Friday Fictioneers – The Music of Time

Every week, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (thank you, Rochelle!) hosts a flash fiction challenge, to write a complete story, based on a photoprompt, with a beginning, middle and end, in 100 words or less. Post it on your blog, and include the Photoprompt and Inlinkz on your page. Link your story URL. Then the fun starts as you read other peoples’ stories and comment on them!

FF - The music of time

PHOTO PROMPT © TED STRUTZ

The Music of Time

Strangers walking past the house sometimes pause and listen. Sometimes they smile; sometimes they weep.

If you ask them why, they say, “Why, it’s the music, of course!”

I heard it myself once. It was soft and gentle; tranquil; joyful; resigned; a piano played with no virtuosity but great art.

I walked around the house, all the way around. The windows were shuttered. There were no lights despite the dull, grey evening.

The garden was untended, lawns merging with flower beds and ivy strangling the trees.

By the front gate, a shabby sign creaked.

“For Sale”, it said.

Inlinkz – Click here to join the fun!

40 thoughts on “Friday Fictioneers – The Music of Time”

    • Dear Rochelle
      Thank you for reading and for your kind comment. The house is, as you say, special. It reminded me of the March family home in Little Women. Who would haunt that? Why, Beth, of course.
      Shalom
      Penny

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Linda
      Thank you for reading and commenting. The temptation to restore the house is strong, I agree, but I wonder whether the music would survive the renovation. I think new occupiers would bring their own music, perhaps.
      With very best wishes
      Penny

      Liked by 1 person

    • Dear Bernadette
      Thank you for reading and commenting. I think a musician would be more likely than almost anyone else to become a perceivable ghost because we focus so intently on communicating emotion.
      With very best wishes
      Penny

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    • Dear Jolly
      Thank you for reading and commenting so kindly. Yes, although the house immediately struck me as haunted, it nevertheless had a friendly feel to it.
      With very best wishes
      Penny

      Like

  19. I am not sure if this selling technique is working – this house has not sold – if the owner could just tear his body of bones away from the piano and tidy the place up – well that might work. Who wants to buy a place with a ghostly piano, then again it would be a great talking point when you have guests around for dinner, and entertaining to boot. This is a sweet ghost story, loved it.

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