From Costa Rica comes my Valentine’s Day love story, based on my photo of a glass of Cooper’s Hawk’s delicious sangria, topped off with delicious fresh fruit in front of a painting done by our younger daughter some years ago. She’s now in art school, honing her skills and majoring in print making. You can find more of her work on her website, Eggshells. But as busy as she is, don’t expect daily updates.
I know you’ve seen this travel disclaimer before, but I’m sorry I won’t be able to read, although I’ll try to respond to comments at some point. I miss reading your stories but will catch up with next week. I do hate missing all the great responses!!
copyright Janet M. Webb
Two Hearts That Beat As One
“We’ll miss you. Good neighbors are hard to find. And Sharon was one of a kind,” Sam asserted.
Dean’s shoulders slumped as he looked down. “I’ll be moving. I can’t live here without her. Just wouldn’t seem right.”
“I can’t believe she’s gone. I didn’t even get to say good-bye before you left for vacation,” Kelly sobbed. “You guys were like the perfect couple.”
“I know it sounds corny, but I always felt our hearts beat as one,” Dean remarked, turning toward the house. Unseen, he grinned. They did. He even had the scar on his chest to prove it.
This, that and the other thing 
beautiful sentiment, beautiful photo…
Ooh, this feels a bit creepy. Just where did he take her on this “vacation”? A very evocative photo – and what an interesting picture your talented daughter has produced! Thanks for sharing it.
Jen, you’re right on target. And why does he have a scar on his chest? Add in the title and you get…? As for our daughter, she definitely has talent. I always liked this because it looks so Impressionistic. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment. Are you still on vacation. We have three more days, one of which will be mostly travel, before heading back on Saturday. Short trip but stellar so far.
janet
Have a great rest of your trip. Nope, I’m back in Canada now – landed late last night. I definitely figured he’d stolen her heart (literally, not figuratively),, hence the scar, the smile and the title.
Welcome home. I know you had a great time. And yes, he stole her heart…literally. I thought Valentine’s Day was the perfect time for some creepiness. 🙂
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Organ harvesting at a very personal level… very dark for you Janet. 😉 Enjoy your trip.
It is dark, Sandra, especially for Valentine’s Day, but it’s all about the unexpected, right? We’re having a great time. Just about ready to tour a vanilla plantation and trying to cool down a bit. It’s quite hot and humid!
janet
So he stole her heart, what did he do with the other organs?
He didn’t say and I didn’t ask. 🙂
janet
what an extremely creepy tale! enjoyed this a lot. i love the photo, janet, thanks for sharing it!
This is more your type of story, right? I’m glad you liked the photo, too.
janet
Oh! That evil grin is creepy. A sinister twist and well-penned. 🙂
-HA
Thanks, HA. He’s the worst kind of creep, the one that doesn’t appear creepy.
janet
Oh, my…quite different from the tale I was expecting you to tell. Well done!!!
I thought I’d go with the unexpected and (what does this say about me), this idea popped into my head right away. Weird vacations thoughts!
janet
Aaaaahhh … sangria! The dessert in a glass that gets you drunk real quick. [grin]
And tastes divine while it’s doing you in!!! Almost time for our vanilla plantation tour. More CR photos tomorrow (and many more days as well,)
janet
If you ever come across a book called “We Joined the Navy”, you must PROMISE me to read it. Just to read you talking of “a vanilla plantation tour” makes me laugh like a drain – but no mockery intended!!!
I keep telling women not to got to Aruba. It is not the romantic gesture they believe. I think you’ve written possessive to a new echelon of creepy. Hope your Vacation is treating you well. and love the photo. In my book there is nothing better than sangria and art.
I’m so,glad you like the photo. Vacation is wonderful. If you want to see photos, check yesterday’s post and tomorrow’s and more.
janet
Ooh will do.
[…] Janet Webb […]
Oh! This has a bit of the macabre to it, doesn’t it? Not at all what I was expecting. Great piece!
Good, if creepy, story and a beautiful photo. Looks like your daughter is really talented. What a gift!
She is talented, Patrick. Her prints now are quite good. Glad that you like the photo and story. Not my usual, but that’s good.
janet
Ah.. love this.. I assume there is some new concrete on the porch somewhere as well… 🙂 I had to see your story … really an intriguing picture.. and I went for memorial service too… so no one can be offended
I think he got a concert mixer for Christmas. :-). Thanks for reading even though I can’t respond.
janet
Um… where’d you come from, Creepy McCreepenstein? Creep-shades McGee? Creepy Creepy Creepy-pants?
First, I thought this was a nice little tale, perhaps even one of giving — that his dying wife saved his life with a heart transplant.
But no… you had to go all Tales from the Crypt on us!
It’s like I don’t even know you anymore, Janet. What are we going to do with you?
=)
:-). Hee, hee. I aimed to surprise with this and I guess I did. Maybe it’s all the sun here in Costa Roca. But that’s what came to mind. Maybe Bill had better beware.
janet
Love the twist in the tail. Your pic is lovely. Happy Valentine’s. 🙂
Ooh – that’s nasty. Did he do the operation himself?
He didn’t say. 🙂
janet
Sounds like he stole her heart. Good story.
Literally!! Thanks for reading and commenting even though I can’t.
janet
I read it as more sweet than creepy, not sure that 100 words gave enough room to develop the creepy, but I still like it. I love the idea that a wife’s tragic death would give her husband a new lease on life.
Never jaded when it comes to love,
Marie Gail
I meant it as creepy but you can take it however you like. I appreciate your reading and comments either way, Marie.
janet
Dear Janet,
Now there’s a guy that really goes for a woman’s heart. I hope he goes into cardiac arrest..soon. Congratulations. You have achieved creepy, my dear. Lifting my imaginary glass of sangria.
L’chaim and shalom,
Rochelle
Cheers back at you. As for him, hopefully her heart will give him a double heart attack.
janet
So many great things going on here–wow! I’m wondering why he took her heart and I love all the different reasons there could be.
Glad you liked it, Hannah. Yesterday we toured a vanilla farm/plantation and you would have loved it! I’ll be reporting on it in a few days but the spices and vanilla were amazing. Yes, I bought some!
janet
Oh my goodness! I can’t wait to read all about it.
A real steal for him,eh?Loved the wicked twist 🙂
Excellent!
Thanks very much.
janet
Indeed, it must be the heat, Janet–a new genre for you to explore. Your photo is a great choice for Valentine’s Day and, although I’ve only read a couple of stories so far, offers a lot of inspirational opportunities. I stopped by your daughter’s site and am most impressed with how she’s developing. Really like her photo of her Rittenhouse Square installation–interesting textures and images with the paper boats, dark “river”, scattered leaves and the red object in the background sending your eye back along the red support wires.Talented folks in your family, Janet.
Thanks, vb. Thanks for dropping by Megan’s site. I think she’s really doing along and so do her teachers evidently. She gets it from my moms side of the family.
Well Janet, I see you’ve brought your photographic self and your creepy self this week… the second was a bit unexpected! Wow, it’s not usually your genre, but you do it well. If I may, I would suggest one thing: I would take out the word “even” in the final line. That sentences packs a bigger punch without it, and it’s such a jarring finish anyway. Oh, these creepy husbands… harvesting. Ick. Nice job!
Thanks for the feedback. I’ll take a look at some point but I’m not online too much until vacation’s over! Glad you liked it, though.
janet
It was very good! It’s always fun to see one of the Fictioneers try something new. You nailed it. Enjoy Costa Rica!!
Hi Janet,
Glad to see someone else who ventured into evil territory on the holiday for lovefests. Hope your time in CR is mucho fun. Watch out for the snakes. There are some deadly ones there. Ron
Beautiful photo prompt Janet. Gave room for many possibilities on love. The art work by your daughter is super!
A real creepy oaf is our Dean. Well done!
Dean is creepy, isn’t he? Glad you liked both story and art. Great to hear from you!
janet
Here’s an interpretation – Dean and Sharon are the same person, a cross-dresser, the neighbors never saw them both at the same time. Otherwise, there has to be a heart surgeon as an accomplice hiding in the woodpile.
:-). That’s an idea I didn’t think of, Russ. Could be some sort of evil magic. Who knows?
janet
Great photo today. Thanks. And the story–whoa! Love the creepy factor. Well done.
Here’s mine: http://unexpectedpaths.com/friday-fictioneers/sweets-to-the-sweet-farewell/
Thanks, Maggie. I probably won’t get to read this week due to travel, but I look forward to your story next week. Thanks for coming by.
janet
Dean, Sam? It’s Supernatural 🙂
It is. I did it just for you.
Great story and photo! Do I get the impression that she wasn’t exactly a willing donor?
She was not!!
janet
“Unseen, he grinned. They did. He even had the scar on his chest to prove it.” They all grinned? He had a scar to prove they all grinned, including himself? I get that something sinister is going on to do with the ‘disappearance’ of one of the characters. Somehow, her heart seems to have been transferred to the ‘unseen grinner’? Very mysterious! Love mysteries. There’s a huge story in this little one. Ann 🙂
Ann, the “they did” refers to the hearts beating as one. Somehow he managed to take her heart and put it with his. Creepy!!
janet
You did creepy, I did grisly. It must be zeitgeist! 🙂
I loved the photo, by the way. One of the best yet, for me. It was easy for me to weave a story from it, once I got going. I like the painting, too. I gather it’s one by your daughter. She’s good. Her colour sense, sense of composition, was excellent even at that young age. And very ‘painterly’.
Ann, I’m glad you liked both photo and painting. She’s pretty good in our undoubtedly somewhat biased opinion. :-). She’s going into printmaking and is doing quite well.
janet
I moved into mixed media and print making long after my degree. I’m much happier – I can draw and paint ‘academically’ but it didn’t suit my needs. Good luck to her. Does she have a web site of works?
Ann, there’s a link to her website in the post but we haven’t gotten one up yet where she can sell things. She’s so busy just producing art for her classes that she doesn’t even get the current site updated very often! Hopefully the new website will be something that will happen some time this year.
janet
If that’s not an example of mania love, I don’t know what is. Good job 🙂
Thanks, Cam. Not the guy you want to marry your daughter, that’s for sure!
janet
thank you for the photo, Janet and such an interesting story just in time for Valentines. i enjoyed it. ha-ha. ☺
Thanks, Sun. Not sure his wife enjoyed it. 🙂
janet
Janet – love the picture and your daughter is very talented. The story is superb! I enjoyed it so very much – wickedly enjoyable!
Nan,thanks to all that. It’s much appreciated.
janet
Your daughter is very talented. Her mother has a bit of a creepy streak running through her 😉
Enjoy your va-cay!
Vacation was great! Back in snowy, cold Naperville now but I do enjoy the winter, too, so it’s not at all bad. As for creepy, something just took over last week. Maybe it was all those episodes of “Supernatural” Bill’s been watching on Netflix. 🙂
janet
Lol…yes I can see where you would become unduly influenced by that 😉
So loving and sentimental, and then some. Loved the reveal in those last sentences.
And it started out so nicely. 🙂 I’m glad I “got you”, Sarah Ann.
janet
Yikes! Very vivid, made me shiver!
Good! 🙂 I don’t do this sort of story very often but I’m so happy it worked.
janet
Firstly, Supernatural ❤ can't get enough of those gorgeous guys. But ooooh, this is some real creepy stuff! I'll surely see Dean in a new creepalicious view from now on! loved it!
My husband watched all the way through season 8 just recently (on Netflix) so I was getting a steady diet of Sam and Dean. I enjoy the show, but not necessarily that much at a time. But I thought I’d give a tip of the hat to him and the show. Glad you liked it.
janet
WOW, he did? Actually our country is really horrible about broadcasting SPN on tv, and internet speed is real bad, so I’ve been denied the pleasure of watching my boys for way too long now 😦 Anyway it was refreshing reading your story, it has SPN characters, and is of course very well written 😀
I bet the scar reveals a much darker side of those ‘neighbors’!
The neighbors are normal. It’s Dean that has the dark side! Thanks for stopping by, Anjana!
janet
My type of story!!!
🙂
janet