When far away, an interrupted cry is not something you need concern yourself with.
Catherine repeated her grandmother’s words softly enough that the room wouldn’t hear them.
‘Pah!’
Her father threw his cards on the coffee table.
‘You cheated!’ He jabbed a fat finger towards his wife.
She shrugged and gathered his cards in again.
Outside the cry echoed.
‘Catherine! You play the witch, God knows she already has all my money.’
Catherine nodded and slid from the widow seat.
It doesn’t do to dwell on lost souls. Her grandmother had said that too.
The cards were split and dealt.
Two queens and a knave. A house leaking secrets. Another cry. Closer. Louder.
‘Pass or play?’
Catherine shook her head.
‘Pass,’ she whispered.
Shadows gathered by the fireplace.
She could ignore them, but the play would continue.
‘Pass,’ she whispered.
But ghosts never listen.
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The challenge is to write a piece of flash fiction, a maximum of 144 words, using the line ‘when far away an interrupted cry’ somewhere in your work.
Carol J Forrester - Writing and Works 
Oh I do love the mystery in this.. the card game made me think of playing chess with death in the seventh seal… it seems like it will matter who will win in the end.
Good little story. Well-paced.
I love a good ghost story (especially one that reminds me of my own childhood.) Lovely details (“you play the witch”, the shadows growing, the cry that only she heeded.) Deliciously spooky!
I love a ghost story, no matter how short or long! I especially enjoyed the way the child communicates with the ghosts and the brief hints at something in the short sentences, such as ‘Outside the cry echoed’ and ‘A house leaking secrets’.
What a nightmare for a child, and for the loved ones who can no longer protect her 😦
Fabulous! You created an air of suspense from the first line!
Ooh! Spooky! It reminds me of that film where the boy says, “i see dead people”. Good one 🙂
I love eerie stories full of ghosts and spirits!
I’m wondering if you meant to say “window seat”? Maybe….but I LOVE this being a widow seat! So either way, it’s a great detail to the story!
Interesting!!!
Happy Monday
Much❤✏❤love
Keep the lights on!
We jump right into a scene full of intrigue. I like the dialogue along with the quiet of Catherine… the forboding. Well done.
I like the intrigue from the get-go, the dialogue. I like that Catherine is quiet and refelctive – we see the room through her eyes – and know there is something outside… !!
Very nice the way you wove the memories into this story. Some words never leave us!
Can’t win playing the dead at cards, you really don’t have a ghost of a chance!
I detect a sense of reality in this. The sadness seeped through.
This paranormal card game is chilling with foreboding dialogue and suspenseful mystery… a great story, Carol.
Thank you Lynn, it was great to have a flash fiction prompt to play with.
I like this, mysterious and well written!
Thank you.
Your flash fiction has the right mix of detail and suspense, nicely done!
a house leaking secrets….that is my line to remember…thank you well done…bkm
I love the atmosphere you’ve created here. So well done!
I delight in the delightful mystery of this story! 🙂
Thank you, that’s a wonderful comment to receive.
My pleasure! 🙂