“Fixer-Upper” — FWG Flash Fiction for 2/8/2025

Not all fixer-uppers are created equal.

The prompt is:

https://pixabay.com/photos/house-building-abandoned-2939310

FIXER-UPPER

Deanna stared at the dilapidated building.

“Yeah, it needs a bit of work,” said Margot, her real estate agent. Her Uncle Benny had left it to her in his will. She ignored Deanna’s side eye. “Hey, a couple windows, a door, maybe some plumbing work—”

“Wait. Why are the first-floor windows and door sealed? They don’t even look real.”

“Security,” Margot said. When Dee gave her a questioning look, she explained. “The ground floor and basements were the base of a thirteenth-century castle. The actual entrance is up there.” She pointed to the second-floor balcony.

Deanna stepped forward and laid a hand on the stone wall, then jerked her hand back. “They’re hot.”

“The basements are several floors deep.”

Dee shook her head. “Then they should be a constant fifty-five degrees. What’s down there?”

The agent didn’t meet her eyes. “Just crazy stories, Dee. Nothing—”

“What ‘crazy stories,’ Margot?”

Margot took a deep breath. “The local legend is that there is a demon named Benito held captive by golden chains in the sub-sub-sub-basement. Its rage keeps the house cozy even in the coldest winters.”

Deanna laughed. “And in the summers?”

“You’ll need a decent air conditioner.”

Dee’s eyes lit up. “Golden chains, you say? I bet they’d pay for all the repairs.”

“Ah, Dee, if there are golden chains, that means there is also a demon!”

Dee waved her hand. “No such thing. But gold—gold is real.”

***

Six months later, Margot and Jenn, her new client, got out of the car and stepped from a raging blizzard onto the green grass surrounding the dilapidated structure.

“It’s like summer! Why is it so warm?” Jenn asked as she unwrapped her scarf.

Margot smiled. “Legend says there’s a demon named Deanna chained in the sub-sub-sub-basement. And she’s pissed.”

THE END