“Fixer-Upper” — FWG Flash Fiction for 2/8/2025
- Rob Johnson
- Feb 14
- 2 min read
Not all fixer-uppers are created equal.
The prompt is:
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
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