This is my response to the photo prompt of the week for Friday Fictioneers. Thanks for the prompt and for coming by to read!
When Matilda and Lars, ten years married, arrived at the bed-and-breakfast, the road seemed rocky and bare.
The falling mercury, snow’s harbinger, tantalized and tingled their flesh. White Christmas lights beckoned, from the long white porch.
Bleary-eyed at breakfast (after too many midnight toasts) the happy couple held hands across the table, giggling like teens.
The pompous, popish napkins folded their arms in disapproval. Or disbelief.
Gazing out the picture window, Matilda found it hard to distinguish, between the white porch and the flawless snow beyond.
Hard to tell, what else lay buried, under the sparkling opacity of her bliss.
To read a poem on Nature’s harsh beauty, read Big Sky.
Good story and eerie too. Eating at a restaurant with no other guests would make me wonder if their food was as good as they advertised. Really clever story!
Thanks Nan!
‘popish’ napkins. Loved that!
Thanks Sandra!
Great writing and you leave us in suspense expertly. What will the thaw bring.
Thanks Michael. Good question!
You did a good job of setting the stage for the next act.
Some stories don’t want to cooperate with the word limit. 😊
🙂 I know!
Ooh! Ominous.
I love “The pompous, popish napkins…”
Thank you Nobbinmaug!
‘Popish napkins’ – I know exactly what you mean! Very descriptive story.
Thanks so much. The elite feel, of a place that would have folded napkins,reminded me of how one sometimes feels condescended to or judged, in the presence of some religious figures. Especially if one is misbehaving or being less than sincere. 😬
When I read “popish napkins,” I had to scroll back up to the picture. Yep. Didn’t see it before, but I sure do now! And that last line put a whole different feeling on this story. Well done.
Thank you granonine! Everyone loves to fool themselves, and believe things are better than they truly are, sometimes. Like now, for instance. 😕
Oooooo I have a feeling there is a secret out there waiting for the snow to melt.
🤔What could it be?
I agree with Penny! Some wonderful lines in this piece. Well done.
Thanks Alice!
Oops! Alicia, I mean!
i’d say enjoy the moment. for now, it doesn’t really matter what lays beneath.
Good advice.
There’s some delightful writing in this. “The falling mercury, snow’s harbinger,” Good grief, when was the last time I read the word harbinger? Lovely choice of words, exquisite. And “The pompous, popish napkins folded their arms in disapproval. Or disbelief.” Some discreet alliteration, and such an original and vivid description.
And, of course, your last line. But you already know that’s a cracker. “Sparkling opacity” – wow!
Thx Penny! My cheeks are burning! Im framing this comment!😊
Loved the very crisp descriptions in this. It all popped to life!
Thanks Russell!
The end of Lars, I’m guessing? It seemed too good to be true, and it was!
Could very well be. Snow eventually melts and reveals all.
Just reread your comment and realized a second implication of ” the end of Lars!” I assumed you meant the marriage was on the rocks, so to speak, but perhhaps you meant the literal end–as in murder–with Lars being the one buried under the snow? Totally works!
Dear Andrea,
Lovely last line. Leaves room for speculation.
Shalom,
Rochelle
You know how I hate to spell things out…
Poor Lars. What did he do wrong? They were so happy
This one does leave much to the imagination.
Sounds like there’s something going on behind closed doors…
Glad that came through draliman.
Great description. Ooo that last line is a winner!
Thanks Tannile!
Grass! That’s what’s hidden beneath the white! 😉
I really enjoyed this, Andrea!
Methinks you may be right Dale!
It need not be nefarious 😉
Ambiguity is a beautiful thing!
That it is!
Ohhh, I did not expect that last line, which made my blood run cold. Well played!
Thank you. We cant let things get too saccharine around here, now can we Liz?
Nope! My mother would approve. She was very much against shmaltzy writing.
I’m thinking I would’ve liked her
I think you would have. She was definitely a straight shooter!