RICOCHET
“You couldn’t hit a barn door!”
“Could too! See that bucket? The
Laceys are away for the weekend – they’ll never know.”
Billy shouldered his air-gun and
fired, anticipating the clang of metal, but his aim was way off. Instead there
was the sharp snap of glass followed by a series of pings and a squawk.
“Now you’ve done it!” cried Sam.
“The window’s only cracked,” Billy
said, adding hopefully, “No harm done,” and they fled.
The Laceys returned to find all their
designer lamps adorned with strange, unexplained holes, and their parrot lying
in the bottom of its cage, dead.
......................................................................................
I can't explain why Victor and Sarah Potter's photograph made me think of a crime scene, but this story is the result of my weird imagination. Thanks to Rochelle at https://rochellewisoff.com/ for hosting Friday Fictioneers. From her blog you can follow the link to read how other writers interpreted the prompt.
Ooops. A barn door would have been better.
ReplyDeleteBilly needs more practice, certainly.
DeleteHah! A cracked pane - not a spider's web. How refreshing to read a different take on the photo prompt at last. Loved this!
ReplyDeleteSusan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Thanks Susan. We write what we see!
DeleteReminds me when I burned a neighbors mailbox by mistake... you can always make mistakes... poor parrot.
ReplyDeleteYou little vandal! Assuming you were little at the time?
DeleteThat's not a dead parrot, he's just restin'... Nice fresh take.
ReplyDeleteSomebody had to say it, Iain!
DeleteGotta say, I didn't see that one coming...great!
ReplyDeleteScott
Mine: https://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2018/01/10/welcome-to-my-parlor/
Thanks Scott. It took me by surprise too.
DeleteBrilliant! Dammmmm... why didn't I think of a bullet hole...
ReplyDeletePoor parrot..
That's what I saw first.
DeleteHa ha ha ha. When we were young, we used to ignite 'rockets' on Diwali, our biggest festival in which everyone bursts crackers and lights up their homes. The rocket was kept in a glass bottle, and then lit. In ideal conditions, it should fly vertically into the sky, but more often than not, the bottle would fall, and the rocket would go into people's houses, or hit their walls or windows. The kids of course would stoutly deny that they had anything to do with that particular rocket.
ReplyDeleteThis proves that children are the same the world over. Rockets in milk bottles, before the days of plastic cartons.
DeleteYou know those strings crime scene investigators use to show the paths of bullets? That's what I saw.
ReplyDeletePoor Polly! A delightfully different take liz.
ReplyDeleteThanks Keith - and I'm sorry about the bird, but it had to go - it was that or the gerbil.
DeleteI totally see where you got your inspiration. Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sandra. The first comment I got - not on here - was from someone who didn't like the ending.
DeleteDear Liz,
ReplyDeleteI think Billy better watch his back. Good one...thanks for seeing rather than looking. ;) Unique take.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Unless Sam tells on him, Billy probably gets away with it!
DeleteWell, there won't be any more requests for crackers and the lighting received a really early redesign. Little stinkers..
ReplyDeleteLittle stinkers is right!
DeleteLoved it....except for the "restin' parrot" (via Iain).
ReplyDeleteDon't you mean an ex-parrrot?
Deleteoh no! Sad for the Laceys.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written tale, i was wondering about the squawk till i read the list line.
Once I knew they'd killed something it had to be the parrot. Sorry!
DeleteThat'll teach the Laceys to go away. Poor parrot but good story.
ReplyDeleteThey shouldn't have left it alone.
DeleteAw, poor bird. Victim of silly little boys, and I hope they'll have learned to be more cautious.
ReplyDeleteI think they probably scared themselves enough!
DeleteHAHA ... looks like Sam knew his friend quite well.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your tkae on the story.
Isadora 😎
Thanks Isadora - I reckon Sam winds Billy up to do all kinds of stuff and denies any part of it when they get caught!
DeleteHee, hee :-) Well done, thinking of this different take on the prompt. In fact, I have a photo of broken glass on my old front door, where the door had wedged and my son tried to push it open with his foot. The cracks did look exactly like a spiderweb. Re the dead parrot, it got me thinking of the famous Monty Python sketch!
ReplyDeleteIt's unfortunate that the death of a parrot can be funny, but that's definitely Monty Python's fault.
DeleteAwww...the poor parrot.
ReplyDeleteYes, I know - sorry!
DeleteThe poor parrot. I read the squawk and worried straight away. I wonder where the Laceys will look for the culprit.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lot of damage one shot did. I wonder if the Laceys will ever find out who did it. Good writing, Liz. ---- Suzanne
ReplyDelete