The moment Jake saw the old diving helmet in the thrift shop, he knew he had to have it: A fantastic Halloween costume!
Driving home, he stopped at his sister’s house to show off his new acquisition. Theresa hated it and told him he’d wasted his money. Jake opted for a second opinion and walked into the family room where his two young nieces were playing. Their reaction was not what he anticipated.
Months later while checking his mail, he spied another bill from the therapist that was treating his nieces for emotional trauma. Sighing, he reached for his checkbook.
Word Count: 100
[This is my entry into this weeks Friday Fictioneers challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Use the photo prompt to create a short story in 100 words or less.]
~V
The Well of Fiction 
LOL! I guess his nieces weren’t too crazy about the old diving helmet either. Haha! Cute story!
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Nor was his sister too happy about how he traumatized them…lol. Poor guy.
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No, and I wouldn’t be either!
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Oh no, his poor nieces. But how could he know they would be traumatized? Great write.
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Well, that sure didn’t go as planned. Those therapists don’t come cheap.
Another humorous and well-written story, Chris 🙂
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Thank you, Jade. 🙂
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Ah.. that sucks. Not a bargain after all.
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Oh dear!
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We loved to be scared when we were kids. Oh well, get them a new iPhone so they can stay sheltered. Kids these days….
Feeling snarky :-I but I liked your fiction.
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Thank you Tracey. I’m of a similar mind. Kids these days… ugh! 😉
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Yeah, the difference between cool new toy and terrifying horror movie is all about presentation. A lesson hard-learned!
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Very true. Thanks Joy.
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An indictment of today’s world. 🙂 I remember one or two good scares when I was a kid but you just got on with it. Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Nice piece.
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Ha, funny! Or oh no, poor nieces! One of those.
Well done, the way you implied what had happened without actually stating it.
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LOL… yeah, it’s one of those responses (probably both). Thanks for the comment. Very strange photo prompt this week, don’t you think?
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To which I’ve penned (but not yet published) a very silly story. My attempt two years ago was no better…
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Dear Chris,
When I was a small child I was terrified of my cousin’s tape recorder microphone. Don’t ask me why. I still remember the shape and look of it but I’m no longer scared. Cute story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Childhood is great for producing monsters from the strangest places. Thanks for the comment, Rochelle. 🙂
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You made me laugh – poor kids and their diver’s helmet nightmares 🙂
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Thank you! 🙂
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I know kids who are afraid of clowns, so a diving helmet is perfectly possible!
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I know adults who are afraid of clowns…lol (I’m not fond of them myself). Thanks for the comment. 🙂
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Ha! He done broked the little girls’ delicate psyche. I wonder if he still wore it for Halloween?
Great story.
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I suspect he did. He really liked that thing. Thanks for reading and the comment.
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It’s a good job he did not wear the whole suit,
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Now that would have been uncomfortable. 🙂
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Brilliantly done 🙂 When I was at university we had a guy who tried to traumatise everyone by wearing the scream mask and black cape thing on Halloween. Unfortunately for him, he was 7 feet tall and the only person who was that size. As a result, everybody was opening the door and simply saying, “Hello, John.”
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LMAO! That’s funny. Hard to disguise yourself when you’re as large as Chewbacca.
And thanks for the comment, Angie.
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Trust me, it was even funnier if you were there!
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Well at least he proved his point – it WAS perfect for Hallowe’en! I like this guy. His sister needs to lighten up. Well done Chris.
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Thanks Thom. I agree. She’s too uptight. 🙂
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Oh dear.
A very expensive joke.
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Oh dear. Those poor little delicate nieces… they probably watched too many monster movies. Funny story, I love it.
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Thanks!
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Good story, Chris. I think kids today are on overload. There are too many scary things. I also think they look to the adults around them to know how to react. The mother in this case made much too big a thing over the helmet. She must be a nervous wreck and the kids have to live with it. She’s apparently marked them for life. Poor Jake. He innocently walked into that situation. Well written. —- Suzanne
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Thank you, Suzanne. That’s an interesting perspective. Were the girls hypersensitive because their mother is uptight and maybe passes along a lot of that stress to them? Could be.
Glad you liked it and thank you for commenting (as always). I appreciate it. 🙂
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