Copyright: Jan Wayne Fields
My table set, guests on their way, I wait. I imagine the last time I saw them. Saw anyone.
“Which day did you tell them?”
“Did you say Saturday? Sunday?”
“Which day? Which day!”
The voices make me second guess myself. I pace. I stop. I stare out the window onto the view I’ve grown accustomed since…since that day. That terrible, terrible day I fell for the girl next door. How lovely she was. Her smile, kind and fragile, my heart’s delight. My soul’s torment.
“They’re not coming!” I shouted to no one. “Oh, wait. They’re already here,” I whispered.
*****
Never fear, Friday Fictioneers are here. Yes, I know the story is creepy. Sad really, in a Tell-Tale Heart meets Ina Garten sort of way. That’s what you get on a grey, cold January day when I’m cooped up waiting for classes to start. For those interested, okay, you two over there, I’m feeling better despite the bleakness of the season. Thanks for reading.
#ADSBELOWTHISPOSTARENOTENDORSEDBYTHISBLOGGER
Honie Briggs 
A story that isn’t black and white! 😉
As you know by now, mine rarely are. Happy new year! 😉
Oh, love this, Honie. I can feel his torment. Entertaining the neighbors can be tricky, since they are always right there. If it goes badly, well….there is the constant reminder.
Thank you, Amy. It’s an odd situation, isn’t it? 😉
Heh, entertaining the neighbors that mayn’t even be there. …Don’t want to think about what happened to the girl next door…
She moved to Colorado and opened a pot boutique called Mary Jane’s Madness.
That picture just asks for a creepy story. Nicely done. Now back to talking to myself….
Sometimes talking to myself is the only way I can get the answers I want. Thanks, Erin. I REALLY enjoyed your story.
How dare them stand you up again. Oops, never mind there they are. You don’t suppose they overheard me, do you?
I think you might want to tell them you didn’t mean anything by it…and turn around three times and spit. HA!
I’m all for creepy and sad. Definitely made me shudder a little, which is a compliment. I admit I occasionally talk to myself, but I don’t answer or argue; that other person does. Kidding! 😉
😃 Right!
I think you portrayed mental illness well, it is more sad than creepy.
It just came to us…I mean me. 😄
I have felt sadness more than creepiness, and that’s a good thing. What a well-crafted piece! Thank you. — Matthew
The prompt lends itself to creepy, sad, and wistful stories. There are certainly plenty to choose from this week. Thanks for reading.
A shame no friends or family will be arriving. Your narrator needs some support. Cleverly done.
Support and possibly some kind of restraint. Thanks, Patrick.
My vote is creepy – and that’s good. This had me mentally whipsaw-ing as I read.
I must ask…whipsaw? Creepy just works sometimes.
The narrator is very undecided about exactly what’s going on. This creates the insane tone well, which amps up the creepy.
“Tell-Tale Heart meets Ina Garten…” now there’s a visual—good job. I like the creepy twist at the end. It is perfect for a gray day anytime of year. I hope that you are feeling a bit better everyday. They add up over time.
Now you know what cookies are lurking in the background of my browser. I couldn’t resist the Barefoot Contessa. She’s so damn calm! Every day is sweeter than the day before. They do add up. Thanks, Allan.
Dear Stephonie,
I get the feeling that the guests are…um…shall we say, wall to wall, or somewhere therein.
I hope you have a break in the bleakness soon. Winter sucks, but your writing certainly does not.
I love the teetering tone of this.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Dear Rochelle,
Oooo, wall to wall, now that IS creepy.
The sun is out. I’m like the little engine that could today. I know, don’t overdo it. 😉
Sincerely,
I think I can. I think I can.
Not think, young Skywalker. Don’t overdo.
Very definitely teetering on the edge here. It could go either way. Nicely done, Honie.
It depends on the reader, doesn’t it? Thanks, Sandra.
Not creepy at all, sad and desperate. Creepy not at all. I am glad you are doing these again, welcome back!
Okay, maybe it was just me. I thought it sounded creepy. Thanks, Val.
Nice! I can feel the anxiety of this story. I think it works quite well, creepy or not!
Voices tend to ramp up the anxiety, I think. Thanks!
It was creepy and I loved the whole creepy thing. 🙂
smiling…not creepily.
😀
Teetering….
Ps. Glad you’re starting to feel better.
Thanks. There’s hope yet that I will feel human again. That anesthesia brain is a real thing. For now…teetering is the word.
Honie, that really allows my imagination to wander and not necessarily to feel-good places. 🙂 But who knows? You’ve given us lots of scope for mental travel.
janet
Good. I was hoping it was not too obvious that the character’s mental state may be teetering toward a not so feel-good place, but that readers might also question if it was just themselves. [teetering]