Into the Darkness: 99 word Flash fiction

Posted on December 3, 2018 by Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
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© irene waters 2018

“It’s good to have you here.” Her mother nodded agreement, squeezing Rebekkah’s  arm.

“See you in the restaurant sixish for breakfast love.” The elderly couple turned and walked away, heading to the burré they had been allocated in their daughter’s hotel. The dim lights from the house disappeared plunging them into the dark.

“I didn’t know blackness like this existed.”

“No stars. No moon. No electricity.”

“Wish Beccy’d given us a torch.”  They stumbled into trees, down ditches unable to find their way. 

“We know the light always comes. Let’s just sit and wait. We’ll sing.”

“What?”

“Two blind mice.”

In response to Charli’s prompt where she asks:

November 29, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story using the phrase “into the dark.” What must a character face? Write about an encounter, journey, relationship, or quest. Follow the ship’s lights on gloomy seas. Go where the prompt leads you.

Respond by December 4, 2018. Use the comment section below to share, read and be social. You may leave a link, pingback or story in the comments. If you want to be published in the weekly collection, please use the form.  Rules & Guidelines.

My piece this week is a BOTS (Based on a true story). When my parents visited my on the island of Tanna they had never come across darkness such as the type we had when there were no stars or moon visible in the sky. It gave us a good belly laugh when they were presented to us at our house by a local who’d heard them scrabbling around in the bushes a long way from home. No, they weren’t singing two blind mice.

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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.
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16 Responses to Into the Darkness: 99 word Flash fiction

  1. Sharon Bonin-Pratt says:
    December 4, 2018 at 4:02 am

    Sweet, funny, and a bit macabre – totally an Irene story, and well done at that!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Miriam Hurdle says:
    December 4, 2018 at 5:23 am

    Who need eyes to see in the dark? Clever flash, Irene!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Charli Mills says:
    December 6, 2018 at 8:45 am

    Ha, ha! Oh, Irene, I love your dark humor!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. Pingback: Into the Dark « Carrot Ranch Literary Community

  5. Annecdotist says:
    December 7, 2018 at 1:21 am

    Sweet story, Irene, reminds me of some of my own misadventures in dark places without electricity. And a good advert for your book.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Norah says:
    December 9, 2018 at 5:02 pm

    Haha! Two blind mice. That’s funny, Irene, but the reality probably wasn’t.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. Cloud Opinion says:
    July 31, 2023 at 9:24 pm

    I enjoyeed reading your post

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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