Week 315 - Results of our weekly online writing contest

..."

Entangled before them in the fresh roots, were masses of old bones. And on top of the decayed bones, sprawled the fresh body of an old man.

"The purpose of removing the stump?"

" To build. We bought this land..."

"Clearing the site before building?"

"Exactly."

"And the deceased--your husband?" The sun glared down hard.

"Yes. A heart attack, perhaps. The heat..."

"Old bones. Interesting," the Sheriff said. "A cult disappeared here, years back. Rumor has it that an odd fellow name of Hippijibbi killed 'em, buried 'em here someplace." He removed his hat, mopping his damp face. "Never got enough on the fella to prosecute. Nobody knows where he went."

"Interesting story."

"Well, you may have just solved the mystery. By the way, what did you say your husband's name was?"

"I don't believe I said."

"Well, then, what was his name?"

"Rupert. Rupert Hippijibbi."

by Sandra Crofton, Milan, MN

...this tree that he had forgotten he had been working on yesterday fell on him. Sheriff, it appears that my husband has been trying to chop this tree down for days, and this stump had been wedged up beneath it such that it was keeping it into place. When we pulled the stump up, the tree came crashing down on my husband Bill, and I only had just enough time to run away and escape! Now Bill is a bloody mess."

by April Hensley-McCullar, Archibald, LA

...the chain broke, caught him around the middle, flung him all the way across our yard, through the side porch lattice, and down the driveway. There, he hit the mailbox which, like a catapult, flung him back through the air, across the roof of our house, into the backyard again, where he landed in the wood chipper and...well, you can see what happened then."

Sheriff Ivan C. Itall looked around, then nodded. "How tragic for him...and you. I'm sorry for your loss, ma'am. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"A ride to the insurance office would be great."

by Phillip Lynne, Knoxville, TN

U-WRITE-IT-RESULTS