Thursday, February 21, 2013

Her Golden Laugh




That summer Ginny, Mark, and I were best friends and nothing thrilled us more than a late night excursion to Hoskins Farm, the broken-down haunted farmhouse beyond the lake.

We three would stumble our way to the darkest part of the house and I’d say "Hope something happens" in a spooky voice and Ginny would laugh her golden laugh.

Mark moved away, Ginny amazingly said “I do,” and last thing I expected was a call "Coming to town, let's do Hoskins.”  Once again we three stumbled our way to the darkest part of the house and once again I said "Hope something happens” in a spooky voice.

"Ah, but tonight something will" said Mark, closing his fingers around my throat, and once again Ginny laughed her golden laugh I'd not heard since the summer Ginny, Mark, and I were best friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Picture prompt above, story below, 142 words (a lot), and for some reason this week I decided to go eerie instead of funny.  Of course many people think I am normally eerie instead of  funny, but this week at least it's intentional.

This post is my contribution to the Fabulous Flying Friday Fictioneers and White Picket Fence Painting Brigade for the fourth week of February, 2013.  But don't you go painting any fences when you can click over to a whole haunted house full of stories from the other fictioneers.  You'll find funny, eerie, and everything in between.

Enjoy, and let me hear your golden laugh! 

50 comments:

Sandra Crook said...

Oh wow! That was a departure from your usual style Perry, and very sinister too. I really liked the story and the repetition of the opening line at the end. Very well done.

Rochelle Wisoff-Fields said...

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKK! I expected a laugh. You sneak! Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle

Perry Block said...

I am really an Edgar Allen Poe type hiding out as a humorist --- "Quoth the Raven Nevermore!"

I've succeeded in scaring myself at least.

Perry Block said...

Don't do that! I'm scared enough!

What happens next is Mark bungles the job and falls to his death, Ginny decides she wants me after all, and we take a cruise to Spain where we do it like bunnies in heat the whole way across.

I have to believe that anyway ...

Russell said...

Dear Perry,
I enjoyed your foray into whatever it was. You were really a chicken and Mark was choking you, right? I can see how that caused Ginny to break into her golden laugh.

BTW - I was watching a heart-warming video another reader posted in Rochelle's comments and came a cross a video you'd love. Mariah Carey singing "All I Want for Christmas is . . . Jews." You've got to check that out if you haven't already. It made we want to convert :)

Perry Block said...

Chicken? Yeah, but Mark is really killing me and now I'm dead. On the whole it's not so bad here, but too damn many traffic circles!

Speaking of circles, I'm on my way to check out Mariah right now!

Anonymous said...

Now that's the stuff, Perry!

Anonymous said...

Hi Perry,
You can't go home again, or at least not back to old haunted houses. Good love triangle, which proves you must think outside the box, though really a triangle is a three-cornered box. My wish for you is that you someday escape the enslavement of Blogspot. Ron

janet said...

Good job, Perry! Excellent twist at the end and wonderful last sentence/paragraph.

janet

PirateGunn said...

They returned just for that pleasure...it seems too real...I wonder what he did that annoyed them so much! But great story!

Anonymous said...

Nothing wrong with Dark...
Scott
Mine: http://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/3797/

Anonymous said...

I waited for a chuckle and you froze my blood! Well done. :-)

Unknown said...

This prompt is sure bringing the dark out...very well done.

Anonymous said...

Betrayal -- and hidden inside friendship... Good one

Parul said...

Chilling! I love this story and its characters and the way it's written. Basically everything about it!
One of your finest that I have read so far.

Anonymous said...

That was fantastic! But now you left me wanting to know why??? Why do they want to kill him? I hate being left with questions. Why do you do this to me Perry? Giggles. Wonderful work!

nightlake said...

scary really..hope the narrator escapes if there is going to be part 2

Junying Kirk said...

Short and sinister. Like it :)

Dobson said...

So Mark wants Ginny? What a cad! He has planned this for who knows how long!

Perry Block said...

Thanks. I'm dead, and that's the stuff.

What do you want me to do for an encore?

Perry Block said...

And when I escape the enslavement of Blogspot, know what it's gonna be, Ron?

Perry Unchained!

Perry Block said...

Thanks, Janet. I'm just wondering where I screwed up with Ginny. I always took her out nice to McDonald's on our anniversary.

Perry Block said...

Thanks. I guess Mark and Ginny were just that nostalgic for things past.

Frankly it's one of those things I always liked about them.

Perry Block said...

Yes, but I get nervous when I don't get laughs.

Of course, you'd think I'd be used to it.

Perry Block said...

Here's what I suggest:

Put it on reheat cycle on your microwave, push 1 for one circulatory system, and push "start."

Perry Block said...

Thanks, Boomie! Maybe my Friday Fiction is about to turn into "Murder, She Wrote."

Perry Block said...

Yeah, and here I was planning to buy them both ice cream cones after we got out of the house.

Boy, the joke's really on me!

Perry Block said...

Thanks, Parul. No more cheap humor for me.

From now on, I am an artiste. Of course, I'm also dead, but an artiste!

Perry Block said...

Thanks, Debra. I'm pretty sure they wanted to kill him because it was a slow week.

Couldn't be any other reason.

After all, what a lovable guy!

Perry Block said...

I wouldn't hold my breath for "Her Golden Laugh II; The Return of Perry Kruger."

Perry Block said...

Thanks, Junying.

Bur do me one favor: stop me before I kill my comedy career again!

Perry Block said...

Mark wants Ginny?

Oh, so THAT'S IT!

Tom Poet said...

Did someone say you wre choking a chicken?...Never mind! Good job Perry. I like a little dark once and awhile.
Tom

Lexi said...

You may have hit a new area of expertise :o)

k~ said...

Perhaps the darkest of days will find their way into your words.

k~

brudberg said...

Chilling beyond what my duvet can ever help :-) well done

Ann Isik (Poetic Mapping) said...

When people annoy you, entice them to a broken down barn and strangle them. Good advice. I am drawing up my list.

Perry Block said...

I think most people found this upbeat compared to my usual fare. I realized I must be missing the boat when one guy suggested I add songs to this and head to Broadway ...

Thanks, Tom!

Perry Block said...

Lexi, it's great to see you here.

Well, looks like I may get rich before you. You'll still owe me dinner!

Perry Block said...

I was hoping this was as dark as it's going to get!

But what ya got in mind?

Perry Block said...

Thanks! Plus I learned a new word today.

As soon as I look it up ...

Perry Block said...

Not sure that was the point but ... just remember, I'm already dead.

Bo said...

I really liked this.

Perry Block said...

Why am I not surprised? Of course, "The Great Tomato Killer" likes it!

Shirley said...

I think this one is one of my favorites so far. Great job.

Perry Block said...

Thanks, Shirley.

Guess I'll have to content myself with being Stephen King instead Stephen Colbert.

Abraham Gumba said...

I certainly did not expect that from you!
Well written, though.

Did I tell you I like the new(?) banner at the top?

Perry Block said...

Thank you, Abraham. What few people seem to realize is that I am a serious artiste.

Besides I'm hoping chicks like serious artistes better than they've been liking me!

Thanks for your comment on the banner. So far the cartoon me is way more popular than the real one.

Anonymous said...

Nicely done. Since I'm new to the Friday Fictioneer round-about, I hadn't seen any of your other writings and wasn't thrown off by the tone--although there WAS a laugh at the end. Heh. A lovely turn-around, too.

Perry Block said...

Thank you for the nice comment. I'm still not sure where the laugh was at the end but for most people I think it's the part where I get strangled.

Yep, that always makes me bust a gut too!