Jekyll Island Beach 2012

Jekyll Island Beach 2012

Saturday, March 19, 2011

HANGMAN

The Rogue Speaks:

Jenny's Saturday Centus, in which we are given a prompt, and must write a short story in only 100 words or less, makes us stretch our creative selves and work to become better writers. I always look forward to Saturday and to Jenny's challenge. The prompt is in bold type.

The curtain parted. The audience, riveted to their seats, stared in horror as the body of the main character dangled lazily in the air, a rope suspended somewhere high in the rafters of the theatre, tied tightly around his neck. He was obviously quite dead. A piece of paper, pinned to the front of his shirt, bore only one word in large block letters--"LIAR."

Was it murder, or was it suicide?

37 comments:

Christine said...

Whose the liar someone intended in the audience, or himself?? I need to know!

Dazee Dreamer said...

loved it. and the best part was moonlight sonota playing as I read it. great job.

Nonna said...

Good job Judie !

Pondside said...

Yikes - no idea, but I'm glad I wasn't in the audience.

jeff campbell said...

Oh my...mystery theater ;-) So fine Judie...hope you are well my friend...always in my thoughts...Peace

noexcuses said...

Terrific imagery! Enjoyed this one!

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

I am riveted to my seat. This was very powerful, Judie. Great centus!
xoRobyn

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Judie, thanks for coming back to tell me about the url. I not only posted the wrong one, but I'm having problems with it. It's taking me to a bible studies site! OY VEY! Damn those religious hackers. I posted another link but not sure if it works. xo

Barbara Rosenzweig said...

ABSOLUTELY!!!! I'd love to share my paintings with your friends!

http://barbararosenzweig.blogspot.com/

http://www.watercolorsbybarbara.com/

http://www.etsy.com/shop/barbararosenzweig

Thanks so much!!
Hugs,
Barb

Magyar said...

a lier
speaks the final truth
curtain call

A selective thought's senryu Judie.

Judie said...

Doug, thanks! I didn't know the difference, but I do now! How interesting!!

Barbara Rosenzweig said...

Wow, Judie,
It looks terrific. Thanks so much for putting my Eggs & Bowls on your site. I love that you direct folks to clic the pic right to my website!
BTW, I see that you are interested in science - that's what I taught for 36 years and love it, too!
Barb

Ames said...

Umm I am guessing murder and the hangman didn't guess the right letters? L, I, A,and R? :)

Judie said...

Ames, you are soooo clever! xoxo

21 Wits said...

Or was it just darn good acting? This is quite wonderful in such short words too! Love the way you rolled this off the map! Better than great use of Jenny's prompt!

Unknown said...

Great job Judie! Don't you just love this prompt? There is so much that could be done with it. A mystery? Yes. Something with the teater? Yes! Love it!
Best wishes,
Anna
Anna's SC week 46 'curtain parted'

JJ said...

I suspect someone had acted badly.

Cher Duncombe said...

Amazing, awesome, artfully done! Great one, Judie. :)

Kat said...

Intrigue, mystery and murder - in 100 words or less! You rocked this prompt Judie! Kat

Susan Anderson said...

Good comment, Ames!

GREAT centus, Judie!!

=)

Tracy said...

Murder or suicide glad I was not there good take

Tgoette said...

I think it was a very dramatic piece of performance art by a very committed (and sadly a very dead) performance artist. LOL! Great job with this week's prompt Judie! What an imagination!

gaelikaa said...

OMG. That was original for sure!

Sarah said...

How interesting...now I have to think. Maybe it's a wax model of the real character?

nothingprofound said...

Judie-sounds like the beginning of another Judie special-this time a whodunit saga.

sm said...

terrific read

Tom Hakkinen said...

I'm always amazed at the density of your writing Judie. I don't know how you manage to get so much into so few words.

Judie said...

Thank you for your comment Akseli! Here is my response in a nut shell--way too much t.v.!!

THE SNEE said...

Thanks to your vivid imagery, I'm in the theater watching, and waiting to know the truth!

COUNT SNEAKY said...

Such a graphic image! Suppose this was the playwright swinging from the catwalk. Suppose the lead actress thought the play was about her discovering that he was really in love with someone else and she had run off with a shifty stagehand who was really in love with her estranged sister who was in love with an inexperienced hit man who was in love with a Labrador retreiver breeder who hired him to stop the whole miserable bunch from ever performing what was essentially a non-Greek tragedy on wheels. I dunno. Sounds like a great way to get the creative juices flowing from the ol' winepress. My best.

Judie said...

H.! What a sneaky devil you are! You figured out the entire plot! Were you reading over my shoulder???

Rek Sesh said...

Chilly ...glad I wasn't in the audience...but was it an actual performance?...formidable take this.

Tammy said...

Oooh-what dark and chilling imagery! Love it!

Tina said...

what a nasty suprise. would put you off your popcorn that lol

Jenny said...

Are you channeling Mr. Poe again?

It must be exhausting to have so much creative energy flowing through your veins and arteries.

Seriously.

How do you come up with these things. I love the dark twists your mind goes to, they are directions I never seem to go.

Judie said...

Dear Jenny, that is because you are a much nicer person than I am!!

The Guy's Perspective said...

This is a great tease. It could go in so many directions. I wondered what he Lied about. Hmmm......

Hope all is well. Nice music. Like the drums.