This is my second contribution to Mondays Finish the Story – an excellent flash fiction challenge hosted by Barbara W. Beacham. The challenge requires us to write a piece of fiction between 100-150 words from the photo and first line prompt provided by Barbara.
In fact, this was my original effort. Then I had another thought and wrote that out: effort number two. Then, not particularly happy with either of those, I wrote a third! That was the one I published yesterday. Now I’ve had another look at my first story and have decided to give it a go. The second version can stay where it is . . . it’s somewhat ‘darker’.
So, here is this week’s photo . . .
. . . and this is my story, including the first line prompt:
Dropping her line into Fool’s Lake, she patiently waited for something to bite.
It wasn’t often that Molly came fishing, more often than not satisfied just living in this beautiful place. But alone by the lake she could contemplate her life: the lies and deceit – and the fun.
Sometimes, thoughts of those things excited her, made her long for the next time. That insatiable urge would rise in her chest, suffocating and intoxicating all at once. How it amused her.
Tomorrow, hordes of gullible fishermen would start streaming in, all vying to win the prize. She laughed to think how they believed the tale: a fish of such proportions as to warrant the name of ‘monster’!
Her sleek black wetsuit with its mermaid-styled rear waited at her father’s hotel across the lake. She would permit the fools a glimpse of tail – perhaps a dorsal fin; enough to engender a tale, encourage the odd snapshot…
Dad’s hotel had positively boomed this year.
149 words
If you’d just like to view some of the other entries, click the link here.
Millie Thom 
Hmm interesting, I expected the line to catch something, but, it was lurking in the nearby daddy’s hotel. I love it!
Thank you, Joycelin. I love your choice of word ‘lurking’. It conveys the idea of something dangerous or underhand to me. I think the suit was more of the latter! 🙂
I thoroughly enjoyed that Millie! What a way to get people to come to the lake! 🙂 Thank you for participating again, and I hope that you return for the upcoming Mondays challenge! Be well… ^..^
Hi Barbara. I’m glad you’ve commented on this because i wanted to ask you whether it’s OK to post two stories. I really didn’t know which to post and they’re quite different. If I shouldn’t do two in future, just let me know. Thank you for commenting, too. 🙂
Feel free to add another! No rules against doing that! 🙂
Thank you. 🙂
I am looking forward to your other story!
I swear that’s why there are sightings of the Loch ness monster so often. I call that good business sense. 😉
Exactly. I had the Loch Ness stories in mind when I wrote this. You’re right – it makes excellent business sense. Have a great day, penshift. 🙂
A fishy story indeed, lol! But thoroughly entertaining and a good way to boost tourism
Yes, I had in mind all the tales about the Loch Ness Monster when I wrote this. There’s definitely something fishy going on up there! 😉
Wonderful! ~ I love the thought of so many anglers in the bar discussing the huge tail on the one that got away~ Lovely take two Millie ~ I read the other one first ~ 🙂
Thank you for reading both stories, John! I actually wrote three and couldn’t decide which i liked best. I think to put three up would be pushing it a bit, though. Haha. Anyway, you’re right about fisherman’s tales. Look what they did for the Loch Ness Monster’s fame! 🙂
Well done, Millie. There for a while I though perhaps a real monste was going to appear. I’m afraid she’s going to have a problem one of these days pulling that prank. Good story. 🙂 — Suzanne
Yes, she’d bound to ‘come a cropper’ soon. it’s quite a mean trick, when you think about it. 🙂