She’d agreed to this assignment. Put retirement on hold for one more case to smoke out a mole. The honeypot. Dumb blonde stereotype. She still had the body for it, so she gave in to their persuasive pleas. And he’d fallen for it.
Now as he snored, she quietly rolled over, about to get up and finally walk out on this life. Until a cold blade chilled the back of her neck. No sounds except her gasp of shock. There are moments caught between heart-beats. Some see their whole life flash before their eyes. She saw only what could have been.
His hand tangled itself in her hair. Jerked her head back. One last look at that god-awful bare ceiling fixture. It looked different from this angle. More sinister than when she was lying on her back. The yellowed light flickered. Then sputtered out.
Kim is hosting Prosery Night at dVerse, the virtual pub for poets. She asks us to use the line “There are moments caught between heart-beats” from Louis MacNeice’s poem Coda in a piece of flash fiction that can be up to or exactly 144 words. Back Again is 144 words. Photo from pixabay.com.
YES! Even though dVerse is usually poetry….this is a prompt for flash fiction, using an exact line from a particular poem.
lillian the home poet 
Oh, what a chilling end… and what a great end to her employers… no retirements to be paid. Maybe they set her up simply to save some money.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hah….somehow, unless she was able to get the name of this mole to her employees….before that cold blade crossed her neck….I don’t think they’d be happy to have her gone!
LikeLike
You worked the phrase in well. Sleazy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hah! I don’t believe I’ve ever thanked anyone for the “compliment” of the word “sleazy” — but yes, here it works! 🙂
LikeLike
I’m in two minds about whether sleazy is ever derogatory. It has its moments 🙂
LikeLike
Suspenseful and chilling!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you enjoyed, Linda. Sometimes I don’t know how my mind or my pen slip over to the dark side!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊
LikeLike
Oh, that’s fab. A proper story, great ending.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you enjoyed, Sarah! 🙂
LikeLike
Oh, my goodness, Lill, you’ve incorporated the line so well, I didn’t spot it at first! And this piece is so good! I want to know more about your blonde spy before she retired. I love the introduction of the sinister ‘god-awful bare ceiling fixture’ and the ending!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Kim. I’ve been reading some chilling mysteries lately….perhaps they were the impetus for this slip over to the dark side! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is fabulous! Amazing what you can do with 144 words. I was completely invested in the story!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So glad you enjoyed, Victoria! I must say….I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of creating an entire plot in flash fiction. This one was fun to do….even though I slipped over to the dark side!
LikeLike
Excellent and chilling.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always glad to send out some chill! 🙂
LikeLike
A crackerjack tale, spun passionately; excellent twist ending. I loved the attention to detail and the Mickey Spillane feel to it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hah! Mickey Spillane feel….yup. 🙂 You got it!
LikeLike
Fabulous, Lillian! You really wrote a wonderful story, a real spy caper feel to it. I love how you worked the line in, and the descriptive details.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Merril. I actually have always enjoyed writing flash fiction more than poetry. If I have to be hones! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
chilling and provocative, a tasty piece of flash Lillian.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So glad you enjoyed, Gina. Somehow my mind and pen slipped over to the dark side for this one!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Horrors! That yellow light sputtering out…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yup….I actually had moths flying near it but alas, they died out as words past 144! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yikes!
Sent from my iPhone
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sometimes I have no idea how my mind and pen slip over to the dark side like they did with this piece of fiction! So glad to see you here, Nan! 🙂
LikeLike
Another suspenseful end. Catching me between heartbeats!
LikeLike
So glad you enjoyed, Mary!
LikeLike
A spy thriller in the making. Nicely done.
Pat
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do enjoy the genre of spy thriller….in the time when Marlene Dietrich could play this role! 🙂
LikeLike
Ah, yes, Miss ” I can’t vant to be alone”….that was her, right?😊
LikeLike
A real shocker!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hah! It was to this blonde spy as well! 🙂
LikeLike
Oy…nice!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Donna. Glad you enjoyed!
LikeLike
You nailed it, Lillian!
LikeLiked by 1 person
…to her coffin, I’m afraid. Have no idea how or why my mind and pen roam sometimes over to the dark side. Sure did here….maybe a Marlene Dietrich type of role?
LikeLiked by 1 person
oh my!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yup….a bit different from my poetry, right???? 🙂
LikeLike
What a sinister cliffhanger. Fantastic writing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh….thank you so much, Carol! 🙂 Really appreciate your comment here. I had fun writing it…although sometimes I have no idea how my mind and pen wander over to the dark side.
LikeLike
“Some see their whole life flash before their eyes. She saw only what could have been.”
It lends a depth to the story, leaving a lot to imagination. Well done!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah….I liked those two lines as well, Reena. So glad they struck you too. Glad you enjoyed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I got goosebumps from this story, Lillian. Excellent.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooooh…..glad to hand out goosebumps! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed.
LikeLike