March 4, 2021, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that includes sweet potatoes. It can be part of a recipe, meal, or used as a nickname. Where do sweet potatoes take you? The grocery store? The garden? Mars? Go where the prompt leads!


The Potato Thief – by Hugh W. Roberts

He should never have stolen my home-grown, sweet potatoes.

He may have been an enthusiastic, good-looking man, but just because I gave him some, he had no right coming back in the dead of night to help himself to me and more potatoes.

Furious, I ended up hitting him over the head with the shovel and burying his body under the sweet potato patch. Boy, did it make them taste even sweeter; until the day forensics arrived and dug up the patch.

Still, at least I get to make sweet potato mash for all the boys here in prison.

***

Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch. Click here to join in.

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51 responses to “The Potato Thief #flashfiction”

  1. nightlake avatar

    Good imagination. His fellow inmates really need to be careful:)

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      At least there is no soil in prison. Unless, of course, the prison has a garden.

      1. nightlake avatar

        Guess prisoners are made to build organic vegetable gardens in some prison yards (as a part of their work assignment in prisons).

        1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

          Yes, I expect so, but with all those prison guards about, there’s no chance of hiding any bodies in the vegetable patch.

  2. dgkaye avatar

    I may never eat a sweet potato again LOL :) xx

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Go on. I bet you will. 😁
      xx

      1. dgkaye avatar

        LOLLLLLLLLLL :) x

  3. TheSteve3 avatar
    TheSteve3

    Idk why but this just made me hungry.

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Probably all the mentions of potatoes and what you can do with them.

  4. Sam "Goldie" Kirk avatar

    What an original and twisted take on the prompt. Nicely done!

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Thank you so much, Sam. I thought it a tough challenge this week, but I’m delighted with the result.

  5. Norah avatar

    I think that thief had it coming to him.

  6. Sweet Potatoes « Carrot Ranch Literary Community avatar

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  8. Charli Mills avatar

    That’s some dark soil in the sweet potato patch. Like a good sweet potato mash you have all the right ingredients for a masterful story, Hugh.

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      That’s a lovely compliment about my story, Charli. For days, I was stumped about what to write, but then I saw my partner gardening…

  9. Terri Webster Schrandt avatar

    Not sure if I’ll look at potatoes the same way again, Hugh, but this was fun and engaging, with the “Hugh twist” of course! :)

    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar

      Took me a while to come up with something for the prompt, Terri. It was only when I saw my partner doing a spot of early spring gardening that the story came to me. Thanks for the feedback on it being fun and engaging.

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