Tuesday Tales 2023-6-27 Finish

It’s time for Tuesday Tales, June 27, 2023, where we use word and picture prompts in the stories we’re writing. I am working on a cozy mystery. This week’s word prompt is finish. Events occur at the August Crow Hotel, Peri’s former childhood home, in Glisten, Georgia. When you finish reading my snippet, make sure to visit all the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.

Bless Dovie for wondering if I’d be comfortable in here. I would. As a child I was drawn to this bedroom. It had always embraced me. Breathing in its welcoming nature, I moved toward the vanity placed against the wall in the same polished cherry wood as the bed. Three mirrors were its centerpiece, a large middle one in cathedral shape, and two smaller ones on each side that turned inward to provide interesting opportunities for reflection.

The rectangular bench portrayed etched roses and green leaves in a thick, sturdy fabric. I sat, musing over the items on the vanity. A vintage frosted green perfume atomizer was the main attraction. I lifted it to sniff the faint aroma it emanated. My mother had worn Elysium, but this was more floral than ozonic. My fingers touched the oval doily covering the middle section of the vanity. Round doilies decorated each side. Someone had spent great care in crocheting the intricate designs. I wondered if they had been purchased at Dulcy Tolliver’s antique shop down the street.

I stared into the mirror for a few moments,  my eyes unfocused . A lethargy came over me, as if I had indulged in a glass of Christmas port. My memory went back. Images flipped through my mind. It was like looking at a tintype catalog. Some pictures were colorful and clear and some blotched and blurry, as if the finish had not taken.

A voice beside me said, “Scoot over.”

Startled, I glanced up to see Robin standing there. Smiling, I moved over, and she joined me on the seat.

She studied herself in the mirror, fluffing her dark hair and grimacing. “Lordy, I need a new style.”

‘You have gorgeous hair.” I had always envied it—that and her olive complexion.

A smile creased her lips. “You always wanted mine, and I wanted your strawberry blonde.” She peered closer at the mirror. “At least there are no gray hairs yet. Mom keeps telling me they’ll stand out like metallic icicles.”

“Those are in style now,” I teased.

The face in the mirror reflected a glare.

I hurried to say, “Besides, you’re a long way from gray.”

“I don’t know. Mom’s came in pretty early.” She sighed and turned to look at me face to face. “You were lost in thought when I came in. You were remembering what we saw and heard in here, weren’t you?”

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed the snippet inspired by finish. If you haven’t done so already, check out the other excerpts at Tuesday Tales.

Cheers & Happy Reading!

Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Spirited Stories

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