Stick after stick they flung into the water before tearing along the muddy riverbank in chase.
Each twiggy sacrifice hurried along the current to its destiny; a big leap over the edge of the rocky outcrop. The sticks plummeted into a deep, dark pool and disappeared beneath the surface. It wasn’t long until they rose again, buoyed by the amber, peaty water.
Then the gnarled hand reached up and snatched. The sticks were lost to the bottomless depths.
“None of them come back up after that,” the boy observed.
His sister nodded. “It’s true then. Franny isn’t coming back, either.”
This story was inspired by the above photo prompt for Rochelle Wisoff-Fields‘ Friday Fictioneers. Read more stories from this challenge, or add your own, here.
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AA Milne will be spinning in his grave!!
Winnie the Pooh going over to the dark side …
That’s okay. I didn’t know Franny
Wow! Loved the way you led me along what seemed like a sweet little story and then you hit me with that last line. Nicely done!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Sweet story until the diabolical end. Simply wicked. 😊💕
Sweet story, my kids play poohsticks, I thought, until the last line.. nicely done and congrats on the book, I will check it out.
Oh dear! Well, that’s one way to test their theory…
Good luck with your book!
Great little story with a knockout ending. Well done. 🙂
Doesn’t look good for Franny!
You turned that nicely at the end.
Wicked last line, well written
You led us neatly into that shock ending – well done!
Okay, I could see Eeyore going to the dark side; maybe even Rabbit. But Pooh? Oh, my!
Fun story, in spite of the horror.