River Stour at Flatford Mill, Dedham, Essex, England Oct 2012
(c) Sherri Matthews
The small, wooden boats lined the riverbank in a neat row exactly as Ken remembered, waiting for hire by visitors suddenly overcome with the urge to take to the water.
Idiots.
Ken ambled along the path, keeping one eye on the river. Then he saw it and stopped short: the very spot where he and Muriel had picnicked before she had asked him to take her boating.
Of course darling he had said, knowing she couldn’t swim. Faking an accident on the river would be easy.
Ken jolted awake, his hopes dashed as Muriel snored peacefully by his side.
This post is in response to Charli’s ‘river’ prompt for her weekly Flash Fiction challenge, 99 words, no more, no less.
A View From My Summerhouse 
Close shave for Muriel 🙂 🙂
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Very…and she is totally oblivious which is a good thing. Or is it? 😉
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Sherri, I’m wishing there was a “love it” button for this flash … still can’t stop laughing … brilliant 🙂
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Haha…thanks so much Tally, glad you saw the humour 😀
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Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
A little flash fiction from Sherri at A View from my summer house
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Thanks so much for the reblog Sally, very kind of you 😀
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Hilarious and scary at the same time!
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Thanks Pauline, glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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Lucky Muriel. The hair at the back of my neck won’t lay down. Bad Ken. 🙂
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Ken’s dreams are giving him bad ideas. And all the while, Muriel sleeps soundly… for now 😉
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I hope ‘she wakes’ up to his dreams. Don’t think this will end well, will it?
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Not well at all Tess, not well at all
Mind you…it could be ‘Water Rat’ Ken who comes off the worst. Best they both keep away from the river 😉 😮 👿
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Haha, love it!
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Thanks Jenny, glad you enjoyed it 😀
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Oh, THAT is funny, Sherri! Very funny! I had no idea where it was going and I loved how you ended it. Thanks for the chuckles. 🙂
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Haha…thanks Maria, so glad it give you the chuckles 😀
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Cracking Sherri and nicely twisted at the end with the garnish of humour. Grand effort!
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Thanks so much Geoff 😀
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Sherri,
I really liked this one. It would make a good book. Great hook!
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So glad you enjoyed it Sunni, thanks so much 😀
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This was a good one and he is a scheming ‘water rat!’
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Haha…definitely 😀 Thanks Robin 🙂
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Awesome.
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Thanks Sarah, glad you liked it 😀
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Oh my gosh! This is so, “A Place in the Sun!” I just watched it the other night, Sherri. If you’ve never seen it, you have to check it out. Great job. I love the title! xo
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Haha, thanks Jill, glad you enjoyed it 😀 ‘A Place in the Sun’ sounds familiar….and just Googled it but it brought up a TV show over here about people buying properties abroad!!! Is it a movie? xo
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Ha ha! Yes, it’s a movie. I’ll email you a link. xo
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Thanks Jill 😀 xo
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Neat twist Sherri! Love it 🙂
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Thanks Jude, glad you enjoyed it 😀
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Love it my friend and the beautiful photo! Poor Muriel hasn’t a clue. Very ominous me thinks! 🙂 xoxo
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Haha..shows how my dark mind works! Thanks my friend, so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 This photo is of a place I visited a lot when I lived in Suffolk – and yes, went boating down that very river in one of those same little boats, including with my G.I. once upon a time 😉 Had no idea where the story was going at first…and then Muriel snoring by his side as he dreamt popped into my mind. Poor thing, she is totally oblivious…but not for long methinks, ha 😛 😉 😀 xoxox
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My goodness! All future boat trips will make the hairs on my neck stand up until I am safely upon shore. Your very short stories are so catching.
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Oh dear, sorry about that!! But I’m glad you enjoyed the story, thank you!! This photo is actually from a place I visited a lot when I lived in Suffolk. Went down that very river in one of those very boats quite a few times…maybe now I’ll rethink doing it again myself, haha 😀
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Hahaha……Muriel lived to snore another day. 🙂 Great little story, Sherri. xx
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Haha 😀 That she did Sylvia – for now 😉 Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed it 🙂 xx
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Very much, Sherri. 🙂
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🙂
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When you said “dark” you meant dark humor! 😀 A river rat indeed — dreaming of drowning his peacefully snoring wife. Maybe it’s the snoring he can no longer take! Great flash!
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Haha…well, nice to have a little twist here and there! See what you’ve unleashed Charli 😀 As I said over at the Ranch, I really struggled with this at first. I knew the very photo I wanted to use, one from a camping trip right by the river in Big Sur. The noise kept us awake all night! But I didn’t have time to find it, so then thought, I’ll go closer to home and see what inspires. I love taking photos of rivers – and even thought of using the one on the sidebar here, but then, when I came across this one, it came to me. I spent many a happy day visiting Flatford Mill when I lived in Suffolk and went down that very river in one of those same boats several times, including a trip with my American G.I.!! Always calm, happy times. But then, we don’t really know what lurks beneath those still waters do we? Glad you enjoyed it, thanks Charli 😀
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What an incredibly dark undertone, Sherri!
You are so great at flash fiction 🙂 I can’t even write a comment under 99 words for goodness sake! aha. I would be terrible at it.
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I can’t help myself Jenny Jen Jen 😉 I have very happy memories of boating down the river at Flatford Mill…yet, look what comes to my mind. Hmmmm…
Ahh…thank you, you are very kind!! Honestly, I never thought in a million years I could write Flash Fiction – you know me, more rabbit than Sainsburys and that translates into my writing – but I’ve found it a fantastic writing exercise. It used to be that I would bash out 300 words and have to cut it down to 99 after several tries. Now I start off with about 120 or so. I never know what I’m going to write and I actually struggled with this one at first. Funny old thing writing isn’t it? You just never know…but you should give it a try 😉
Hope your hand is feeling better my friend and you are having a better week 🙂 xx
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Looks like there is murder afoot Sherri, I am worried for Muriel, unless its just a harmless day dream? I love your stories.
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Thanks Kath, so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 As for poor Muriel, all I can say is that she is oblivious…for now
And who knows what will happen to Ken…
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Thats the fun of being the writer Sherri anything goes, so much fun.
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So true Kath 😀
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I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Poor Muriel. She needs to get out of there – and I don’t mean in a boat! I like the way you built the suspense. Well done! 🙂
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Haha…thanks Norah, glad you enjoyed it, and hopefully it had you laughing more than crying!! Poor Muriel indeed…but she just might ‘wake up’ in time to catch ‘Water Rat’ Ken in his tracks. Either way, I don’t think it will end well and the further Muriel goes from the river, the better 😀
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I agree. ‘Water Rat’ Ken is such a great name. I hope Muriel does wake up!
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😀
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Oh gosh. Just hope our husbands aren’t having similar dreams to Muriel’s Ken. Made me laugh as you built the suspense up well. 🙂
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Haha…think we’re all getting a bit worried now Irene! I should let you know that I always read out my flash fiction to hubby right before I send them out and he did have a rather odd look on his face when he heard this one… 😛 Glad it made you laugh, that makes me very happy 😀
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Haha. I think you’re safe. XD
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Haha 😀
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Evil Ken, indeed. I’m glad Muriel made it safely to her bed that day, Sherrie. I wonder what else he might have in store for her?
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Yes, evil Ken indeed Hugh! Muriel is oblivious for now…but how long will she snore soundly while Ken plots away? Will Ken succeed in his devious plotting, or will Muriel ‘wake up’ to the truth in time? You’ve got me thinking now, haha 😀
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The suspense you have built up in me wanting to know more 🙂 Sounds a great cliff hanger of a story. That’s how I like each chapter in a book to end as it makes me not want to put the book down.
I hope we hear more from Ken, but I am worried for Muriel.
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Thanks so much Hugh, I’ll see what I can do 🙂
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Ah! That kind of Rat with the capital R. I didn’t see that coming. Great story. Bet there is more to it.
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You’ve got the measure of this Water Rat with a capital R Marlene! Glad you enjoyed it, thank you, and yes…who knows what happens next 😉
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Love to know about Muriel.
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Thanks Lbeth! Muriel does intrigue me too… 😉
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Poor Muriel. It sounds as if Ken wants rid of her. At least he won’t suffocate her with the pillow as that would hardly be the way to fake an accident. She’d better watch her back though, or get in there first!
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Haha 🙂 Yes Sarah, Muriel definitely needs to watch her back. And keep away from the river. But as you say, she might just ‘wake up’ to Ken’s wicked plans and have a surprise or two of her own up her sleeve 😮
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Haha! Poor Muriel might want to watch her back. Nothing like a sinister little story with a twist at the end!
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Haha 😀 Thanks Marlene, so glad you enjoyed the twist!
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As soon as I saw the title, I thought of Chocolat, so I was hooked right away. Good job!
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Oh yes, I didn’t think of that! Thanks so much Renee 🙂
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LOL. Oh, I love your dark mind ;). So funny!!! You made my afternoon here at work in a clients office.
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Haha 😀 I’m so glad you like my dark mind Luanne…I love the fun of flash fiction, it lets me have so much free rein 😉
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Yea! for Muriel’s defeat of Ken’s plan. Can you write another 99 words and have her snoring push him over the edge–to his defeat? (Sorry; I couldn’t resist.) Well done, Sherri! 🙂
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Haha 😀 Thanks Marylin, that sounds like a wonderful little sequel! Then Muriel could snore away to her heart’s content with not a care in the world 🙂
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Oh dear! The story is finished but I want more … please…
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Ahh…thanks so much Ilka, I had no idea it would grab people so much. At this stage, I can only hope that Muriel ‘wakes up’ to Ken’s evil imaginings 😉
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“Ken jolted awake” did the transition from dream to real so well. “Jolt” did it from boat to bed.
So much action here, and may possibly be reflective of how the real world is. But most husbands and wives (having lived years and decades together) may not think of “killing” each other. It’s far fetched. Killing by accident is possible, but again, isn’t that a devilish thought. It’s better to kill than kill-by-accident. Oh these thoughts pound my heart hard. Why Kill (Bill)? Look what your fiction has done to me. I’m Tarantino.
How effective, and convincing your FF is, Sherri 🙂
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Yes…I’ve ‘jolted awake’ a few times myself 😉 Haha…Kill Bill? Well now, I did write a flash about Bill didn’t I? Maybe I should have Bill meet Ken so he can put him right…but perhaps not, as Bill would make mincemeat of Ken. As for Muriel, there is more to than meets the eye…and she might even try to get Bill to bump Ken off first. What do you think my friend? Maybe we should get in touch with the real Tarantino 😀 (and for the record, I love the Kill Bill movies 🙂 )
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See you already have plot points for more links. If you have 20 FF pieces, linking one another, you have a short story. After all each scene/chapter must be a story on its own. Go for it, my friend, go for it 🙂
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Yes, I can see that…maybe by doing it this way, I can get past my mental block about writing a short story or, *drum roll*, a novel, ha 😀 I love the punchiness of flash fiction, and worry I would lose that…but if I don’t think about it and let loose, then the ideas flow. Once I start overthinking, I’m in big trouble. Thanks so much friend, you’ve given me a great boost of ideas….let’s see what happens 🙂
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If that isn’t the beginnings of a book I don’t know what is
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Well thanks so much Marie! I have never attempted a novel…but I do love flash fiction. It’s a start though… 😉
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A novel is my ultimate aim, if I ever find the time.
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Oh, ho, ho! Now I see the connection. I’m rooting for Muriel. I hope she turns the table on her jerk of a husband, now that she suspects him. Good job, Sherri!
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You can see why I had to resurrect Muriel…couldn’t let evil Ken get away with his murderous plotting! Thanks so much Nadine 😀
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You’re welcome. It could turn into a novel. 🙂
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🙂
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