“Garbage,” Professor Galbraith shouted, throwing my manuscript down, “utter rubbish.”
It had been my best work ever; I doubted I’d do better.
So I dropped out of college, moved away, and never wrote another sentence. The word was I’d died; which I had, in a way.
And years later I read my own work, now a prize-winning novel, published under his name.
He was old when I found him, but not so old that he was willing to die.
“You can’t get away with murder,” he gasped.
“You did,” I said, “and anyway, who cares? The word is I’m dead anyway.”
I thought it was time I offed someone; must be weeks now. The picture this week is one of mine, taken on the Rhone in September whilst moored on a ‘ponton d’attente’ waiting for the lock to be set in our favour. Depressing isn’t it? Somebody should care… Thanks to Rochelle for hosting another edition of Friday Fictioneers. Where would we be without her?
castelsarrasin 
I am getting a whole murder theme reading these early stories… love it. The use of the ‘garbage’ prompt to literary criticism was very clever.
Well done.
KT
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Thanks. Yes, I see the prompt has generated a murderous intent amongst the Friday Fictioneers. 🙂
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Payback time ! 🙂
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Revenge is a dish best served cold. Ice cold in this case. 🙂
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Dear Sandra,
Good to see you back this week and your stories never disappoint. I’d say his murder is poetic justice. Thank you for the photo this week and you’ve shown us all how to step outside the box.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Good to be back Rochelle. The muse is staging a tentative recovery. Thank you, I really enjoyed your story.
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Dear Sandra,
You’ve just sunk every other murder story your picture will generate this week. Welcome back.
Your story was brilliant and sure to make every writer in the group smile and say, yeah, that works for me. And it does.
Aloha,
Doug
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Hi Doug, good to be back. I see we both wove the words “who cares?” into our pieces this week. And who knew a picture like this would prompt so many murder stories. Perhaps the thought that with scenes like this we’re murdering our planet? 😉 Take care in that vog. You’re needed here.
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Sandra, Welcome back. Good, well-written story. I guess the professor believed the student in his past was really dead and it would be safe to publish the work under his own name. What a terrible thing to do. Now it looks like he’ll pay the ultimate price for it. Very sad. It makes me wonder if it’s ever really happened. Great photo! Thanks. 🙂 — Susan
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I’m sure it happens in one form or another quite often, Susan. Though I’m not sure the victim ever goes this far to obtain satisfaction. 🙂 Thanks for dropping by.
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The motive you have used for murder is much more common really appreciated.
Beautifully crafted.
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Thank you! 🙂
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Oh, I love this so much. This is a 50.000 words novel, not a 100 words ff. How did you manage that?
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I guess the other 49,900 words will keep me awake tonight. 🙂 Thanks for reading.
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I once had a creative writing tutor say that to me, but I didn’t kill him. Even if he happens to turn up dead, it wasn’t me. Great story Sandra, so much in so few words! And great (awful) picture.
Claire
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I’ll take your word for it Claire. Just as you must take mine if you see my name in the papers. 🙂 It is an awful picture, isn’t it? I’m sure it was so thick you could walk on it. Ugh!
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You took the words out of my mouth, Sandra! Revenge…..served cold! I laughed at your remark about it being time you “offed” someone – it being weeks now. You sound like a “Sopranos” cast member!
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🙂 I’m not familiar with Sopranos, but I am red hot on ice cold revenge, Barbara. 😉
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You shouldn’t do like this.. we might be inspired to do something ourselves someday.. revenge reaching up from the grave so to speak.
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Plagiarism – I can’t speak derogatively enough about it!
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The word was I’d died; which I had, in a way. This describes how anyone who had worked VERY hard on something then had it stolen would feel. Excellent take on the prompt. Thanks for a thought provoking picture for the week.
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Thanks for reading Alicia. 🙂
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Good story line this week, Sandra. I popped in here first to see what the week’s photographer had to say, and I like the way you pulled away from the literal nature of the photo to bring us something fresh.
All my best,
Marie Gail
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I’m surprised the photo prompted as much murder as it did, Marie Gail. I thought we would have lots of ‘eco’ stuff. Thanks for dropping by.
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That surprised me too. The photo does seem to have served up a variety this week, and that is always a pleasant happenstance.
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The perfect alibi. And never trust a professor named Galbraith! A romping revenge story!
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I’ve never liked the name Galbraith ever since I had to do three re-sits for Economics whilst studying for my professional qualifications. Thanks for reading, Patrick.
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I wonder how many great writers have had their blood, sweat and tears thrown in a critic/agent’s rubbish. I know it wasn’t the point of your tale but writing is so subjective. One man’s garbage is another’s…err…not garbage.
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Well Professor Galbraith certainly recognised the narrator’s piece for what it was, ultimately. 🙂
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Wow Sandra! I had a supervisor during my postdoc that used to say it to her students (this is garbage!). Sometimes they came and talk to me that they wanted to give up, and I always said to them, don’t pay attention to her, do a better job next time, but never give up. And congrats for your photo being the prompt today!
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Thanks Elizabeth. 🙂
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Well, Sandra, you’ve come back to us with a bang! Loved yourstory, lved you taking us right away from the prompt, but clearly using it as a springboard, loved how you touched the writers in us all this week too. I suspect the Professor won’t find much sympathy in the jury of the Fictioneers!
Great photo – although I’m appalled by rubbish thrown anywhere, I liked that in this one the bulk of the waste there is natural – somehow that hghlights rather than drowning the garbage in its midst.
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Hi Jen, I think we’re all a bit sensitive to the subject of plagiarism, so I suspected it might strike a chord with the Friday Fictioneers. Yes, a lot of the rubbish was created by nature herself; but I get so annoyed when the river authorities don’t clear this kind of thing up., especially when ‘nature’ has corraled it as neatly as this. It can cause so much damage to the rudder and prop on a boat, leaving you stranded on a fast moving river. Thanks for reading.
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Yeah, I remember one year the boys (I wasn’t with them) got a bit of tyre wrapped around their prop. It was a rented boat so at least didn’t cost them anything to deal with, but wasted a good day of their trip with the boat stranded until they got a replacement. And I agree that a) we shouldn’t drop i and b) the authorities should clear it up. Natural litter never seems as dangerous or as offensive, does it?
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Sandra,
that Professor Gilbraith is the worst kind of person, destroying lives and then profiting off it. Great last line.
-David
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Indeed! Thanks for dropping by David.
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Interesting photo to begin with Sandra. Why did you take it?
Of course I loved your story, I always do.
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I must confess Dawn, I always have an eye to what might make an interesting prompt for Friday Fictioneers. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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Every writer’s nightmare. 😦
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I used to contribute to a horror story ezine where we were continually being warned about a blatant plagiarist. He would lift a story, word for word, no alterations, and put his name to it elsewhere. I stopped going there because of the helpless rage I’d feel if it happened to one of mine. Thanks for dropping by Joyce.
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Plagiarism is kind of like a rape or violation to the original writer taking what did not belong to him/her and trying to own it for him/herself, and something we all have to look out for. I have recently been checking on my own stuff to look for copying of anything.
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Great story as usual! And the fade-out is at just the right moment, just as if Hitchcock had directed it.
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Flattered indeed. 🙂 Thanks for reading Perry.
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He’s the worst kind of person to be teaching young people. Any writer would seeth at his actions. Good story, Sandra. You made me angry.
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I made myself angry too! 😦 Thanks for reading Karen.
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great story.
Justifiable revenge, because it’s from the hands of a dead person, is especially sweet.
Randy
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Thank you Randy. 🙂
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Depressing indeed– the trash on the river, I mean. The story is fantastic! It’s true that you haven’t written a good chiller in a while, and this one really resonates with the writing hook.
I’m with Dawn, what prompted you to take the photo?
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Hi Dawn. I guess I’m always looking out for a FF prompt. 🙂 And it’s nice to be back in the business of murder.
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I enjoyed the wicked premise to this piece. Great twist!
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Thank you!
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Your usual very high standard of writing.
Great story.
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Thank you Elephant. 🙂
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Dear Sandra, Wonderful story and so fitting. Too bad she couldn’t kill him twice. I think I would hunt the creep down too and do him in. Really fantastic work Sandra, and I love the picture you submitted too! Thanks! Nan 🙂
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Thanks Nan. Glad you liked it.
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Ah, happy revenge 🙂 In my mind your protagonist carries out the deed almost dispassionately, something that just “must” be done.
I like the “dead” theme running through, both figuratively and ultimately literally.
I really liked this (as always).
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Thank you! 🙂
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Deadly good, Sandra. The photo is depressing, but I had to turn it around in my story, because I’m so happy the semester is over and tomorrow is my last final. This panster’s got a 4.0! Time to party. (no drugs were used in the writing of this comment)
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Sandra, thank you so much for the intriguing photo! I love that your protagonist is a writer. Hell hath no greater fury than a plagiarized writer!
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sounds like a perfect murder to me. perfect dialogue. a well-written piece.
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How haunting, love this
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i think the best i have read this week
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Wow! Great response to the photo. I’m impressed! (as always)
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I’m beginning to think I’m the only one who didn’t think of murder when they saw the prompt! Good story, this one.
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Super plot!
Plagiarism is so terrible.
The budding author never wrote a word after the “rubbish” feedback.
Then, the “dead” author killed the old plagiarist 🙂 Brilliantly conveyed!
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The theme of murder, well Plagiarism would cause any writer to go down that dark road. Well done!
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Hi Sandra you could’ve offed one of the litterers for good measure…in writing only of course 🙂
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Ooouuu, excellent!
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Great work
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It’s so easy to kill someone’s confidence. I like how you’ve used the ‘rubbish’ idea as a jumping off point. Very clever.
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Excellent revenge story Sandra!
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Oh justice is painful if not always swift.
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Wonderfully done. I know you couldn’t say in 100-words, but I hope your narrator also made the dear ol’ prof change his will so all past and future royalties end up where they belong.
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