Ergo, the Ogre

A large, sprawling oak tree with thick branches covered in green moss, surrounded by lush greenery in a natural setting.

This week at Friday Fictioneers, our photo prompt is the image above by Dawn Miller.

 

Julie parked her truck at the end of the her uncle’s drive and cut the engine.

The memory of what happened here all those summers ago still burned as if it were yesterday.

She’d waited to tell her parents until the vacation was over and they were back home. After that, she never saw her uncle or those horrible cousins again. In fact, neither the incident nor their names were ever mentioned. It might just as well not have happened.

Oh, but it did.

Julie remembered every detail of what they’d done, and it was time to make them pay.

 

 

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Ergo, the Ogre

Susan Marie Shuman is an author and freelance writer/editor who currently resides in the wilds of Birmingham, AL. She shares her life with two spoiled cats, several friends (not all of them imaginary) and one husband. When she’s not working, Susan enjoys horseback riding, reading, taking her cats for a spin in their pet stroller, and taking naps. An ex-bartender, recovering crash test dummy, and all-around late bloomer, Susan graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2004 with a BA in English. She minored in Russian. Long-range goals include visiting Israel, the Czech Republic and Liechtenstein. Susan is also planning to launch a micronation which would be called either Suzannistan or Eastern Suzanorovia.

35 responses to “That Summer”

  1. Dee | Grammy's Grid Avatar
    Dee | Grammy’s Grid

    Our past can haunt us if bad things happen!

    Reply
    1. The Abject Muse Avatar
      The Abject Muse

      That’s for sure.

      Reply
  2. Eugenia Parrish Author Avatar
    Eugenia Parrish Author

    “It was time to make them pay”. Suspenseful writing.

    Reply
    1. The Abject Muse Avatar
      The Abject Muse

      Thank you! That’s exactly what I was after. :-)

      Reply
  3. susanmehr Avatar
    susanmehr

    I love the energy in the description. Now I’m interested in how they’ll take their revenge. :)

    Reply
    1. The Abject Muse Avatar
      The Abject Muse

      Me too! Maybe I will continue the story. Glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
  4. michaelwynnauthor Avatar
    michaelwynnauthor

    Vengeance, a dish best served cold. Nice take on the prompt

    Reply
    1. The Abject Muse Avatar
      The Abject Muse

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
  5. James McEwan Avatar
    James McEwan

    The story tells us all in-between the lines and leaves us full of empathy and expectation of retribution.

    Reply
  6. bearmkwa Avatar
    bearmkwa

    Good one. Revenge is sweetest when served cold… She’ll get them, for sure.

    Reply
  7. Dale Avatar
    Dale

    Oh my! If it’s the evil I can imagine, may the pay, big time.

    Reply
    1. The Abject Muse Avatar
      The Abject Muse

      Indeed they shall! Thanks for stopping by. :-)

      Reply
  8. Chelsea Owens Avatar
    Chelsea Owens

    Burn the barn down!

    Reply
    1. The Abject Muse Avatar
      The Abject Muse

      Hell, yeah! :-)

      Reply
  9. msjadeli Avatar
    msjadeli

    YES! You told this just right. I hope it involves removing body parts at minimum.

    Reply
    1. The Abject Muse Avatar
      The Abject Muse

      oooh. I like that idea!@ :-)

      Reply
  10. Brenda's Thoughts Avatar
    Brenda’s Thoughts

    Very suspenseful!

    Reply
  11. Violet Lentz Avatar
    Violet Lentz

    Sounds like Julie is just getting started…..

    Reply
    1. The Abject Muse Avatar
      The Abject Muse

      She’s just warming up. :-)

      Reply
  12. Susan A Eames Avatar
    Susan A Eames

    Now that was a chilling ending! Good take on the photo prompt.

    Susan A Eames at
    Travel, Fiction and Photos

    Reply
  13. Sandra Avatar
    Sandra

    A dish best served cold – revenge. Nicely captured.

    Reply
  14. ceayr Avatar
    ceayr

    Painfully bitter tale.
    Well done.

    Reply
  15. rochellewisoff Avatar
    rochellewisoff

    Dear Susan,

    If they did what I think they did, I know what I hope Julie does to them. I’m thinking of extremities that should be…um…surgically removed without anesthesia. ;) Well done.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Reply
  16. Nobbinmaug Avatar
    Nobbinmaug

    I’m guessing it was more than, “Jimmy stole my Legos.” Unless Julie’s really sensitive. “I loved those Legos. Now, I have to kill you.”

    Reply
    1. The Abject Muse Avatar
      The Abject Muse

      You’re guessing correctly. :-) Compared to what Julie endured, Legos are child’s play.

      Reply
  17. Sascha Darlington Avatar
    Sascha Darlington

    Great job of building up the tension!

    Reply
    1. The Abject Muse Avatar
      The Abject Muse

      Thanks! Much appreciated. :-)

      Reply
  18. Iain Kelly Avatar
    Iain Kelly

    A lot of feelings must have built up over the years, and I suspect they are about to come out for some serious revenge.

    Reply
    1. The Abject Muse Avatar
      The Abject Muse

      Agreed! Whatever Julie does will undoubtedly make the news. :-)

      Reply
  19. theministryofshrawleywalks Avatar
    theministryofshrawleywalks

    Grim, I can imagine what the incident probably was, really gripping stuff

    Reply
    1. The Abject Muse Avatar
      The Abject Muse

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  20. Keith's Ramblings Avatar
    Keith’s Ramblings

    I wonder what Julie did next. An intriguing tale leaving quite a bit to the imagination.

    Here’s mine!

    Reply
    1. The Abject Muse Avatar
      The Abject Muse

      Thanks, Keith! You can bet whatever Julie did, it was HUGE and apropos. :-)

      Reply
  21. granonine Avatar
    granonine

    I hope she succeeds in making them pay, if this is what I think it is.

    Reply
    1. The Abject Muse Avatar
      The Abject Muse

      I think she will make them pay big time, granonine! Thanks for stopping by. :-)

      Reply

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