He bowed his head then murmured a prayer in middle English. When his voice faded, the specter’s form shimmered, outlined by tiny points of light. Within seconds, it vanished.

“Boss?” Rexmont appeared on the threshold. He glanced around the room. “That was quick work.”

Julian nodded, unwilling to say more. The ritual of releasing a spirit in bondage resurrected ugly memories. “How did you manage the steps?”

“I didn’t. I found a second stairway off the kitchen. Are we done?”

“For now.”

Rexmont frowned. “I still don’t understand why it’s your job to hunt down these ghosts and release them.”

“Because they deserve the peace that eluded them in life.” Something he’d yet to achieve.

Thoughts of his young wife and her lover filled his head. Visions of the blood he’d left them lying in before he’d flung a rope over a crossbeam and hung himself. Julian walked toward the door, his cane thumping hollowly against the floor. There was no erasing the sins of his past. Penitence would have to suffice, along with the hope that someday his spirit—like those he freed—might move on.

He paused and faced Rexmont. “I do it for atonement.”

“For you?”

“And them.” For the wife who’d broken their marriage vows, the brother who’d betrayed him by sharing her bed. He did it to erase the violent killer he’d once been. “I do it for my soul.”

This prompt really resonated with me. BIG TIME! I could easily see myself expanding on the characters and the plot line, spinning them into a novella or something longer. Now, if I could only find the time 😉

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed my latest flash fiction! 

77 thoughts on “‘Fiction In A Flash Challenge’ Week #15 NEW Image Prompt. Join in the fun! #IARTG #ASMSG @pursoot #WritingCommunity”

  1. WOW! Mae this piece is amazing. The characters shimmer from the page. I would be first in line to read a novel featuring Julian and Rexmont. Kudos, my friend.Thanks SO much for taking part. ❤

    Liked by 3 people

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    • Julian is definitely a dark character with a damaged past, seeking redemption now. I can’t wait to play with this one, Priscilla—erm, assuming I ever catch up on my current WIP!

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    • Thank you, Joan. The prompt thoroughly pulled me in and my fingers went flying over the keyboard. Even if I do nothing with Julian and Rexmont for a while, I’m tempted to sit down and flesh out their backstories. Then there’s NaNoWriMo—no, no! Not going there. I’m sticking with my WIP this time around, but these guys are definitely on the list for the future.

      Liked by 1 person

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  10. OH MY, Mae!! That was amazing. Your writing literally brought the characters off the page and into my room. At first, I thought Rexmont might be a werewolf and Julian a vampire, but wow! I’m blown away. YES! Expand this! Brilliant writing!

    Liked by 1 person

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  12. I was thinking much like you – I think it sounds like a wonderful prelude to a novel! It definitely captured my attention.
    When I looked at the picture I thought, “This house needs to be gutted down to the studs.” I think I’ve been watching way too much HGTV.😂

    Liked by 2 people

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    • LOL! Did I ever mention my career is real estate marketing? I’ve toured some very cool, even historic properties. This house would definitely need to be gutted!
      Glad you enjoyed the story. I would definitely love to expand on it in the future. Now, about that pesky animal called “time” 😉

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  14. As usual, your style and elaborate word-building shine through the story Mae. Julian already has so much within himself to explore! Just with few concluding sentences, this story unleashes amazing possibilities with a wow factor. Loved it.

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    • What a wonderful comment, Balroop! You have me grinning ear to ear. I am so pleased this story resonated with you. The characters grew in my mind with little prompting and the photo grabbed me the moment I saw it. I hope to explore the possibilities with this one more in the future. Many thanks for reading!

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  15. Love this, Mae! I’m glad you said you wanted to expand on this, you left so much to explore. I was thinking they were just ghost hunters but it was so much more.

    Liked by 2 people

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  18. These characters have so much potential, I could easily see a whole series starring them. You have lots of room for flashbacks and new “ghosts” that he has to free. And Rexmont had just as many opportunities to expand. I want more:)

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  20. WOW. I know I’ve enjoyed your flash fiction before, but Mae, this is extraordinary. I love it!! And I agree with everyone who said you MUST do more with this. At least a full story, but preferably a book. Maybe even a series. I can think of lots of stories this guy could tell. It’s just wonderfully shivery, and I want MORE. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

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    • So good to hear, Jacquie. Exactly what I was hoping for, especially in regards to Julian. I’m hoping to expand on these characters and their backstory in a future novel, series, or novellas. This prompt really struck a chord with me. So glad you enjoyed my take on the photo 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

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