*plunk” another pebble fell from my hand.
She’s gone. slipped right through my fingers like the stone.
I remember when she told me, “Honey, I’m a ghost. We have to find my killer before I lose my potency.”
“Ghosts have potency levels?”
(The little things I didn’t know about my wife.)
“He killed you for your family’s BBQ recipe?”
” Best in the west” she grinned as she quoted the label.
I fell in love all over again, chasing down her killer.
They found him in a vat of the family recipe.
*
Now I hold her memory and aimlessly watch ghost koi.
***
Today’s Friday Fictioneer’s photo prompt is the photograph of the Koi taken by Douglas Macilroy.
penned in moon dust 
There is something weird about ghost koi. Koi means where,hence ghost koi means where is the ghost ,in my native tongue.I laughed when I read the word ‘koi’.
It only happens in fiction,otherwise why would someone kill for a BBQ recipe?
Tomorrow evening ghosts will not be mentioned,until this time next year.I am sort of glad,I cannot make myself write horror stories real or fiction.
Ranu
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I didn’t know that. Thank you for sharing. There is an unusual feel to the koi.
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This sounds like the plot of a B movie horror flick (the best kind of horror flick if you ask me). I’d watch it.
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ha something between horror and humor – thanks
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Hmm…an interesting bit of flash fiction…think I’ll avoid BBQ for the next few days. 🙂
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Great take on the prompt. well done.
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Very imaginative. That must be some very “killer” bbq sauce.
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must be – ha
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I recently saw an undercover operation on TV where the owner of a BBQ sauce plant suspected a high level employee of selling the secret. So…maybe not so much fiction after all. 😉
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I love that you connected the photo prompt with a ghostly little story, just in time for Halloween!
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I’d love to read more of that, but I also enjoyed the way you managed to squeeze so much in.
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Tantalizing piece… but, I should tell you, I thought my BBQ sauce was the Best in the West! Nice job.
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we will have to do a taste test – thanks so
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Ha! 😀 Dark humor, impressive as always. Interesting plot and really good writing. 🙂
-HA
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now i want that BBQ sauce! enjoyed this dark and humorous story 🙂
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use it sparingly 🙂
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Ghost koi, that’s a new one on me. A bit perplexing, but very interesting!
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Dear Leslie,
Once more I quote my favorite line from Fried Green Tomatoes. “The secret’s in the sauce.” Poetic justice I’d say. Loved this piece. Bravo! Laughter and applause coming your way.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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The secret is in the sauce 🙂
Thanks for always giving us the ingredients
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Dear Leslie,
This was inspired writing that at first had me thinking Russell Gayer had taken over your mind but then it got better. But seriously, this story had multiple levels, reveals and payoffs. Very subtle and strangely affecting. The last sentence is particularly good in how it returns the reader to reality and your protagonist’s loneliness and memories.
Aloha,
Doug
Aloha
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Maybe the killer’s spicy demise will juice up her potency and she’ll be back for a return visit.
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hmm a spice girl…
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otherworldly…except for the bbq sauce, which grounded the story in the human world… 🙂
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Multi-layered story with darkness and humour – you pack a lot into a small amount of words. Well done, very enjoyable.
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There’s some great poetic justice in his demise. I like all the elements in this story: crime, revenge, romantic. It’s a packed 100 words. 🙂
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I like the addition to the family recipe, and I wonder whether that particular batch of sauce should only be served at Halloween. Thanks for sharing that wonderful look into ghost koi.
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How do you fit so many levels into one small story? Excellent.
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oh thank you.
I love the challenge of flash fiction it makes the writer compress an idea but hopefully not reduce the flavor of the story.
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A well crafted story. Nicely done.
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