A Little Persuasion (Trifecta Challenge, April 2013)

Eric Vondy / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

“Don’t disturb her,” whispered Parminder, “I’ve read about this, she’s in a state of ecstasy.”

“She’s in a state of inebriation,” I muttered, stepping over the swaying body of our flatmate.  “Oy, Shazzer, pull yourself together.”

Shazzer’s eyelids flicked open and I started nervously;  her eyes had rolled back in her head leaving only sightless bloodshot whites.

“Revolting,” I said, flopping down on the sofa.

Parminder began to edge towards the door.  Hell, I didn’t want leaving alone with Shazzer, even if this were just an act.  “Get your ass back here,” I hissed.

“Parminder,” wailed Shazzer from the mat on the floor.  Still in the lotus position, still swaying, she began to rub her thumb and forefingers together, making a papery rustling sound.  “Your grandmother is here for you.”

Parminder began to sob noisily.

“Oh bollocks,” I said, bending to pick up the upturned glass which had rolled from the Ouija board.  As my fingers touched the glass it leapt into the air and smashed against the wall.

Shazzer’s eyes snapped shut and then opened again.

“What the fuck’s going on?” she said, scrambling to her feet.

“Nice try Shazzer,” I drawled, though to be honest my heart was thumping against my ribs, “an oscar-winning performance.”

“Who broke that?” she asked, indicating the shards of glass on the carpet.

“Parminder’s grandmother,” I joked, “she’s seriously pissed off at something.”

There was a crash in the kitchen and we all grabbed at each other, before moving cautiously to the doorway.

The cleaning cupboard had been thrown open, and a dustpan and broom were floating towards us.  At the same time the tap above the sink turned itself on and four days of washing-up suddenly disappeared under mounds of foaming detergent whilst behind us the vacuum cleaner switched itself on and trundled towards us.

We screamed in unison.

Everything changed that day.  Up to that moment nothing would have persuaded us to clean that apartment on a regular basis.

Nothing on earth anyway. 

This week’s Trifecta challenge had to incorporate the word below, in the third definition.

ECSTASY (noun)

1

a : a state of being beyond reason and self-control

b archaic : swoon

2

: a state of overwhelming emotion; especially : rapturous delight

3

: trance; especially : a mystic or prophetic trance

 

Please remember: 

• Your response must be between 33 and 333 words.
• You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post.
• The word itself needs to be included in your response.
• You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above.
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