Copyright Erin Leary
Her eyes were like saucers as the priest laid the plate before her.
Five fried eggs and wholemeal toast!
The starving beggar-girl wolfed everything down quickly … noisily.
“You didn’t say Grace,” the priest reproved, and she bowed her head, embarrassed.
“No matter,” he continued, “I blessed the food during preparation.”
Out on the dusty cobbles, he held back her long hair as she violently spewed her breakfast.
“Infallible,” he murmured, “no better way to uncover the devil’s spawn.”
“Come,” he said, pulling her towards the crypt, “there is work to be done. We shall travel to hell and back before nightfall.”
What? ‘Write what you see’… that’s what it says on the tin. And I saw five fried eggs (admittedly appearing to have been served up in a well-used cat litter tray – but hey, you can take realism too far, I think). 🙂
Today we shall be completing the last leg of our journey back to the UK, and my grateful thanks are owed to Rochelle (the lady with the velvet glove) for enabling me to have an early peek at the photo prompt, so that I can simply post the link to Friday Fictioneers as we make our way to the ferry. Looking forward to home comforts for a while.
castelsarrasin 
😀 What a great take!
I now fancy a full English, though perhaps I’ll cook it myself.
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I’d pass on the fried eggs… Thanks for reading.
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Dear Sandra,
Now that’s a tried and true way to reveal a witch. Dare I say unpalatable? It makes me wonder what he ‘blessed’ the eggs with. Well written as always.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I think he just relied on her hunger to bring about the desired result. 🙂 Thanks for commenting Rochelle, and for the photo.
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Dear Sandra,
Ah, the science of religion. I love it. You’ve illustrated well the fly in the ointment. Very nice take on the prompt.
Aloha,
Doug
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It was almost self-fulfilling, I fear. Thanks for commenting Doug.
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Interesting!
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Thank you!
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Oh, the hidden horrors…or maybe not so hidden. Poor girl, I can feel her desperation, relief and confusion mixed all in one. Good one, Sandra.
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Thanks for reading. 🙂
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Oh, brilliant!!
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Thanks Sue. 🙂
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I saw those eggs too Sandra! 🙂
Nicely done as always! – happy journey !
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Thank you. I’m home now, and very pleased to be so. 🙂
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Another monster cloaked by religion! Safe travels. Skip the eggs.
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Indeed, Dawn. 😦 Thanks for the good wishes – home now.
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I’d throw up too if I ate five eggs . Where do we come up with these tests?
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From the middle ages, I think. 🙂 Thanks for reading.
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No wonder they were called Dark.
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Ok, get the felling this poor lass has been poisoned by a crazy pastor rather than the alternative (a devil-woman who’s throwing up blessed eggs). Interesting take, and a very well written story.
Cheers
KT
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I think she’s just a hungry girl who ate too much way too fast. And he’s a man who’s seeing what he wants to see. 🙂
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Whoof. There’s a story. Some imagination you have (unless it’s autobiographical?).
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I have managed two fried eggs in the past, but it was a long, long time ago Patrick. 🙂
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There you go with that imagination of yours again. You’re awfully good at this because this particular photo would leave me with a major case of writer’s block.
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Yes, it was a difficult one, Barbara, but entertainingly different. I’m looking forward to seeing what the others come up with.
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Safe travels, Sandra, and another wonderfully written story. No excuses needed for where you went with the prompt. Imagination is, generally, a good thing and you proved that once again.
janet
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Thank you Janet. Glad you liked it. We’re home now, but the house is soooo cold! We’ve got the central heating on full steam ahead. 😉
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Great take on the prompt. Witch hunts, the crusades, gotta’ love religion. Well done, Sandra.
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Thanks Alicia. Yes, interesting times.
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P.S. Love the title.
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That’s an insidious trial, catching someone unaware like that. I think a starving person would throw up that much food in any case. Great story.
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Thanks David. I was trying to draw a parallel with the unfair ‘trials’ of the past.
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You did it well. Most of those were designed with only a guilty verdict in mind, I think.
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Would boiled eggs do the same trick? Weird one this week, Sandra, but I’m up for that.
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Five boiled eggs and I’d probably need admitting to hospital. 😦 Thanks for reading Paul.
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Love this interpretation! What a great story – as usual! Safe travels.
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Fantastic photo Erin, really looking forward to reading them all.
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Fabulous story, Sandra. I’m glad you saw fried eggs because this was an excellent bit of horror writing, something a bit off your normal circuit but amazingly rendered.
All my best,
Marie Gail
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Thanks Marie-Gail. I used to be a horror queen but I’m trying to be a nice girl now. 😉
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Be whoever you feel like being, m’dear. We’ll love you anyway, and anyone who doesn’t can go suck eggs.
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That’s what I saw too – fried eggs. Loved your story but hated the ending.
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I think quite a few saw fried eggs. Hungry bunch hey?
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So funny! Especially because of all the poop that is around them. Kinda took my appetite away. Haha!!
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I think mushrooms would work as good as eggs.. but I guess the priest blessing was what did it.. creepy crypt ..
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More than she could stomach, that priest.
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Crypt walking on an empty and queasy stomach would not be my choice, but then the priest knows his task. I wish you well in your travels Sandra.
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Thanks Joe. Home now, and loving the comforts. 🙂
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Very different…!
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Thanks. 🙂
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grim but it did happen over and over again
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Yes, some very archaic practices, not to mention flawed logic.
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Great story. Have a safe trip home.
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Thank you!
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A great story. And I love that you saw five fried eggs – made me laugh!
Claire
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Thanks Claire. 🙂
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Ah yes, the Middle Ages. Unfortuntely, there were religious who led people away from God as well as those who led them to Him. If that particular priest goes to hell, he might be kept there. Well done, Sandra. — Suzanne
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Thanks Suzanne. Hope your husband’s tests go well.
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Great story! That’s one way to identify demonic possession – sanctified fried eggs 🙂
Or maybe she just ate too much too fast after having so little for so long…
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That’s the unfairness of it all… 🙂
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That’s pretty disgusting! Unfortunately it’s also too near the truth for comfort.
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Thanks for reading Liz.
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Wow, 5 fried eggs! A great story.
Lily
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I’m more of an omelette person myself… Thanks
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Good story, but so sad that the kind priest turns out to be a witch hunter. Why is religion so often perverted to the twisted goals of a few influential freaks? If he wants to find the devil’s spawn, that priest need only look in the mirror.
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That man has overlooked the devil within I fear. Thanks for reading Jan.
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Being a lapsed Catholic, I wanted to slap that priest. He just had to say something…he couldn’t just let her eat in peace. No wonder she hurled…great tale 🙂
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‘Hurled’. Good word. I knew ‘barfed’ was completely wrong for the piece. Thanks for commenting Susannah.
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I liked it so much. I had a cat that whenever she coughed up a hairball, my then boyfriend would say…she hurled Susannah, so I’d come clean it up. Memories without the mushrooms.
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Great tale – quite a twisted journey you took us on. Brilliant.
(The priest’s motto – go to work on an egg.)
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🙂 Long time since I heard that exhortation. Thanks for reading.
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Enjoyed your dastardly tale immensely. The Priest I feel wanted for his own reasons to perform and exorcism. I don’t fancy the poor girls future. Great tale.
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Yes, I think he had a thing for exorcisms. Thanks for reading Irene.
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it wasn’t sunny side up eggs, i suppose? the priest wouldn’t know how to do that.
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Thanks for reading. 🙂
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The worst kind of compassion, that which is false and cloaked in religion. I hate this tale but love your writing.
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I agree Tracey. Thanks for visiting.
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I’m not sure where this is going but it leaves me wanting more.
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Thank you! 🙂
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Thank you Tracey. I loved your story this week.
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I read your story yesterday and swore blind I’d commented before now. Well written piece. Loved how you changed the ‘Blessing’ from a simple religious act into something much more powerful. Nicely done.
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Thank you! glad you liked it.
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Such an easy target for the priest to prey on. It must have been a slow day at the rectory.
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An exorcism helps to pass the time, I’ve heard.
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That’s some blessing. Some can justify anything with religion. Very chilling, great story.
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Thank you!
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Superbly vile depiction of the evils of religious fanaticism.
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And flawed logic too, I think. Thank you. ‘Superbly vile’ sounds good. 😉
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What a great take! Is is all in what you see, and fried eggs, yes…I can see it now, Sandra. Poor girl. Perhaps it was just a horrible meal. Enjoy the rest of your trip!
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Just too much, too quickly I think. Thanks for dropping by Amy.
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I’m just feeling a little too dense I think. Will you forgive me, Sandra? 🙂
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No worries. I think some thought the priest’s intentions were even more contemptible than those I attributed to him in the story! 🙂
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Or, he blessed it with poison. What a sick, demented human hiding behind religion.
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Yes..it looks like eggs to me too. Great twist on these, I love your imagination.
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Thank you. And for dropping by.
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Well I didn’t see that coming!
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🙂
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A wonderfully different response to the picture. Such a tragic tale.
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Thanks for reading Margaret.
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Oh my, scary child. I never would have thought of that kind of a twist. I’m so totally impressed and well I should be. You are a powerful writer. I want to write just like you. Mmmm … practice – practice – practice. YUP … I will be. Thank you for inspiring me to be a better writer. : )
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Thank you for those lovely comments.
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What?! No fried mushrooms? We devil spawn demand fried mushrooms!!!
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😉 that’s the problem with devil spawn… want, want, want…
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It’s sad that there were probably women killed as being a witch based on a test as arbitrary as something like this. However, the story made me smile because it reminded me of the scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail where the townspeople want to burn a woman they suspect of being a witch.
Arthur: “Why do witches burn?”
Townsman: Because they’re made of wood?”
Arthur: “So, how do we tell if she’s made of wood?”
Townsman: “Build a bridge out of her!”
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That’s one trip I wouldn’t want to take! The mushrooms do look like fried eggs, good eye, Sandra.
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She must have some sort of egg-zema. Crafty devil that priest.
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Chills, Sandra. This one leaves me wondering all kinds of things… none of them pleasant. It is visually and dramatically compelling. Wonderful!
Welcome home!
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What’s about to happen in the crypt can’t be worse than five fried eggs on a bed of used cat litter.
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