Photo courtesy of Ted Strutz.
Great photo prompt from Friday Fictioneers.
Thought I might not make it this week as we were driving through France, but had a brief moment of inspiration over breakfast this morning. Thanks to Rochelle as always for the hard work she puts into making this happen every week.
Every night Annie focussed on that bottle, second shelf, third from the right.
Usually it glowed deep purple, but would occasionally glitter silver.
Tonight it undulated deep emerald tones.
“Drink me,” it keened.
Casting a wary eye round the empty bar, the bartender reached to set the bottle down beside her with a glass, before disappearing out the back.
“Where’s Annie tonight?” asked a regular later, nodding at the empty stool.
“Meeting up with the other girls,” the bartender said, smiling.
On the shelf the bottle radiated an excitable ruby hue, before dimming to a contented purple once again as another girl entered the bar.
castelsarrasin 
A story that intrigued me right from the start, with the mysterious glowing bottle. But I didn’t get what happened -me being thick, I expect
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Not to worry; I won’t give the game away yet though. 🙂 Thanks for commenting.
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Ooh. wicked, and well written.
Ladies Night In, I guess.
Randy
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Thanks Randy! 🙂
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Dark and delicious, darling! I’ve always been a fan of The Twilight Zone, particularly the original series, and this one would have fit nicely as one of those episodes.
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Thank you Helena!
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Methinks the meeting of the girls is one to be avoided. Like the use of colors to reinforce the story. Good one, Sandra.
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Thank vb; glad you liked it.
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Intriguing, Sandra. I don’t even want to know what about breakfast made this pop into your mind. 🙂 I’ve heard of losing yourself in the bottle before, but this goes beyond that. Good job!
janet
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Thanks Janet! 🙂
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well, we see that bartender’s true colors!
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🙂 Thanks for dropping by Jodie.
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Ah…not so much Genies in a lamp but women in a bottle. Weird but my cup of tea. Congrats!
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Thanks Paul, glad it was to your taste! 🙂
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Yikes! Well done!
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Thank you!
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I love the magic element to this and the idea of the bottles calling out to people as they change colors. Nice one!
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Thanks Sheila. Glad you liked it.
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Spooky and interesting! Love to be a fly on the wall at that meeting…heehee.
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Thanks for commenting Catherine. 🙂
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Very intriguing! I hope the girls come back from their mysterious gathering!
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I don’t think they will do Jan. 😉 Thanks for dropping by.
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Creepy and unique. This story really stands out. Well done and I hope you’re enjoying France!
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Thanks Mystikel. France is wet and windy today. 😦
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I like a bottle that cries “drink me,” and then you get to meet up with a lot of women. Excellent concept for a story!
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If only life were that simple… 🙂 Thanks for dropping by.
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Love it! Great story, and, as usual, well-chosen words to tell it. Nicely done, Sandra. 🙂
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Thanks Joanna! 🙂
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No Alice! Don’t drink it! I’m curious to know where the girls are meeting. Curiouser and curiouser…and well written as always.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I’ve always loved that ‘drink me’ vision… Thanks Rochelle.
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I like it – just enough mystery to let me fill in the blanks.
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Thanks Erin, hope you’re doing well.
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Not girls’ night out, more like girls’ night in – permanently!
Well done Sandra, you can get so creepy at times
Hope France is still sunny, we had a great weekend
Dee
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Well if you’ve got to stay in, it might as well be inside a bottle… 🙂 The weather here is disappointing, showers, cloudy and cool. Floods everywhere and the river too high to get out of port.
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Oooh–“with the other girls” is very creepy. Nicely done tale of, well, creepiness.
Here’s mine: http://unexpectedpaths.com/friday-fictioneers/if-at-first-you-dont-succeed/
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Creepy is good. 🙂 Thanks Maggie.
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Spooky. And really imaginative.
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Thanks for commenting Patrick.:)
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Never bite into the apple, Snow White! Interesting story. I liked it.
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Thank you Monica, glad you liked it.
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I’m so glad the idea for this story caught up to you at the last minute! Sometimes those are always the best. This was a wonderful story. 😀
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It was all a bit rushed – Wednesday was a heavy day. Glad you liked it though.
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I think glowing drinks should be avoided… isn’t that rule numer 1?
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I always try to avoid them, but then every now and then … Thanks for dropping by Bjorn.
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oh a great take on the prompt !
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Thank you!
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I like the weirdness of this story, with the bottle’s enticing colors and “drink me.” And I bet it’s getting crowded inside that bottle!
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I think it will always find room for just one more… Thanks for reading.
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Great story, Sandra, but I’m a little confused. I read it many times. Can you gimme a little bit of a hint? It IS a super story!
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Well, in a nutshell Kent, the bottle is woo-ing and devouring young women. Is it a metaphor for life? These things don’t usually occur to me until after I’ve written them. Thanks for reading and for persisting with it.
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Oh, that’s a cool concept. I like that one. Thanks!
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Ah, “Annie in Wonderland” – “Drink me”! Enjoyed it.
Scott
Mine: http://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/friday-fictioneers-5102013-genre-horror-humor-pg13/
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Thanks Scott. Glad you liked it.
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Intriguing! At first I thought that Annie was being abducted in some way, and the next girl was another victim, but because it starts with ‘every night’ I’m wondering if she comes back again?
Hmmm….
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It’s a long courtship El, bottles know how to play the long game. Thanks for reading.
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I will be on the lookout for that bottle next time I sidle up to the bar…and avoid it at all costs! Your story left me with the heebie jeebies, wondering what is happening to the girls in the bottle.
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Thanks for reading! 🙂
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Intriguing for sure. The drink me line brought to mind Alice in Wonderland. Was the new girl who enter in fact the same girl? You certainly left your audience wanting more.
Enjoy the rest of your trip.
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Thanks for reading Kim! No the girl was the bottle’s next courtship victim.
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Oooo – loved it, fantastic take on the prompt, a mysterious and appealing flash.
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Thank you!
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Hi Sandra!
This was really good! I thought so on first reading and doubly so on second. Only one thing I’d quibble about and that’s the title. “The Hen Party”, it just doesn’t seem to fit … but maybe I’m being obtuse.
Cheers,
John
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This might be a demographic thing John. In the UK a hen party is the ‘girls night out’ prior to getting married, so in this case she’s joining all the others who succumbed to the bottle’s charms as she herself becomes another bride. Thanks for commenting, and for reading twice! 🙂
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A different way of worshiping the bottle. Intriguing.
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