Today’s photo prompt from Friday Fictioneers is a photograph submitted by Scott Vanatter with permission-Copyright- Indira. Thanks to Rochelle for her continued dedication to making this site work.
One fine spring morning we planted the biodegradable cylinder containing a mix of my father’s ashes, an organic nutrient and the precious seeds. Sentimental claptrap… or a tacit tree-hugger conspiracy? Who knew?
Throughout the ceremony the family sobbed uncontrollably, casting speculative or accusatory glances at me, whilst I stood apart, dry-eyed.
I’d been his favourite; they all knew that.
Only my mother knew why.
Today the ash tree stands forty feet tall, towering over me, boughs reaching out for me. Even now.
And I must acknowledge the truth.
There’s no way it should have grown this fast in just twelve months.
castelsarrasin 
Superb – some of us just love that dark place!
LikeLike
Can’t seem to haul myself out of it! What does this say about me…. 😉
LikeLike
Dear Sandra,
Very entertaining and well written. I’d really like to know more about Daddy’s ashes. 😉
shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Thanks Rochelle for reading and commenting.
LikeLike
On the 7th we cross the Channel and should be in St. Gilles on our boat Re registered with the name “Paradiddle”. We have to give up the mooring on the 10th and we have arranged to take one in Capestang. So the big 4 month cruise commences. I have added to my RYA Coastal certificate the ICC and the Cevni, so with Ships papers all in order we are legal and theoretically competent. We aim to head for Moissac and beyond so should pass your mooring sometime in May I guess. Regards Mike and Joan Hoggard
________________________________
LikeLike
Emailed response.
LikeLike
lovely as usual. with an unexpected twist in the end
LikeLike
Thank you!
LikeLike
While you story deals with death, I don’t see it as dark. And aside from the sub-plot of the family resentments or jealousies, I like the tongue-in-cheek irony, the soft humor and wit. Nice one. Randy – And written so quickly….
LikeLike
If I falter at the starting line, I find it very difficult to finish at all Randy. 🙂 Thanks for commenting.
LikeLike
Very quick, a myriad of emotions,,,dark,,not dark,,,dark,,one must feel what one feels..
LikeLike
Thanks pirate. 🙂 Dark is good.
LikeLike
well written.. the story has brought out a lot of lot of emotions. Of death, of trying to deal with the tragedy and making choices which are contrary to accepted norms.
LikeLike
Thanks Shreyank.
LikeLike
That’s quite an intriguing story, the idea of the father reincarnated in a way, in the tree. If that’s it in a year, I wonder what it would look like after 20 years.
LikeLike
I believe this is becoming quite fashionable, nurturing a tree from someone’s remains. I rather liked the sound of it, but of course couldn’t resist a sinister turn… 😉
LikeLike
I blame the organic nutrient.
LikeLike
I need some of that nutrient. And so does my garden…
LikeLike
Well told. You can almost see the sneers and the smile on the father’s face
LikeLike
Thanks moondustwriter. 🙂
LikeLike
Who would know that this is the trick of good gardening. Amazing that we both brought in ashes to the story (and I never read anyone’s story before doing my own).
LikeLike
Yes, I don’t like to read others before I write my own. Thanks for dropping by.
LikeLike
Great story again this week Sandra, left me with a lot of unanswered questions to imagine the answers. I wonder what ‘his favourite’ meant. It made me shudder! Perhaps that is just the ex-social worker in me following the smoke and looking for fire!
LikeLike
I think you were on the right smoke trail jwd… Thanks for commenting, glad you liked it.
LikeLike
Back on the dark side again I see!
Loved your story Sandra, especially the way you deal with family jealousy.Excellent.
Dee
LikeLike
Can’t stay away from it Dee. 🙂 Thanks for commenting.
LikeLike
On the bright side, I like the idea of allowing a dead person or animal to return to the earth (as you can tell from my story.) I was thinking that this was an usually sunny story for you when you twisted the ending. You really are wallowing on the dark side these days. 🙂 And wallowing well.
janet
LikeLike
Thanks Janet. I must confess, I rather like the idea of a living memorial like this. Thanks for commenting.
LikeLike
Your story gave me a chill at the end! It was beautiful. Left just enough up to the imagination to make you curious without feeling empty.
LikeLike
Thank you! 🙂
LikeLike
So much meaning between the dark lines here. love it.
LikeLike
Thanks Sandra. 🙂
LikeLike
Nice twist
LikeLike
Thanks. 🙂
LikeLike
Dear Sandra – Wow. Call you “Speedy Gonzalez” to capture #1 this week. Loved your story. This is common in Central Park in NYC. Ashes are often mixed with wild flowers. I think of this every time I walk through CP and view the lovely wild flowers. It’s illegal, but who’s to prove it or complain? My story is not up yet.
LikeLike
Yes I think it’s a good idea, returning ashes to nature in this way. Thanks for dropping by.
LikeLike
“I’d been his favourite; they all knew that.
Only my mother knew why.”
Please let us in on the secret–why was she the favorite? Tantalizing tale.
LikeLike
Well it could be one of two things, and I haven’t really fixed on one in my mind. Maybe he was abusing her, or on the other hand maybe he suspected, correctly, that the other children were not his. Either way, I’m fixed on the idea that the father’s love for the narrator was oppressive… Thanks for dropping by vb.
LikeLike
Dad ashes must be great fertilizer. Enjoyed your story Sandra.
LikeLike
He was a powerful man, that’s for sure. Thanks Kim.
LikeLike
A wonderful story Sandra. I enjoyed it. actually made me feel good! 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks Penny! I’m pleased. 🙂
LikeLike
i love how the whole story is shrouded in mystery… never revealing anything but suggesting at something dark and sinister… i ended up thinking of all sorts of reasons as to why the narrator was daddy’s favorite
LikeLike
Yes, I’m not sure with 100 word fiction that it’s always necessary to dot the ‘i’s and cross the ‘t’s. Thanks for commenting kz.
LikeLike
This story made me want to hear more. It’s hard to create an eerie, chilled feeling in daylight but you got it.
LikeLike
Thank you Mystikel. Glad you liked it.
LikeLike
Now I know what to do with my brother’s ashes. Well done on your pantheistic take on the prompt. 🙂 Ann
LikeLike
Thanks for opening up a whole new line of study with that word Ann. 🙂
LikeLike
Intriguing story – I don’t think I understand completely though – what was it that only the mother knew – I thought the worst at first, but then the daughter would know too… I am intrigued. And I’d like some of that organic nutrient!
LikeLike
Very clever. I don’t think I’d mind becoming a tree.
LikeLike
Yes, I’m quite taken with this idea myself. Thanks for dropping by.
LikeLike
Hi Sandra! Straight out of the starting blocks this week for you. I’ve made up for my delay by writing three (insane?).
I have in my head two completely different interpretations of this story, one very dark but doesn’t explain the fast growth, the other explains the growth but seems less likely. Too many questions! I want to know the answers; perhaps you’ll post them next week when everyone else has had a chance to come up with their own?
LikeLike
I’m not sure I’ve decided myself Jen. See response to vbholmes above. But there’s no explanation for the rapid growth other than that the father was a larger than life, powerful personality who couldn’t stop himself, even after death. 😉
LikeLike
Oh, yes, gotta like that one!
Scott
Mine: http://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/friday-fictioneers-april-5-2013-genre-fantasyhumor-pg/
LikeLike
Thank you!, and for channelling the photograph. 🙂
LikeLike
heck of a story arc for 100 words.
LikeLike
I may return to this. Thanks for dropping by.
LikeLike
Dad must have been, shall I say, really fun of fertilizer 🙂 He really got his ash in gear to grow that fast in twelve months.
LikeLike
🙂 🙂
LikeLike
A strong underlying current here, with the narrator being dry-eyed and “boughs reaching out for me. Even now.” Very well written story to have the surface story and the happenings underneath.
LikeLike
Hmmm. A secret is mixed in with those ashes, too, I suspect. Good job.
Here’s mine: http://unexpectedpaths.com/friday-fictioneers/life-a-cliche/
LikeLike
When I read your title, I was afraid I was in for a cheesy sentimental tale. Quite the opposite! This story has such depth, emotion, and wit. Your writing, as always, has a beautiful flow. Also, I’m torn between fear for your narrator and wondering how many secrets she knows. There’s the obvious one, but I have to wonder if she and Daddy had been experimenting with fertilizer in some sort of mad scientist way… and now she’s realizing those experiments were far more productive than she had known. Anyhow, great story!
LikeLike
Nice ambiguity makes for an intriguing mystery. Maybe she ought to cut the tree down and see what happens? Interesting twists as usual, Sandra!
LikeLike
Oh very interesting!
There are such elements of surprise and subtle strange humor.. I don’t know how to explain it. Love what you did with the prompt this week Sandra, superb!
LikeLike
Ohhhhhh, great twist at the end – a good take on the image we wrote from this week.
LikeLike
Seems you are faster than the story. First out of the gate and a good story. Nice job!
Tom
LikeLike
You draw out a pretty complicated family for such a short piece, and I love the mix of ideas in the first paragraph, it really established the voice well. Nice one, Sandra!
LikeLike
Mystical and mischevious all at once. I wonder what happened to make dad so full of life??
LikeLike
A little on the Shirley Jackson side here. Very good. Yes, I did have a few questions (I read it a few more times) about it. But, then again, stories can be left open to interpretation. I like the second take on it … the children not being his. Better since the abuse angle can get overworked. Stellar job!
LikeLike
I do not see this as dark either. It is a fast paced yarn with a nice twist at the end that makes you want more. We all try to keep the reader guessing on these and you succeeded with that.
LikeLike
Powerful story, Sandra. I love the hidden mystery!
LikeLike
so father and daughter had dryad blood ? I enjoyed the tale 🙂
LikeLike
Well, THAT was different!
LikeLike
My wife knows I’m to be planted with a Redwood. I enjoyed this. Thank you.
LikeLike
I really enjoyed that opening paragraph, and then it all went dark. Good, but dark. You’d got me thinking that daddy’s love was the wrong sort, and confirmed it with those boughs reaching out to her. I think maybe she needs to cut the tree down before it consumes her.
LikeLike
Pingback: Friday Fictioneers: The Beast Bike | Alastair's Blog
Pingback: Friday Fictioneers – Bike To BeastBike | Alastair's Blog