22 July 2010

Taluna's Revenge ~ A Magpie Tale

Something always comes knocking on Georgia’s brain reminding her that things are never quite right. Last night it was Johnny’s sister. Georgia sat up at 3:33 am and saw an image of Taluna hanging from the tip of the crescent moon. Her eyes all bulged out. She almost woke Johnny to warn him, but he didn’t put much stock in her “flashes of insight,” as he liked to call them, using his fingers like quotation marks in the air. Johnny’s constant ridicule wore thin. Taluna told her to leave him twenty years ago, but Georgia just couldn’t do it. She wished it was Johhny she’d seen last night. Not Taluna, not the one person who understood what Georgia endured with her big brother. Taluna planted a field of poppies in Georgia and Johnny’s back yard “to soothe your journey, Georgia, to soothe your journey.”

She woke to an empty bed, flicked open her cell phone and pushed the 2. When Taluna didn’t answer cold flooded Georgia. She knew. Sure enough, Taluna was found in her fourth floor walk up loft, hanging from the rafters. With her eyes bulging out, that much Georgia knew. When the police ruled it a homicide, she decided to tell Johnny about her vision.

Johnny flew into a rage, drove his truck straight to Ace and came back wearing his toolbelt, a piece of plywood under arm. Georgia watched, bemused, as Johnny got the ladder from the garage. “I’m sick to death of your little “flashes of insight,” he whined, “this oughta take care of it once and for all.” He trudged up the ladder with that plywood and started to hammer it over her window. A gust of wind picked up. It sent Johnny and the plywood sailing end over end until they landed with a thud in the yard.

Georgia ran to Johnny’s side. She could see that this was the end. “I killed her,” Johnny moaned, “Taluna, baby, I did it…….” His eyes closed for the last time. Georgia shuddered.

That morning Georgia woke at 3:33 a.m. and looked out the window above her bed. There was Taluna, swirling with poppies through gusts of wind. Georgia could swear she saw her wink.

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This story is in response to the picture prompt offered by Willow at Magpie Tales.  Be sure to check out the link other creative responses to the picture.  And thanks, for stopping by!

22 comments:

Gemma Wiseman said...

O how creative! The use of poppies symbolising transition from ugliness to resolution is beautiful! A great piece of writing!

Eric S. said...

Wonderful, a little treachery, and fate, mixed slowly with the paranormal.

Catalyst said...

Terrific piece, Brenda!

Suz said...

ooo! liked this one

Dianne said...

Love this... Very imaginative...

Anonymous said...

what a story love every line!

Baino said...

Short but very sweet in a macabre kinda way

annell4 said...

Good one!

CHummelKornell said...

Love the supernatural element to this one, especially the wink at the end. Well done!

Kathe W. said...

Hah! serves him right-great story! Love the poppies and the wink!

brenda w said...

Thank you all for taking the time to read my Magpie and comment on it. I love it when stories come. Well...I'm off to start reading some of your contributions now. Yay!

Helena said...

A delightful read! ....*wink*

Linda said...

Very imaginative. A good read.

RA said...

How very witty!

Carrie Van Horn said...

Beautiful and intrigueing piece....love the wink at the end! :-)

signed...bkm said...

Very insightful--- I am glad I have no insite, it would be to scary....bkm

Tumblewords: said...

A delightful read so cleverly crafted!

Angie Muresan said...

Well, he had it coming. Haha. Great piece!

Tess Kincaid said...

Nice one! I really liked this!

christine said...

A great story and quite ironic as at first I thought it a tradgedy and then it ended quite funnily.... poor man!


Christine

Anonymous said...

wow...very interesting:)

Anonymous said...

Loved the wink at the end. Great job.
QMM