Grandpa’s Head
“There’s a head inside that.” Grandma pointed to the box on the highest bookshelf.
I mentioned this at dinner, expecting laughter. Everyone just nodded.
“Your great-grandfather found it a century ago, completely mummified.”
“That slash across its mouth, ugh!”
“And the naked lady tattoo.” The adults snickered. The kids looked fascinated.
“Can we see it?”
“When you’re eighteen.”
My cousin turned eighteen. He climbed up, then descended looking disgusted, commenting on the deformed ears.
Then it was my turn. I climbed up and raised the lid.
It was empty.
“Well?” my younger sister asked.
“Horrible.” I shuddered. “Those eyes, especially.”
The Green-Walled Treehouse 
Excellent! Keep the family gag going. Gotta love traditions! 😂
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Thanks, Nancy!
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I freaking love this!! Seriously, this is so good. Love it! I totally got a kick out of this.
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Me too. He’s so good at these.
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Thank you so much, Angela. Your comment made my day. Thank you for reading! 🙂
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A good lie is better than a boring story.
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Definitely more entertaining. 🙂
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Keeping the story alive…lie through teeth! Fun take on the prompt
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Thanks! Glad you liked it. It was a fun one to write.
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Lovely, We build our world through the things we collectively agree to imagine
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Exactly. Thanks for reading, Neil. Glad you liked it.
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My favorite lines…”Can we see it?”
“When you’re 18.”
That made me howl. 🙂
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I think this would have driven me nuts as a kid, just waiting and wondering what was in the box.
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Was Grandpa’s name Shrodinger?
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haha, there you go. 🙂
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🙂
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Dear David,
I suppose that’s a big brother’s job. My brother had a knack for torturing his little sister, ie , me. Love this story. Grandpa was quite the character and passed it down to the next generations. “D
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I could see that as an initiation for people who marry in the family, to see if they have the right temperament. 🙂
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You gotta love a family who keeps a practical joke tradition. lol
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Haha, right? Even though I wrote it, as a reader I’m impressed they all played along when they looked inside. 🙂
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