Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Evening Shades (FF)



It was a several centuries old graveyard in Philadelphia that I had always meant to explore. Tonight I hesitated, though, because it was nearing darkness and there existed a rumor that it was haunted by Revolutionary War spirits.

But I entered, and as I walked among the headstones of many distant figures of heroic proportion, I saw a light and two small girls sitting on the grass. Trembling a bit, I approached them.

"Children," I said, "you are not of these times, are you?"

"No, kind sir," replied one. "We are the children of the heroes you see interred beneath."

"But why are you here?" I asked.

"We have brought a message for you." 

"A message for me?”  

"That is right, kind sir."

"What in heaven's name is it?!!"

"If you are going to visit this hallowed place, please make sure your fly is zipped up first!"

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

Well, folks, I am very well pleased to present this wise counsel for you to remember any time you visit a historic, religious, or Disney-owned site anywhere in the world. Please keep this principle foremost in your mind while also keeping backmost in your mind that I went over the word limit today by, oh, a time and a half.

Can I help it that the spirits of those two little girls were verbose?  

Verbose or otherwise, you can read some of the other Friday Fictioneers takes on the prompt above by clicking here. But first, time to check you-know-what!

33 comments:

Deborah Drucker said...

A light take on a serious setting. A little comic relief.

Russell said...

That's what I like about you, Perry. You're not afraid to expose yourself to something new, even if they are ghostly apparitions. Hopefully, they didn't point in the general direction of your zipper and laugh.

Anonymous said...

Would these little ghosties know what a zipper even is? Didn't they use buttons back then to keep the privates' privates private? ;)

Dawn said...

Now I don't know what to be afraid of!

Anonymous said...

I can see the children playing a prank with the fly-challenged old man, talking like that :)

Enjoyed this story - it was like taking a break from crying. With this prompt coinciding with Veteran's day many Friday Fictioneers have left me crying , many times rightfully so :)

Perry Block said...

Fly-challenged OLD MAN??!!!!!
Yeah, I guess he is. But it is no prank.

Perry Block said...

I was hoping it was a lot of comic relief. Oh well!

Alicia said...

Oh! So funny and so poignant right now. On Friday we're expecting a bachelor friend who has evidently forgotten how to zip his pants. Each time he visits, I must remind him to "zip it!" Thanks for the laugh.

Perry Block said...

No, they did not. Just about every other female, however, did.

Perry Block said...

Nice catch, Lorna Earl. Looks like it's time for a little suspension of disbelief about zippers.

Perry Block said...

Nobody in this story any way!

Perry Block said...

Just make sure he doesn't zip it too fast or he'll always be a bachelor!

Sandra Crook said...

The way things are round here, your character would have been in the slammer by now, Perry. And he might not even have had an unzipped fly, either.

P.S. Joshi said...

I should have known there was nothing to fear, even with ghosts, in one of your stories, Perry. I'm willing to suspend belief about those ghosts knowing about zippers. At least you're honest about being forgetful. If it's any compensation, I've read that we elders forget more because we have more in our memories. It's crowded in there. :D --- Suzanne J

Rochelle Wisoff-Fields said...

Dear Perry,

Leave it to you to cheapen the moment. And you do it so well in only a hundred words or more.

Shalom,

Rochelle

Jan Brown said...

Hahaha! Good twist ending ;-p

Perry Block said...

I'm in the slammer already. I didn't go that far over the word count!

Perry Block said...

I'm sure that's true but I'm not an elder!!!! And all my ghosts are friendly for that matter.

Perry Block said...

Thank you, Mick. A lesson for all of us.

Perry Block said...

Cheapening R Us.

Perry Block said...

Yeah, I just need to twist it a bit and I can zip it up.

plaridel said...

oh, what a twist. i didn't have a clue it would end like that. :)

liz young said...

How embarrassing - exposed in front of children. Phantom paedo?

Anonymous said...

Hilarious.
Although, you're lucky that they are old souls - as today they would have video'd your unzippered stance and called police, HRS, posted on YouTube, and sexted (well, maybe not).

Randy

Perry Block said...

Yes, I like to zip up all the loose ends at the end! There may be two jokes in there, I'm not sure.

Perry Block said...

You're reading way too much into it! This is a clean story.

Perry Block said...

I dunno, I think they would have just called me out for the idiot I am.

Unknown said...

I do believe people of that era used more words, in general. They'd be no good at texting! So, I think you're excused from the word limit with this one. You're just trying to stay true to the times after all. And you have to include that last bit of advice. So important, Perry! Nicely done.

Perry Block said...

Thank you for having my back, Amy, as always. That's exactly what I was trying to do --- be faithful to the era in dispensing this critical advice. Also I hate to edit. Thanks for writing.

draliman said...

Proper etiquette must be observed at all times!

Perry Block said...

Yes, indeed. All times throughout two or more centuries.

Gah Learner said...

I wondered if you'd do it, with the theme and all. And you did it--gotta wipe my screen, again. I shouldn't drink coffee when I read your stories. Hilarious. I really needed that laugh.

Perry Block said...

I guess you weren't scared then. Thanks!