This is Charli Mills latest prompt
May 20, 2015 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write about an old mystery in the current time. Is it a discovery? Is it solved? Does it no longer matter, or does it impact innocent generations in between?
one of the best books and best films – EVER!
We all love a good mystery, which is really a good story at heart. A tale with a twist. What is not to like? It’s a rare treat to read something, particularly a well constructed novel that has such a ‘wow’ twist at the end. I’m still looking I think. As a child I loved adventure mysteries, like the Secret Seven books of Enid Blyton and later the terribly British hero books like John Buchan even if Richard Hanney his main hero was I think South African (or at least had been in Southern Africa, making him the classic outsider). Best of all, perhaps, I loved the Philip Marlowe Books of Raymond Chandler. My current wip, that is going through its final edit, has it’s main protagonist with a voice a little like that of, and as a small homage to, Marlowe. At least I think so!
And so to my flash. And Mary. And there have been enough mysteries in her life already haven’t there?!
Unravelling the knots in life’s knitting
Rupert looked smug, Mary thought but bit her tongue for Paul’s sake.
Rupert took his time. ‘We know you were one of twins. I have found the birth certificate.’
Mary looked up. ‘Sharon?’
Rupert shook his head. ‘Katherine.’
Mary felt a huge sense of loss; she was so sure. Aunt Gloria said it was just Mary’s childhood imaginary friend.
‘Is she’s dead?’
‘It’s not that easy – it’s not an uncommon name – Katherine Johns.’ But he was smiling
‘What about adoption?’
Rupert pushed an official looking slip towards Mary. Paul nudged her, ‘Good grief, go on before we all self-asphyxiate.’
In the story so far – here – we had heard Mary had a twin – from her father, Peter’s affair with Amanda, whose sister Angela also had an affair with Peter and gave birth to Rupert. Mary found all this out after her father died; in a dream she was sure the twin visited her and was called Sharon. She was also sure she was dead. When a body was found in her father’s garden she was sure it was her twin but it was another child possibly the victim of a ritualised killing. Mary is pregnant and still struggling to come to terms with all these revelations.
Even Paul is losing patience, but I think Rupert is trying to bask in the big reveal. Now we have to wait, don’t we?
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Fraud so.
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You sure know how to make us keep waiting in suspense. Mary’s is a story full of twists and turns.
I do hope you’ll put these together in a book for us to read in the end.
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That is entirely possible.
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Keep it in mind.
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Will do
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My husband’s bookshelf is overflowing with Raymond Chandler books. 🙂 Great job on the flash, moving Mary’s story along. But what is going to happen?!
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He went to school about 200 yards from where I live now. Small piece of fame.
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I love Chandler, too! But my favorite from that era is Cornell Woolrich 🙂
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I’m ashamed to say I know him not.
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He wrote more creepy, fatalistic pulp fiction. Both authors had a number of their works made into films noir, which was how I got to know them.
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I will look him out
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Omg! Its more complicated than Eastenders! 😁
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Hope so!
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Seems we both loved EB Geoff 🙂 I wrote a post last year about my obsession with James Hadley Chase and his noir detective thrillers and loved Phillip Marlowe (Raymond Chandler accused Chase of plagerising I think, but I loved both their books!). And as for your flash, can’t wait to read the next installment…
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Thanks Sherri. Hugh has just come out of the closet on EB too! We need a fan club starting
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Haha! Yes, Hugh and I had a little chat about EB too…let’s do it 😉 PS Re the gathering in London, do you have Sacha’s link, as I don’t seem to have saved it? I’m hoping to join in…
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here’s the link http://sachablack.co.uk/2015/05/07/first-possibly-annual-bloggers-bash-its-on/ Be great if you were there.
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Thanks so much Geoff, I really hope to get there and meet everyone 🙂
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Ive been out of the closet for years now, Geoff. Now there’s a story… 🙂
The Bloggers gathering in on 1st August, meeting outside The British Library. I dont have the link to Sacha’s post but I’m sure she’ll send it to you. It would be lovely to see you both there. I’m already counting down the days. 🙂
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I have it in the diary too, though I read today about a professorial protest about people crowding the academics out of the BL to use the free wifi. We may walk into a wigs and gown shit storm – which of course may be right up your street.
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I was only talking with Sherri about Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven a few days ago. I read everyone of those books at least twice, but never caught on to The Famous Five.
I’m beginning to think Mary is hiding a deep dark secret.
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Dear EB much and unfairly maligned. She was one factor in me reading. As for Mary, do you think so? Maybe.
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Ha, you, me and Sarah have all picked on adoption as part of the mystery. What I’m wondering is whether you know the answer yourself, or are waiting with the rest of us to find out!
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No idea. All down to Charli. The picture clue this week may well take me somewhere unexpected.
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I’ve just entered the NYC Flash Fiction competition and the first round kicks off on…you guessed it 1st August. I have 48 hours to get my piece of flash written and submitted. I’ll be looking for plenty of inspiration on the day 🙂
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You will be inspired. I guarantee you will meet characters galore.
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Oh Mr Le Pard, you are awful! Poor Mary. There have been so many twists and mysteries, what is one more? I can’t wait to find out what Rupert is about to reveal. Bring it on!
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;-))
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