Wednesday 20 November 2019

FISTICUFFS - 100 word story

It took me a little while to come up with a story for this week's Friday Fictioneers photo prompt. I finally got there after a couple of false starts.


PHOTO PROMPT © J Hardy Carroll


FISTICUFFS

Stephanie scowled as the coffin was lowered.
Afterwards she and her cousins agreed that their Great Aunt wouldn't be mourned.
'She hated Stephanie the most,' said one spitefully.
'At least our fights were honest. I didn't suck up to her like you lot.'
'You won't see a penny,' said another.
'Who cares? I'll have my integrity.'
The cousins laughed until they saw the will. The old battleaxe had left everything to an astounded Stephanie.
'That'll teach them,' chuckled Stephanie.
She went to the lock-up to claim her inheritance. Her aunt had bequeathed her a flat pack Punch and Judy show.



I hope you enjoyed this story and I look forward to your comments. 


If you wish to read more Friday Fictioneers stories, you can find them listed HERE


If you'd like to join in the challenge, you'll find all the information posted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields 


- her blog is listed on 'My Blog List' on the right hand side of this page.


On a final note - I always attempt to visit the blogs of everyone who comments on mine. If I haven't commented on yours it's either because I haven't been redirected to your blog when I've clicked on your name or because you have a wordpress account that requires me to sign into wordpress first. 
Please check and amend your settings. Thanks.











46 comments:

  1. Honesty is the best policy...sometimes!

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  2. A Punch and Judy show in the wrong hands can be a lethal weapon

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    Replies
    1. He he - indeed! At least the battleaxe aunt had a sense of humour.

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    2. Punch: To be, or not to be, that is the question....
      Judy: (beating him with a bat) You call that a question?? :evil:

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  3. What a weird inheritance! I hope it was worth something.

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    1. Possibly worth something to a collector of memorabilia. But I think the aunt was simply acknowledging their history of fighting with each other.

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  4. Well ... I hope she didn't get stuck with any inheritance tax ...

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  5. Oof! Sucker=punched from the grave!

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  6. Talk about a will that packs a punch!

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  7. Well, it's very apt considering their relationship!

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  8. What a mean old aunt! Looks like she had the last laugh.

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    Replies
    1. Yep! I think she was showing her warped sense of humour.

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  9. Dear Susan,

    What an inheritance. Perhaps there's a fortune sewn into the puppets. Good one.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

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    1. Or perhaps they are antiques and worth a fortune to collectors? :)

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  10. Strange tale of strange legacy

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    Replies
    1. Yes, my imagination takes me to strange places sometimes! I had the aunt choose a Punch & Judy show for the niece she fought with the most. :)

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  11. Bahahaga oh what s horrible old lady. Sounds like Stephanie might have been better off getting nothing. Hopefully she sees the funny side.

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    1. The aunt was quite an old witch, but I feel sure that Stephanie appreciated her joke.

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  12. i'm sure the aunt meant well. wink! wink! :)

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    1. Well she had her last laugh from the grave anyway. :)

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  13. Replies
    1. Thanks, Dale - glad you 'got' my humorous intention.

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  14. It seems an appropriate inheritance for Stephanie. At least the old battleaxe thought of her. =)

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    1. Yes, it must have taken some organisation. I think she admired Stephanie for not sucking up to her like the other cousins.

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  15. That's the way to do it! Nice one Susan.

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  16. You reveal the spite between the cousins so well - love the twist in the ending. Sure there's a moral in the story.

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  17. Hi Susan,
    I'm not sure my comments always go through. I do engage regularly, so I'm not being a snob ��.

    Bet the protagonist earned the old woman's respect. Would love to read a story where they interact.

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    1. Hey, Tannille, I wouldn't dream of labelling you a snob! :) Yes, I ought to think about a story showing how they clashed before the old lady popped her clogs.

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  18. Wouldn't it be a hoot if there was a key taped to the back which unlocked a huge amount of money? LOLOL
    Death always brings out the ugly from all ends. Nicely done, Susan.
    Isadora 😎
    ps - my comments are signed in through Google. My google name is Curlytop. : )

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    1. He he - thanks for explaining, I would never have known Curly Top was you, Isadora! Oh, and thanks for your comment. :)

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  19. Once I found out what a Punch and Judy show was, the story made perfect sense! :-) I get the feeling Great Aunt wasn't pleasant to anyone. A creative take on the prompt!

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    1. Kids in the UK traditionally used to watch live Punch and Judy shows at the seaside. I think this aunt had a curious sense of humour, verging on unpleasant. Thanks for commenting, magarisa.

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  20. That's a really sad story. Was the aunt a Buddhist? How did her life boil down to a pair of puppets? Or did she sell everything to buy the original set, which is with a fortune?

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    1. Who knows what she had? The cousins had their suspicions, hence trying to curry favour with her. Personally, I think she gave everything she owned to charity except the Punch and Judy Show which she deliberately kept in order to leave it to the niece who had the most 'fight' in her. :)

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  21. Ha... she probably had a lot of fun living up her funds with nothing left for anyone

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    1. That could be what happened - she certainly wasn't going to leave anything of value to her nephews and nieces!

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  22. Ha! Guess the old lady had the last laugh in the end. And she definitely played them well.

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  23. The last laugh...from the grave. Doesn't get more final than that!

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Many thanks for commenting. I appreciate your feedback.