I found it in the bath. I hadn’t put it there, I was sure. I hadn’t been in the bathroom since the morning, and I was alone in the house. Anyway, who puts a pillow in the bath? I bent to pick it up, and saw a grey hair curled across the cotton. Not mine, I was sure. It repelled me, like extracting a long hair from a mouthful of food. And yet it was my pillow – missing from my bed. I left it there. Every night I washed at the sink and laid my head on a rolled-up cardigan.
*
This is a 100-word flash fiction story inspired by the photo above. I know it seems a long way from the picture to my story, but to keep it to 100 words I had to chop out all the bits about sunlight and windows. The picture this week is supplied by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields, our Friday Fictioneers host. Click here to join in, or here to read other people’s.
Other Friday Fictioneers might like to know that I had the pleasure of meeting a long-standing fellow FF, Neil MacDonald a couple of weeks ago. It’s the first time I’ve met another FF in real life since we’re all scattered across the globe. I can attest that he’s as lovely in person as he is on the screen.
*
Do you look at an author’s photograph before you read the book? You’re not alone.
The scariest places are the insides of people’s heads. Well done Claire. I loved the repellent hair
That happened to me this morning (not the pillow, the hair). Luckily it was one of mine.
Dear Claire,
If I were the MC I might also be checking the locks on my door. A little spooky to think of someone coming into the house and sleeping in the bath. Wonderfully written as always.
I often wish we could all meet in person. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a few FF’rs either in person or on the Skype screen. It’s fun to put a face to the writing isn’t it?
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks Rochelle. And it was such fun to meet Neil and talk about so many bookish things for an hour or two.
A heavy drinking session? But Neil’s comment suits better
Hah! Could be.
Beautiful , Claire!
Thank you!
Love this. Much mystery here, and tensely written. As a regular attendee of AA meetings, I sometimes hear stories of people who lived days in blackout. One fellow told about a photo shoot he arranged in Mexico after drinking copious amounts of tequila. He remembered none of it, but there were all these pictures. A strange sensation indeed, this unintended double life.
And I love how readers bring their own thoughts and experiences to these stories. Rochelle mentioned someone sleeping in the bath – which I hadn’t considered, and you mention alcoholic blackouts which I also hadn’t thought of as a possible reason – but really interesting, (and this little tale).
Touchingly sad. It pointed me to a situation where the sense of reality may slip away with age.
Yes, could be age – could be all sorts.
Pretty cool, Claire. Mysterious and kept me thinking if maybe the lady just doesn’t remember something she actually did in a fit of, maybe dementia. Who knows? Now, if that story included something like that plus cooked a frozen pizza like they did in Geo. Harrison’s home many years ago … 😀
Anyway, wonderful read as usual, Claire!
Yes, could be dementia. I have no idea what you mean about the pizza though?
Well, some years ago, someone broke into George Harrison’s house, cooked a frozen pizza and left. I was thinking the same thing about the character in your story — that maybe it was a break-in like at George’s house and she smells a frozen pizza cooking. 😀
I’ve never heard that story. I like it.
We reported it on our news back then.
I don’t know what I love more – your story or everyone’s idea of what’s going on. Great job!
I am not an easily-grossed out person but pulling a hair out of a mouthful of food, so turns my stomach!!
Thanks Dale, and urgh, me too.
Love the mystery lingering here. I have dealt with a few people whose minds play tricks on them like this. You try to tell them, “Nobody’s going to break in just to leave a pillow in the bathtub,” but they can’t deny what they’re seeing.
Exactly. Thanks Christine.
A clump of dog hair’s worse – trust me. And it wasn’t even my dog!
Love your story, the air of mystery surrounding the hair and the pillow. I wondered if it was your MC’s hair, whether they’ve gone grey and almost hadn’t realised. Ageing does that to you – your mind stays 21 years old while your body … Lovely story
Ew! That’s awful – the dog’s hair. But yes, aging is definitely like that.
Just a shame our outside doesn’t continue to reflect how we feel inside 🙂
Interesting take on the prompt.. wonder how the pillow got there? Hmmm… 🙂
I like making the reader wonder. Thanks for reading.
And you did a good job!! You’re more than welcome 😊
A hundred words were quite enough to draw the reader in and get them thinking about the back story as the comments have illustrated. So often less is more. An intriguing tale indeed.
Please click to read my FriFic
Thanks Keith. That’s exactly what I was aiming for.
Well now. Sleepwalking? A phantom pillow thief?
I’ve had the hair-in-the-food nightmare, too. Yuck,
Could be any of those. And yes, as you say, yuck!
Wonderfully creepy. I once read that the scariest sound you can hear when you’re home alone is the sound of a flushing toilet. I can’t remember who said it though. I think the pillow in bath tub is right up there with that.
Ohh, that would be so scary. I might even weave that one into my current novel. Thanks!
Loving the different interpretations here. Any one of them could fit.
They could! I like that too. Thanks for reading.
This left me feeling physically cold. The enameled bath? The icky hair? Who knows. Well done.
Yes, who knows. Thanks Alicia.
I love the story. The confusion and denial and worry. I hope she’s okay. :o)
So do I! Thanks for reading.
WOW! Did I get that drunk last night ?? And who did I bring home last night ??
Hah! That’s another possibility. There is that Beatles song Norwegian Wood, where someone crawls off to sleep in the bath…
I thought I has heard all the Beatles song, but had to go look that one up on YouTube. Anyway, I liked your story.
Still drunk Mike? Has heard? Really?
I confess that this marvellous little piece left me, like most of your other readers, with far more questions than answers. Not least the tie-in to the prompt, so thanks for clearing that one up!
Somehow, in so few words, you get right to the heart of the most distressing elements of the human condition.
Yes, it ended up being not at all tied to the picture, but I promise that it did start out inspired by it, but when you’ve got to cut, you’ve got to cut. Thanks C.E.
I’ve read quite a few comments and I still don’t get it. But, who cares. It’ll keep me thinking for a day or so.
I don’t get it either! It’s up to you what you think has happened.
Dear Claire – Who hasn’t had that gagging feeling of pulling a hair (from who-knows where) out of food eaten? The grey hairs are on my pillow now because the brown ones left! – Great story – so sad. You’re really good at this! Nan Claire Falkner (really is my real middle name – love yours!)
That would be scary. Things, apparently, moving by themselves. Loved the story.
Thank you!
Scary, someone, her or an intruder is sleeping in the bath. Either way it’s disturbing
Yes, I would be scared if I discovered a pillow in the bath and I thought I was alone.
Is the protagonist suffering from some form of memory loss or dementia? At least to me, it sounds eerily like it. Oh, the possibilities within these 100 words. Beautiful writing, Claire. Cheers, Varad.
Thanks Varad. She could be – up to the reader!
I have a worrying thought that perhpas she is losing the plot. An unnerving story.
I think she might be.
I got the feeling maybe the cardigan belonged to someone else, someone long gone who might be trying to get back. I’m probably wrong, but it’s the first impression that hit me.
I like that idea. Thanks, James.
Very intriguing. My first thought was that perhaps she didn’t realize she had grown older and was in denial. The ambiguity is good–let’s everyone draw their own conclusions.
Thanks, Sascha.
I read this as she had dementia, but love the other ideas people have had!
You could be right.
This is spooky. or the protagonist must have left the pillow in the bath by mistake and doesn’t remember it. this does happen sometimes.
http://ideasolsi65.blogspot.in/2017/06/the-archways.html
Thanks Kalpana.
This is scary, Claire. Someone broke into the school where I taught once and seeing my desk rifled gave me the weirdest feeling. I’d be even more frightened if I found signs of someone breaking into my home. Good writing as always. —- Suzanne
That must have been very disturbing.
You’ve just enough mystery here to keep us guessing. I say she is going mad!
I think you might be right. Thanks, Dawn.
All I could think of here was an alzheimer’s patient. I’m not sure why. Well done, at any rate!
You might be right. Thanks, Miles.
Enjoyed the story, Claire, and am intrigued how you got from that lovely picture to your lovely story. Thanks for posting.
Thanks Kelvin. It was just that in the first earlier version I described the sunshine that you can see in the picture, but then had to cut this in order to make 100 words.