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Flash Fiction – The Time Traveller’s Husband

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Hugh W. Roberts

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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.

***

Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

Enjoyed this piece of flash fiction? Then you’ll love ‘Glimpses.’

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Glimpses

Glimpses

28 short stories and pieces of flash fiction take the reader on a rollercoaster of twists and turns.

Available on Amazon

Paperback – £4.99

Kindle – £0.99

***

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32 responses to “Flash Fiction – The Time Traveller’s Husband”

  1. D. Avery @shiftnshake avatar
    D. Avery @shiftnshake

    Ha! You’ve taken your classic twists to a hole new level. He read the instruction manual but did he read the warning label?

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      I’m guessing not. He should have read all the small print, too.

      Reply
  2. Liz H-H avatar
    Liz H-H

    Naughty boy! I laughed at this one–hard!

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Good to hear. We all need laughter in our lives.

      Reply
      1. Liz H-H avatar
        Liz H-H

        Thanks for bringin’ it!

        Reply
  3. Recovery Collection « Carrot Ranch Literary Community avatar
    Recovery Collection « Carrot Ranch Literary Community

    […] The Time Traveller’s Husband by Hugh W. Roberts […]

    Reply
  4. Terri Webster Schrandt avatar
    Terri Webster Schrandt

    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!

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      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.

      Reply
  5. Eugi avatar
    Eugi

    Wow! Excellent follow-up. Perhaps, a series, Hugh?

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      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.

      Reply
      1. Eugi avatar
        Eugi

        Understood, Hugh.

        Reply
  6. Dan Antion avatar
    Dan Antion

    I read the previous story, Hugh. This one is a great follow-up. So much for the best man winning.

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      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.

      Reply
      1. Dan Antion avatar
        Dan Antion

        I love the Twilight Zone, and in the episodes that feature Satan, wins more often than he loses.

        Reply
        1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
          Hugh W. Roberts

          I wonder if Mr Serling had anything to do with that?

          Reply
          1. Dan Antion avatar
            Dan Antion

            He was pretty good at those twisted endings. You do those pretty well, yourself.

            Reply
            1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
              Hugh W. Roberts

              High praise, indeed. Thanks, Dan.

  7. Brenda avatar
    Brenda

    A dangerous choice, but life should be interesting with Satan

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      Yes, life with Satan is a whole new ball game, especially when you take Satan back to Earth.

      Reply
  8. Liesbet @ Roaming About avatar
    Liesbet @ Roaming About

    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…

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      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.

      Reply
      1. Liesbet @ Roaming About avatar
        Liesbet @ Roaming About

        Thanks for the explanation, Hugh. Now it makes more sense. :)

        Reply
        1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
          Hugh W. Roberts

          Good to hear. Thanks for the feedback, though. Others may have thought the same as you.

          Reply
  9. Becky Ross Michael avatar
    Becky Ross Michael

    That was certainly unexpected:)

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      That’s music to my ears. Thank you.

      Reply
  10. Author Jan Sikes avatar
    Author Jan Sikes

    Wow! That’s a helluva story, Hugh!

    Reply
    1. Hugh W. Roberts avatar
      Hugh W. Roberts

      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.

      Reply

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