Beth pressed her fingertips to her eyes, and sighed at her tired image.
“Darling, look at yourself,” Darren kissed her neck. “You’ll dazzle them tonight. You’re a princess.”
“Oh, please,” Beth said. His eyes overflowed with a love that drowned her.
Beth surrendered her devotion to the vision that crept in behind them, watching their physical scene play out. The mirror held eyes that devoured Beth’s every micro movement.
Abigail cleared her throat.
“Hello, sister,” he kissed Abigail on the cheek. “What a vision you are.”
With flushed face, Beth watched her two lovers in the mirror, staring at her.
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Genre: Hot Romance (100 words)
Photo copyright: Janet Webb
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Thanks to the lovely Rochelle Wisoff-Fields, who hosts the Friday Fictioneers at her blog Addicted to Purple. Thanks to Janet Webb for the photo, which gave me lots of ideas. It’s a great prompt.
If you’re interested, why not give this a go? Even though it’s Friday Fictioneers, you technically have until Tuesday to write your story before the link closes. No excuses now.
Click here for more stories from the talented Fictioneers.
What a choice…brother or sister?
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I suppose she will have to choose eventually. It would be exhausting to keep going like this forever. Thanks, Claire.
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There’s so much here. It’s sweet and human then tense and sultry and then it’s I don’t know what. I just finished _The Thirteenth Tale_ by Diane Setterfield and it has siblings who were inappropriate at best. If you’re a fan of Henry James’ “Turn of the Screw” I’d recommend it.
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Thanks for your nice comments, Melanie. I’m glad you took so much from it My main inspiration was the final bit with her looking at them through her own reflection. Is she asking herself, what am I doing? And, does Darren know? If doesn’t yet, he will someday. Thanks for the recs. I’ll add them to my list!
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To be suffocated by too much devotion – I’m sure you look for some flaw almost like a hope, there’s a lot to live up to with lovers like that.
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Could be, Bjorn. Or, she doesn’t feel the passion with him or he’s sucking it out of her. Thanks for your thoughtful comments, as always.
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Interesting take Amy, but I liked it. Having a brother/sister duo as lovers, well no wonder she’s tired! Keeping a secret like that is exhausting. Well done!
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Right, Jackie! The secret life and all the running around she’s probably doing. She’s got to be exhausted. How long will she be able to keep it together? I think when she looks in the mirror she falls apart a little. Thank you.
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There are so many interpretations I could think about, but it is very well-done and I could see it happening in the picture.
Very nice, Amy!
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Thanks, Kent. I appreciate that. I was hoping it was believable.
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Amy, that’s creepy. You told us just enough but left us with many questions and possible ways of interpretation. No matter which way we go, I think she’d be better off without both of them! So thankful I never saw anything like this in this mirror. 🙂
janet
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Janet, first this really was a great prompt. I had lots of ideas, but this was my first impulse. You know how sometimes you must just write that one! I’ve never seen this is the mirror, thankfully! I have a feeling this won’t be ending well and she will be alone it the end. How tragic! 🙂
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Tricky one. You’ve left me guessing and wondering, so much in so little. Nothing like teasing us, Amy
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It’s true the end of this story could have multiple endings. What will Beth’s next move? Will she stay with Darren? Run away with Abigail? Run away by herself? It’s a mystery. And it’s my pleasure, Audra.
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Interesting story this week Amy. So many layers!
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Thank you, Dawn!
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This certainly is a contemporary twist on the ménage à trois, Amy. Thank you for not naming the siblings Donny and Marie.
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Well now, V, it is love triangle. That’s for sure. And a strange one. I wonder if this has happened to someone, and I think, of course, it has somewhere. Well, you see I got close with Darren, didn’t I? Ha ha. No, I would not do that!
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Mysterious, enticing and forbidden. Very good ingrediences!
Lily
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Ooh, thank you, Lily. Those are appealing ingredients!
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Very intriguing. Forbidden love is always one I would only watch from the sidelines! 😀
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Thanks, Dianne. The sidelines are a safe place to be. You’re a wise woman. 🙂 Beth is taking some chances.
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Well, alrighty then. Beth working her player cards and being open about it and whatnot.
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Or, not being open about it. Beth has a few secrets. Thanks for reading and for your comments.
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Dear Amy,
Now there’s an unexpected love triangle. What a choice. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
Thank you. I suspect everyone is uncomfortable with this. I’m reminded that sometimes fiction can make you uncomfortable. Thanks.
Shalom,
Amy
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Are you kidding? That’s IT? Keep going. More.
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Mark, I think you’re the only who wants more. Everyone else seems too uncomfortable, and I’m not suggesting it’s normal or anything. Thanks!
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Brothers and sisters are often mirror images of each other so it is easy to see why Beth would be attracted to both. It would come down to what mood she was in if she preferred male or female “companionship”. That could possibly be the perfect relationship. Unless, of course you we are just looking at the typical “menage at trois” and they all do each other. That would creep me out as I am not a fan of incestuous behaviour between brothers and sisters. Yep, it would just creep me out.
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What a great observation, Michelle. Brothers and sisters can be mirrors of each other. I actually hadn’t thought about that at all. It could be the perfect relationship, but there seems to be a lot of pull from both of them, so I don’t think poor Beth could handle it. She might burst from the pressure. I think of all of these characters as needy and selfish. A typical “menage a trois” threesome would creep me out, too, in this case. Certainly, this story has been done, right? I’m not even sure. I would be creeped out with you! But it could be fun to explore and write.
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Now that’s what you call a menage a trois! Well done Amy! 🙂
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A creepy one, right? Thanks, Sandra. 🙂
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Well done ! Reminded me on ”The dreamers” and my own chilhood. Words left strong impression , thank you 😉
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Ah, yes! I have seen that movie! Thanks for the reminder. I have never read the book, however. I will have to look for it. Thanks for your kind comments. 🙂
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Dear Amy, Very well written – and yes, a little uncomfortable for me – but hey – I’m old. You are a great writer and it’s very cosmopolitan of you to write this. And, it really is good. Have a good week! Nan 🙂
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You’re so cute, Nan, to call me cosmopolitan. I’m really Miss Suburbia! Thanks for the kind words, even though it made you uncomfortable. I appreciate that. 🙂
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This was interesting and so were the comments. No wonder Beth was so tired. Two adoring lovers would wear you down eventually. I wonder where they go from here?
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Poor Beth. Well, she got herself all mixed up, didn’t she? She’s in quite a situation. You can see I left it open-ended. I think people would rather I didn’t… but it gives an opportunity to think through the possibilities and decide for themselves. The endings all over the place. I think I would have Beth decide, but that it wouldn’t work out the way she wanted it to. She’s not really in control, even though she may think she is.
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Lots of undercurrents here. Intriguing.
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Thanks for you nice comments!
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PHWOAAARRR!
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Translation please. 🙂
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Lusty goings on Amy…..
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Got it! Thanks, Jim.
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Most welcome Amy – I’ve run a half marathon and had a heavy cold so my thoughts are a touch warped at the moment!
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Jim, that’s awesome!! What an accomplishment! And with a heavy cold! That’s tough. I’m very proud of you.
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Cheers – sniffle sniffle!
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Tease. You can’t just tell us that much. There is so much more going on here. I like the line, ‘His eyes overflowed with a love that drowned her.’ It injects a minuscule amount of doubt on Beth’s part, as if their relationship is too intense. But then she comes across as a little greedy 🙂
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Oh, you think she’s greedy. It’s interesting to get your views. I think she’s in over her head, too. She thinks she can hold it together. Thanks for your thoughtful comments, Sarah. I appreciate it. 🙂
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That’s really intriguing, Amy. It reads kind of like a scene in a movie; at least you wrote it so vividly that I could picture it like one. Well done.
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What a nice compliment you paid me. Thanks, David. I did envision this scene before I set out to write it. Maybe because it was a mirror, I really saw it. Ha ha. I’m glad you liked it.
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That’s an amazing interpretation of a love triangle. Lovely.
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Thanks so much, Patrick. Thanks for the kind words.
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it may be time for Beth to walk away from the mirror and take a long vacation…preferably to a spot with no mirrors. 😛 i like the mysterious air your story seems to taking…great for the imagination.
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Ha. A vacation from the mirror is good everyone, isn’t it? I once heard of a story, or maybe it was true, where this family went on vacation to a place with no mirrors. No one ever looked into a mirror the entire time. I almost wrote about that. 🙂 That would be interesting to experience. And then the opposite of looking at the mirror all the time would probably screw with someone’s mind. Thanks so much, Sun!
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Amy, I see trouble ahead for this gal. I hope a breakup of some sort is the very worse it gets. Well written. 🙂 —Susan
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Beth can’t go on like this forever. Thanks so much, Susan. 🙂
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Beth is going to the event alone, and will remain alone.
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Now that is just sad, Frank. No fun for Beth. Tough going.
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They are simply trying to make her feel better.
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