I had a really hard time coming up with a title for this one. “They Dwell Amongst Us?” Too formal. “Hey, Hey, You, You, Get Off of My Grass!” Too rock invasion. “The Angst of a Hopeful Serial Killer?” Meh. And, yet, with all of the rumination, my title still stinks. Hopefully the story doesn’t. 😉
Thanks, as always, to the wonderful Rochelle for providing us with Friday Fictioneers!
So, You Won’t Get Off My Grass?
Ever since the Hasting’s girl, playing hide-n-seek, died hiding in an old refrigerator, the county’s required removing the doors when trashed. Everyone abides, except for Albert.
Every so often an old fridge, doors on, appears at the edge of Albert’s property. It sits for days. “How does Albert go through so many fridges?” they wonder to themselves. They think lovable Albert is simply forgetful.
But Albert is frickin’ tired of them kids. Riding bikes through his new grass, snatching his prized roses for their always impregnated mother, stealing his blueberries.
How’s it so wrong he wants them to play hide-n-seek?
end
How about, “The Grass is Always Greener?”
That sounds good. 🙂
What do you think of: The Grass Will Be Greener…something a bit more dastardly?
Surely they’re going to start suspecting Albert soon enough? Or will he bribe them with his wonderful roses 😉
Great story! Pretty soon a “hotspot” is going to show up when someone goes through the data.
That’s disposal of quite a different kind!
Looks like my comment disappeared. Or maybe not. Disposal of a different kind is what I said.
Albert, for all his outward pretence of being lovable is really quite a sinister old sod. Loved it.
That’s taking things a little too far, methinks… Question of time they realise Albert ain’t so nice!
Dear Sascha,
We had an Albert living behind us when I was a kid. He had a chain link fence and made sure the points stuck up so kids wouldn’t climb it. Nice guy. Perhaps someone will challenge Albert to a ‘nice’ game of hide and seek. Good one.
Shalom,
Rochelle
I like “Hey, Hey, You, You, Get Off of My Grass!” What about “Hide-n-Seek”?
So, I take it Albert doesn’t like fences, dogs. “Chopper, sick balls.”
Huh. Why didn’t I think of Hide-n-Seek? It’s not like I didn’t mention it 500 times in the story of 100 words. (heh). Maybe I’ll just send you my stories in the future to name. Like an adoption service, but for names. Thank you. 🙂 😉
500 mentions in a 100-word story is impressive. I have full faith in your naming abilities, but I’m happy to help when you get stuck. I’ve spent longer trying to come up with a name than writing a story. I was learning a lot about collaborative writing before everything shut down.
Tell us more on this thing of which you speak: collaborative writing.
Once you get it, it’s easy. It’s almost natural. Just like breathing underwater.
speculative fiction. 😀
What were the county thinking? How are you supposed to hide the bodies if you have to take the doors off…? Nice one!
lol Thank you. I appreciate macabre humor ever so much! 💖 And thank you for reading! 🙂
I was lucky to have nice neighbors when I was young. We used an old covered trailer in Mrs. Campbell’s’ back yard. It was so much fun – and she only let the girls use it – which being the mother of all boys, would seem unfair to me. Very nice “thinking” story!
Thanks, Nan. I had nice neighbors too when I was a kid. Well, mostly nice. Certainly no Albert’s. 🙂
Albert is very very NOT nice. … ugh.
No. He’s certainly not what everyone thinks he is. Thanks for reading!
O.M.G.! Where’s Dexter when we need him?
Ha! Thanks for reading! 🙂
You’re welcome!
Sinister, ‘lovable’ Albert??? Won’t a fence do the trick?
You would think. I suspect that might be too passive for dear old Albert. Thanks for reading! 🙂