Welling Up #99wordstories #carrotranch

Posted on May 24, 2022 by TanGental

This week’s #99wordstories is

May 23, 2022, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story using the phrase “well’s gone dry.” Is it a real well or a metaphorical well? Why is it dry? What is the consequence and to whom? Go where the prompt leads!

Welling Up

Little Tittweaking’s Devil’s Well became famous when a bottle of its water turned into a potent gin one wet Bank holiday. So potent was it that many said a drinker would forever after pass ‘a particularly muscular urine’.

To combat the town’s inebriation, the incumbent, Roger Andoubt turned the well into a temperance hotel. New visitors were turned away with a mournful ‘Well’s gone dry’.

On his death, Clover, Roger’s widow had his casket lowered into the well. It came back as a crate of absinthe. Each year, on his death day, Roger’s absinthe was toasted by grateful locals.

About TanGental

My name is Geoff Le Pard. Once I was a lawyer; now I am a writer. I've published several books: a four book series following Harry Spittle as he grows from hapless student to hapless partner in a London law firm; four others in different genres; a book of poetry; four anthologies of short fiction; and a memoir of my mother. I have several more in the pipeline. I have been blogging regularly since 2014, on topic as diverse as: poetry based on famous poems; memories from my life; my garden; my dog; a whole variety of short fiction; my attempts at baking and food; travel and the consequent disasters; theatre, film and book reviews; and the occasional thought piece. Mostly it is whatever takes my fancy. I avoid politics, mostly, and religion, always. I don't mean to upset anyone but if I do, well, sorry and I suggest you go elsewhere. These are my thoughts and no one else is to blame. If you want to nab anything I post, please acknowledge where it came from.
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10 Responses to Welling Up #99wordstories #carrotranch

  1. Annette Rochelle Aben says:
    May 24, 2022 at 3:21 pm

    Ha! I’ll drink to that!!

    Liked by 1 person

  2. noelleg44 says:
    May 24, 2022 at 4:22 pm

    Another marvelous creation from the depths of your gray cells. But absinthe in place of gin?- there’d be more craziness in Little Tittweaking before long!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. KL Caley says:
    May 24, 2022 at 7:56 pm

    Well and truly pickled 😄.

    Liked by 2 people

  5. Norah says:
    May 25, 2022 at 12:16 pm

    So funny! I love the play on absinthe.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. D. Wallace Peach says:
    May 25, 2022 at 9:50 pm

    Now, where did you say this well is? Lol. Great story, Geoff, and full of your wonderful quirkiness. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.