Where'd You Come Up With That?! ~ Wednesdays! "Secrets Never Die"

 

 "Secrets Never Die" is a flash fiction story written for a little contest on Writing.com. I came up with the idea because people always say they take secrets to the grave. That means no one will ever find out, right? 

In my story, this is not true. Aunt Beatrice ain't taking nothing with her! She comes back to spill all the tea. 

If you believe in life after death, then you should never believe someone's promise to take your secret to the grave! Especially someone who has years of gossip bottled up inside. 

Maybe secrets are never safe. 👀 I've posted the story below if you'd like to read it! 

Secrets Never Die

Susan’s delightful dream of relaxing on a beach in Hawaii surrounded by scantily clad natives was interrupted by a visit from her Aunt Beatrice.

 “Susan. Susan,” she whispered.

 “Aunt Beatrice?” Susan rubbed her eyes.

 “Yes, dear. It's me.” Beatrice sat with her legs crossed, hovering at the foot of Susan's bed.

 “I can't believe you're here.”

 “Look at me! I can cross my legs again. The old arthritis is gone. It isn't so bad on the other side.”

 “I'm happy to see you've adjusted so well to death.”

 “I have so much to tell you, dear.” Beatrice flashed a mischievous smile.

 Susan scooted closer to Beatrice. It would have to be important since she was visiting from the great beyond.

 “You remember Aunt Sally, don't you?”

 “Yeah.” Susan leaned forward, curious as to what her aunt had to say.

 “Well, she used to be Uncle Sal, and remember how your grandmother won all those blue ribbons at the fair for her homemade pies?”

 “Yeah, her cherry pie was my favorite.”

 “Well, she used a store-bought crust. And, you remember we were all surprised that your cousin Lenny's baby was so cute? He didn't get Lenny's big banana nose.”

 “Lenny?” Susan thought for a minute. “Oh yeah!” She started to giggle.

 “That's not even his baby. His wife had an affair, and you know how Mr. Brown said his wife ran off with another man?

 “Oh, I remember, he was so upset.”

 “She didn’t really run off, she’s taking a long nap under his new swimming pool. And, the young lady-”

 “Uh, Aunt Beatrice, I hate to interrupt, but why are all these things important enough for a visit from beyond?”

 “Important? Honey, I didn't say they were important. I promised to take these secrets to my grave, but I never promised what I'd do with them once I got here,” Beatrice chuckled.

 “How many secrets do you have bottled up?” Susan asked.

 “Oh, about fifty years’ worth.”

 “Okay. Let me get comfortable. I have a feeling it’s going to be a long night."

Happy Reading! 

Where'd You Come Up With That? ~ Wednesdays!

I usually write these posts with one story in mind, but I'm doing things differently today. I'd like to write about coming up with ideas in general. 

If you've ever seen Ray Bradbury Theater, he says he'll never run out of ideas because he's surrounded by items that inspire him. (he's one of my favorite authors btw!)

This is spot on. A writer's brain is always in story mode, so anything a writer hears, sees, or even smells can trigger an idea. Sometimes it is just a title that comes to mind, and the story shapes around it. Other times it's an idea that has been done before, but needs a new twist. 

My short story, East of Omaha, was inspired by Bob Seger's song. "On a long lonesome highway, east of Omaha" That line made me think of hitchhikers, but it has to be a twist on the usual tales of picking up strangers. And the story has a different type of driver and hitchhiker encounter. One that ends up with some mistaken identity. 

My short story, Taste of Freedom, started with the title. I like the sound of it, but needed a story to fit. I had an idea for a story about a wife who goes a little berzerk. She goes to great lengths to get rid of her husband and literally gets her taste of freedom. (yes, there may be some cannibalism involved 👀)

Some ideas come from strange facts I've read. I have a title and story that came to mind when I read that a person can die from smelling farts in large volumes. 

The story I'm working on is entitled, "The Mason Jar Murders," and it's a crime/detective story. It is also a bit bizarre--as you probably guessed! 😂

Ideas pop up everywhere when a writer's brain is constantly in story mode! 

Happy Reading!