Facebook Flash Fiction Experiment.

A friend's success in getting a stream of 80 + imaginative responses to his facebook post, inspired me to try a story experiment on facebook, based on the children's party game 'Consequences'.  You remember, description of a man and his name, description of a woman and name, where they met, what they said, what they did and so on. 

A few of us had some fun putting in some random words and phrases and I volunteered to edit it to see if I could make it in to some sort of story.  It is just a bit of nonsense, but it works in a quirky way.  And it just goes to show you can make a story from mostly anything!  I hope you enjoy it:

‘’If You Want to Get Ahead, Get a Hat’’

Based on a Facebook Game of Consequences.

Commuters on the 6.35am express to Kings Cross thought the shy man who always sat in the same seat, was a little odd. Some wondered if he was foreign, probably because of the foppish Fedora he wore. 

The hat hinted at his ‘other life’, where he was gregarious and dashing Rudolf Valentine Day-Lovitt.  It was Day-Lovitt who met fortnightly with his Cuban counterpart in the library.

Abigail Poultney was watching.  The man in the Fedora seemed familiar.  ‘Someone from my dangerous, exciting past?’ she wondered.  When she tried to recall it, memories floated away.  To Abi life was ’Before Being Jilted’ and ‘After Being Jilted’.  She’d been crazy since that day in 1983.  Her love had bolted from the alter before saying ‘I do’.  Now she felt compelled to wear her wedding dress whenever she went out, in case he was waiting with a special licence to marry her.

Abigail was adept with a needle, so the dress had several incarnations.  She was quite a trendsetter with New Romantics and Goths.  

One day Abigail spotted the man in the hat going to the station.  She followed him. The dress had been transformed into a reasonable facsimile of a business suit, so she didn’t feel out of place boarding the train.  Coveting the Fedora, she sat down next to him. ‘The perfect accessory’ she thought.

Rudolf recognised her and she him.  His eyes fixed on the diamond pin on her lapel.  Without preamble he said ‘’Abigail,   Where did you get that brooch?  It reminds me of one stolen from Baroness Hardup’’

‘’Stolen?  That can’t be.  My lover was an honest man.  Then again, the heartless cove jilted me’.

‘’He was anything but honest.  He jilted the Baroness too. Do you know how much that brooch is worth m’dear?

‘Its sentimental value is immeasurable.  I’ll never sell it.  Although I popped into Peplow’s last week.  They valued at £15k.  A fair offer do you think?’

Rudolf removed the Fedora and placed it on the seat between them. ‘Grab Mr Peplow’s hand off m’dear.  Then put that bounder Fortesque-Grungepocket behind you.  We need you back in the service’’. 

‘’Why?’’

‘’To carry out a top secret mission to trap old Fortesque-Grungepocket. 

Abigail gasped ‘You know where he is? ‘

Rudolf paused. ‘You might as well know.  He discovered I have a lucrative sideline with our friends overseas.  Then he went into hiding.  But I’ve tracked him down.  Your job is to finish him for good.  I’m sure that will appeal after everything he’s put you through’.

Abi nodded. ‘Tell me the address’. 

Rudolf bent his head towards her.  Swiftly, Abi grabbed the gun hidden under the Fedora and pressed it against Rudolf’s temple.

‘FG never betrayed me.  There’s no Baroness Hardup.  You’re the reason FG ran from the church. You were going to shoot him.  I lost my sanity because of you.’’.  Abi pulled the trigger.  What was left of Rudi fell back against the seat.

Stepping daintily on to the platform Abigail set the Fedora jauntily on her curls. She smiled at the porter ‘The things a girl has to do these days to get ahead’.

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Contributors in alphabetical order: 

Maggie Doyle, Alan Durham, Tana Durham, Andy Kirk, Damon Lord, Andrew Owens, Polly Robinson.