Thursday, February 28, 2013

Inheritance

This is an exciting Friday Fictioneers week since my photo is the prompt! I'm so pleased and cannot wait to read all of the 100-word offerings. If you haven't yet heard, my photo was taken in Florida (as I walked by this unique car in a parking lot). To my pleasant surprise, it placed first at the recent Ozarks Writers League annual contest. It's blue ribbon time!

Here is the interior of this cool, home-made car. I plan to print out a sampling of the FF stories and will attempt to find the owner the next time I'm in Florida. I have seen this car parked at the same restaurant twice so I'm hopeful we'll connect.

Beth Carter, Photographer (c)

INHERITANCE
By Beth Carter

Jenny sat on a sofa, avoiding the gaze of her trust-fund cousins. They had always looked down their plastic-surgery noses at her waitress job, but her sweet, funny uncle had loved her.

The attorney announced $100,000 would go to each grandchild for educational purposes. He then addressed her two cousins by name. “Your father has bequeathed his cattle ranch to you.”

Jenny stiffened, knowing how they loathed getting their hands dirty.

He turned to Jenny. “Your Uncle Clever left you his favorite car.”

Her smug cousins laughed while Jenny wondered how she would spend the $1 million she knew was under the floorboard.

Actually, I wrote TWO stories this week. Maybe I'm entitled since I took the photo. Maybe not.
Either way, please let me know which one you like best! Here's #2:

PRIDE AND JOY

By Beth Carter

Sylvia took a long sip of chardonnay as she studied Tina’s perfectly manicured nails and designer shoes—the nails and shoes Sylvia had long envied.

“You know, I thought I had finally found the right guy.”

“What happened?”

“We met at that new restaurant, ordered an expensive meal and drank a bottle of imported wine.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

Sylvia rolled her eyes. “Nothing. Everything was perfect until—”

Tina leaned forward. “Until what?”

“He offered to drive me to his yacht in his ‘pride and joy.’ When we got to the parking lot, he opened the door to THIS.”


Hope you enjoyed my two flash fiction pieces! Hop over to http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com
to read the other 100-word stories by our growing Friday Fictioneers.






64 comments:

  1. Beth... you can write two stories any Friday for me. I'm sure Everyone in Cape Coral knows this guy.

    I really liked 'Inheritance'... It was a complete story with an engaging heroine. I didn't quite understand the ending of Story #2. The two women were not that engaging... unlike Jenny and the cousins. So #1 for me.

    Thanks for the photo this week. It brought back some fond memories for me.

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    1. Thanks, Ted. I prefer #1 also but had fun with the superficial gals in #2.

      Yes, I'm sure it won't take me long to find the owner. I just have to travel back to Florida first and miss our cold, dreary Missouri weather. What a shame.

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  2. hello Beth! first, the car in your photo is just a display car, right? just checking...second, loved both your stories. the first one, right way to take care of those greedy relatives. ugh.
    second story...hmm, not the perfect guy because of his car? i'm not sure she deserves him then. ha ha.
    thank you for the photo and the stories. ♥

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    1. No! That car runs!!! I've seen it in a variety of parking spaces in front of a local restaurant. Crazy, huh?

      I agree. The spoiled gals in #2 don't deserve a nice guy. They are gold diggers.

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  3. Second one was pretty good, but the first was better. Though I admit, I dabbled with using the car for a date, too...

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    1. I agree the first story is better. Thanks for stopping by. I'll head over to yours soon.

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  4. Well done, Beth. I actually liked the second one better, so looks like it's a tie at the moment. It will be great to hear about the owners reaction when you show him some of the stories that he's inspired. Thanks for sharing the photo.

    Pete

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    1. Yay! I'm glad someone liked #2 even with the spoiled women. I can't wait to share several of these stories once I find the owner! Thanks for stopping by. I'll do the same.

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  5. Good idea - thanks for prompt. First story great!

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  6. Congratulations on the photography contest and on getting chosen for the prompt. It's a great picture and seems to have so much history behind it. Great stories. I love the irony of the first one.

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    1. Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the photo and my story (ies). Yes, I had to get back at those hateful cousins.

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  7. Hi Beth
    Love the picture and your stories. Yes, I think you are definitely entitled to two stories this week!
    I prefer the first one - love the trust fund cousins and the fact that Jenny had the last laugh. Great writing.

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    1. Thank you and I agree about the cousins. I appreciate your kind comments and will find your story soon.

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  8. Fantastic picture, and I loved your first story - I can easily imagine an eccentric uncle stashing $1 million in his jalopy!

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    1. I can too! Gotta love eccentric uncles who get the last laugh.

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  9. Well done on winning the photo contest. I love the photo. Those seats are two great characters, who've clearly had a lot of life experience! I liked both your stories. I sympathised more with your Cinderella-like heroine in the first. Revenge is always sweet! Your heroine in the second story didn't appeal as much. I suspected her philosophy of life! At this stage of the tale anyway. Both stories were excellent however. Thanks for a good read. Ann

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    1. Ann, thank you for your thoughtful comments. I love that car. The outside is cool, too, but I decided to focus on the rich details of the interior. I prefer the first story also.

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  10. I like them both, although I don't necessarily like the people in the second one. Your story pointed out their shallowness quite nicely. As for the first, I like the twist and the cousins getting the ranch. I wonder about using "puckered", which doesn't seem to me to fit there, at least on its own, and doesn't seem express what she's feeling.

    Congratulations on the photo, too. It would be fun if you could find the car owner and present him/her with some stories the car inspired.

    janet

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    1. Yes, shallow women is what I was depicting. I like writing about people I don't like!

      Thanks for your comments. Funny about "puckered." At first I had " straightened" then "puckered" and agree with you that it's not quite right. I changed it to "stiffened." Wanted to express that the will caught her by surprise and she knew the cousins would hate inheriting the ranch!

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  11. I like No. 1 the best, and thanks for the prompt, Beth. I hope Jenny hangs onto the car and drives it regularly despite the one million bucks! Thanks again.

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  12. Congrats on having your photo chosen! I liked the descriptions of the cousins in #1, as well as the twist at the end.

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    1. Thanks, Bee. I tried to comment on yours but was at a loss. It wouldn't let me!. I really enjoyed your story.

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  13. I liked the first one better, too. Although I enjoyed the second as well. Great job. I hope you find the owner of that car. Would love to know some history.

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    1. I'll find him. Now that I've met a few people in Florida, someone us bound to know the eccentric car owner. Loved yours but now I'm afraid of the car!

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  14. I vote for the story on top. Wouldn't we all like to inherit a million dollars under the floorboard of, well, anything?

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    1. Yes, I believe so, Jennifer. Great to see you here.

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  15. Poor Sylvia, if she had stayed around a little longer, she might have been the heroine of "Inheritance" and inherited Uncle Clever's million-dollar car instead of Jenny.

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    1. But Jenny deserved it more, in my opinion. Thanks for stopping by.

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  16. Thank you for a wonderful prompt, and I felt your first 100 was spot on!

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  17. A great photo, Beth, and I've enjoyed all the different stories it engendered. I liked both of yours, though I must say the first one particularly appealed to me. Good job on the photo and both stories.

    Here's mine: http://unexpectedpaths.com/friday-fictioneers/eye-of-the-beholder/

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    1. Thanks, Maggie. I'm glad you enjoyed all three. Heading to yours now.

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  18. I loved the photo, Beth, and congratulations on your award! Well done. I loved your stories. I think the first is my favorite. It was a big surprise at the end! I felt happy for your character.

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    1. I'm so glad. Thanks for your kind comments. I like a happy ending most days and am glad you related to my character.

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  19. First of all, I loved your photo, and I probably didn't do it full justice since I had a story itching to come out. On your story I think the first is my favorite, though I detect a slight similarity between the two

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    1. Bjorn, your Dear John letter was great but feel free to write two like me! I'm glad you like my photo.

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  20. Both stories were good, Beth. You're really on a roll. I'm glad she knew about the hidden money. That makes the car a treasure in more ways than one.

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    1. That's true, Russell. A nice way to put it. Thanks for your nice comments.

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  21. Dear Beth,
    First thanks so much for the loan of your award winning photo. It jumped out at me when I first saw it and I was delighted when it won. Even my husband said it would make a great prompt when he saw it.
    I'm a fan of the first story. Loved it when the snooty cousins inherited the ranch. I feel an estate sale coming on.
    Sounds like Jenny's uncle had her number. Sweet little twist at the end. Always nice to see "Cinderella" win in the end. Good job!
    Shalom,
    Rochelle

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    1. I'm an underdog/Cinderella kind of girl so I had to end it like that. Glad you liked it as well as the photo.

      Thanks for your kind words and for using my pic as the prompt! I'm honored, Rochelle.

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  22. I liked them both. The first was fantasy with an underdog, we all love an underdog, especially if she gets to marry the handsome price and leave her two ugly step sisters at home, or something like that.
    The second, as a woman, who has been on her share of disaster dates, I could feel for your main character. I laughed with her and thought “Yup your disaster date beat my disaster date; so far.” Btw, congrats on your photo award.

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    1. Lol. Good points. And I had my share of disaster dates over a span of many years, too.

      I appreciate your thoughtful comments.

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  23. Boy, that's a tough decision, but I think I slightly prefer the first story. They're both clever! I loved the photo -- so many stories within that car. I hope you're able to find the owner and share some of the stories with him!

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    1. Yes, there are a lot of details to play with and the Fictioneers certainly did. Miss your FF stories but I know you're crazy busy

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  24. The first one had a better story and more fully developed characters, but the second one amused me. Great job on both!

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    1. Thanks, Sharon. I agree. It's hard to develop characters in 100 words but a fun challenge!

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  25. Hi Beth,
    Comgrats on your OWLS win and it being used for the photo prompt.
    I liked the first story best.
    Felt sorry for the second gal. I am sure she missed seeing a fablous yacht. I am imagining him using his car, that he made for fun, to weed out the gold diggers.

    I want to see the outside photos of that car.
    Janet Kay Gallagher





















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    1. Thank you, Jan. I think that would be a great way for him to weed out the gold diggers!

      I wondered if anyone would like tosee the outside of the car. It's actually kind of pretty and a striking green.

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  26. This is the second one I've read with things hidden in the floorboard, but I've still got to choose option A. I like the smirk of it. :-)

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    1. Oh, interesting. Who wrote the first one? I'd love to read it.

      And smirk can be a lot of fun. Welcome to the FF!

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  27. Thanks for the photo. I nearly wrote a cinderella type story as well. Therefore like the 2nd one the best. First one is wonderful wishful thinking.

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    1. I'm glad some liked the second one! Thx for stopping by. I'll head to yours.

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  28. Beth, I love the photo (hard for me to believe that's a real car. I thought maybe a piece of art at a gallery somewhere--amazing!). Both of your stories are great. Smart uncle to disguise the best gift of all and the second story I can see the characters and am right there in their conversation. Thank you for the prompt, it was a fun write for me.

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    1. It IS a real car with a cool exterior. I'll have to post it here or somewhere where you can all see it. The exterior is snazzier than the interior!

      Thanks for your nice comments. I'll head to yours.

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  29. well done. suggestion - i would love to see this line: "while Jenny wondered how she would spend the $1 million she knew was under the floorboard." instead looking something like this: "while Jenny smiled, knowing what was under the floorboard." gives a little mystery to it, so we don't know exactly what is there, but we know it's important. just a thought.

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    1. Interesting idea if this were a novel that I could draw out but to end it like that would drive me nuts. I appreciate your feedback, though.

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  30. Hi Beth -- Glad you joined us. Do you have any other pictures of the car? I admit I am curious.

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    1. I do. I have the exterior and will post it here later and see if Rochelle wants to post it on her blog or the FF Facebook page. I've been a FF for a year at least!

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  31. Both are nice and very different from each other.
    The first one worked better for me as I loved the twist in the end.
    The second one was a fun read.

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    1. Thanks, Parul. I appreciate your comments and agree with your assessment.

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  32. Thanks for the fantastic photo and both stories. I love the first one. Good to know Jenny has one over on the cousins.

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    1. Revenge is sweet, isn't it?! Thanks for your nice comments.

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  33. Thanks for the photo!
    I like number 1 more :-)

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