January 9, 2024, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a recovery story. What instigated the recovery? What is being recovered? Data, athletes, illness — expand the idea of recovery and find your story. Go where the prompt leads!
You should read last week’s piece of flash fiction first. Then today’s piece of flash will make more sense.
Flash Fiction – Red Or Yellow?
The Time Traveller’s Husband – by Hugh W. Roberts
Hell was too hot for me, but the men were so hot!
“You don’t know how pleased I am to see you,” shouted my husband’s voice. “But how did you get here?”
“I have the same time machine as you, but, unlike you, I always read the instruction manuals first,” I smiled.
I watched as my husband gathered his belongings.
“What makes you think I’ve come here to recover you?” I asked.
“Well, who else would you be here for?” came his reply.
The look on my husband’s face was priceless as I escorted Satan to my time machine.
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
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Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘Glimpses.’
Glimpses
28 short stories and pieces of flash fiction take the reader on a rollercoaster of twists and turns.
Paperback – £4.99
Kindle – £0.99
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Loved it Hugh! I did not see that ending coming!
Thanks, Carol anne.
Oh dear… Part one wasn’t so bad, but now Satan is off who who knows where?! I’m afraid what the next 99 words will unleash on an unsuspecting world! I liked the bickering between the couple.
You could probably tell they’d been together for a longtime. The honeymoon period is certainly over.
Ha! You’ve taken your classic twists to a hole new level. He read the instruction manual but did he read the warning label?
I’m guessing not. He should have read all the small print, too.
Naughty boy! I laughed at this one–hard!
Good to hear. We all need laughter in our lives.
Thanks for bringin’ it!
I like how you continued this story line from last week’s, Hugh. Great timing to tie up any loose ends. Let’s hope time Machines don’t really go to He’ll. And bring Satan back!
And this is where this piece of flash ends, Terri. This week’s prompt means either a new story or waiting for next week’s prompt.
I’ve bumped into a few Satans during my time. But I never hang out with them and quickly eliminate them from my life.
Wow! Excellent follow-up. Perhaps, a series, Hugh?
It all depends on next week’s prompt from Charli at the Ranch, Eugi. This week’s prompt seemed to fit nicely with continuing last week’s piece of flash. But it doesn’t always work that way. And sometimes, I get absolutely nothing from the prompt.
Understood, Hugh.
I read the previous story, Hugh. This one is a great follow-up. So much for the best man winning.
No winners in either of these two pieces of flash, unless you count Satan as the winner, Dan. It goes to show how different the couple in these two pieces of flash are, though. But they do say that opposites attract.
I love the Twilight Zone, and in the episodes that feature Satan, wins more often than he loses.
I wonder if Mr Serling had anything to do with that?
He was pretty good at those twisted endings. You do those pretty well, yourself.
High praise, indeed. Thanks, Dan.
A dangerous choice, but life should be interesting with Satan
Yes, life with Satan is a whole new ball game, especially when you take Satan back to Earth.
Well, Hugh that is an awesome ending and twist! I can only imagine the look on your husband’s face, when you preferred Satan over him. :)
The one thing that confused me was the sentence where you wrote “…unlike you, I always read the instruction manuals first,” I smiled. Because I thought the reason you got to hell and pushed that red button in the first place (in last week’s story) was because you did not read the manual…
Both these pieces of flash are told by different people, Liesbet, although they are a married couple. There was no mention of the red button being pushed in this part, but the one half of the couple telling this part of the story had read the instruction manual (unlike the other half of the couple who told last week’s story). I could have explained it better had I had more words to play with, but only being allowed 99 words to tell a story can sometimes be a big challenge. But that’s what I like about the 99-word flash fiction challenge.
Glad you enjoyed the twist, though.
Thanks for the explanation, Hugh. Now it makes more sense. :)
Good to hear. Thanks for the feedback, though. Others may have thought the same as you.
That was certainly unexpected:)
That’s music to my ears. Thank you.
Wow! That’s a helluva story, Hugh!
Do you think so, Jan? I like shocking readers with a twist at the end of my pieces of flash, although sometimes I trick readers by ending on a happy ending rather than a shocking twist.