© C.E. Ayr
“Milord. I see her running up ahead.”
“Quick man, catch her. She has my heart. She mustn’t get away.”
“I’ll get her milord. I’m hot on her footsteps.”
“Make sure of it man or you’ll be headless by morning.”
“Milord she’s gone down exit 48. Look, she’s lost her shoe. We can find her?”
“No. She chose Exit 48.”
“So Milord?”
“48 is a narcissistic number. I avoid all narcissists. Narcissists lead to heartache. Better heartache now than the kind that will come later. This number is an omen. It may actually save me from a loveless love. Besides which, the cigarettes stink.”
In response to the photo prompt kindly provided by C.E. Ayr and the hosting by Rochelle who invites us to write a flash of no more than 100 words and link up via the blue frog on her site. If you don’t want to write have a read as there is always a varied talented selection to read.
About Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
Funny and clever, sort of a twist on Prince Charming after Cinderella!
LikeLiked by 1 person
As soon as you see the shoe hard to get Cinderella out of my head. Think I must have had a sweet childhood as a lot of the stories revolve around women being chased and violence to women.
LikeLike
A lovely example of bathos. And ‘loveless love’ is a great phrase. Is that an original? I like the idea of Milord delegating the chase for his intended. I wonder what else he asks his man to do.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Patrick. Yes ‘loveless love’ is an original but I wouldn’t be surprised to find someone else has also had it as an original thought. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t get him to do most of his chores. Everyone has to have a Cinderella.
LikeLike
Charming has lost much of his charm.
Good piece.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Mick. He is a bit fickle and has his own Cinderella so yes, not so charming.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Heh, I love this. I ownder what excuse not to find her milord would have had if it had been another number, not narcissistic. Very original, fun story. It worked perfectly for me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you . He would have been like a rat down a drain pipe if it had been any other number. Glad it worked for you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very funny Irene. It worked very well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you got a chuckle. Thanks
LikeLiked by 1 person
Funny and clever story. Prince Charming is romantic, aggresive and wise 🙂
C- Subjective feedback as a reader: ““Milord she’s gone down exit 48. Look, she’s lost her shoe. We can find her?”” This line didnt flow for me. Maybe the question at the end confused me a bit. Is the man asking his boss (Milord) if it’s possible to find her or if his boss still wants him to find her?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for that feedback. Yes I can see that is clunky and confusing. I think he is asking if his boss still wants him to find her but one of those sideways type of questions that lets the other know that he’s not too keen. I’ll think on how I can better improve this section. Thanks.
LikeLike
Narcissists make for good lays though
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll take your word for that and pass it on to Milord. LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
Teachers make you do it over and over, till you get it right. 😆
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice twist on a fairy tale.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Have spare shoe couldn’t help but think of Cinderella.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sardonic wit here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just a tad. LOL
LikeLike
I think for a prince like that there is always another girl.. better not pick the 48 ones.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Totally agree.
LikeLike
Little ripper, Irene !!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah…. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have no clue what this tale means, but it seems like it is full of sound and fury – and made me smile.
Randy
LikeLiked by 1 person
A smile is good.
LikeLike
No chance of this prince being led by his heart. Not sure what is leading him, but I suspect he’s never going to find the right princess. I love your spin on the fairy tale.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree. I think he is bound for a life of loneliness or perhaps he truly is lucky this time.
LikeLike
Dear Irene,
I never knew that 48 carried such ominous significance. Methinks Charming has some weird ideas. Cindy’s better off without him. 😉 Clever twist on an old favorite.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Rochelle,
No I didn’t either until I researched the number 48.
“In recreational number theory, a narcissistic number (also known as a pluperfect digital invariant (PPDI), an Armstrong number (after Michael F. Armstrong) or a plus perfect number) is a number that is the sum of its own digits each raised to the power of the number of digits.”
Narcissistic number – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_number
I have to admit it still doesn’t make much sense to me but then maths never did.
Cheers Irene
LikeLike
I need to get me a right-hand-man like that. I guess it’s a good thing he wasn’t a bit faster or he might have gotten stuck with the narcissist. Fun tale.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wouldn’t we all like a right hand man like that. Glad you enjoyed it.
LikeLike
Methinks he gave up too easily. Cinders is well shot of him.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes and he had his own Cinderella.
LikeLike
Lazy bugger… can’t even run after his own mate!
LikeLiked by 1 person
He has his own Cinderella for things like that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Funny Irene. Glad you explained the number 48.
LikeLike
Yes I should have put it in my post. Thanks for reading.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had to google this to understand it. Y’all are too smart for me!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not in the slightest Dawn. I had to google it too. I thought maybe 48 might have some significance but I’d never heard of narcissistic numbers. Know a few narcissistic people and I ran with that. Cinderella was always in my head from the minute I saw that shoe.
LikeLiked by 1 person