Weeping Willows

by B.J. Robinson

A haunting tale set in Louisiana. A young couple tries to outlast another couple and survive a haunted mansion to win a honeymoon in Hawaii. Angela peeked out the window. “They’re beautiful. What are they?”
“Beautiful and deadly if ingested.” Kevin stressed. “Oleander bushes.”
Angela glanced out the window again. “They sure bloom beautiful flowers. It's hard to think something so pretty could be so deadly.”
“Yes, their beauty is deceptive, like a woman.”
When I was a little girl, Daddy was in the process of building my mother a home on an Angie, Louisiana red cliff. I remember standing on the edge and looking down into what was an abyss to me. Of course, I was small so perhaps that cliff wasn't as high as it appeared and the gulley may not have been as deep. This story was born out of that experience and the use of my writer's imagination. Daddy sold the house in Angie before he finished it and moved us to another part of Louisiana so Mom could be near her people. He knew he wouldn't be around much longer. We lost him when I was four on Christmas Day, so I have only my early childhood memories of Angie, Louisiana, which neighbored Bogalusa, Louisiana, and a paper mill we could smell when the wind blew. When the wind blew just right, we could still smell it all those miles away in our new Louisiana home. This is a contemporary short story set in Louisiana.

28 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 23, 2012

Reviews

[Lynelle Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short story about listening to the Holy Spirit when facing threats. The young couple decided it was better to adhere to the warnings then to continue with the contest which ultimately saved their lives.
Trusting and loving each other no matter what

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deadly oleanders grow outside a beautiful Louisiana house, and the ghosts within might prove equally deadly when two young couples compete to win a Hawaiian honeymoon. The sounds and scents of Louisiana come to life as Brad and Angela leave their car and enter the worn dark luxury of the interior. There's an elevator that may never quite reach the dreaded thirteenth floor. There's a scary butler with stories and warnings of death and disaster in the past. And there are definitely ghosts.

"The only ghost I've ever encountered is the Holy Spirit," says Brad, to which Kevin replies "Oh so, you're one of those religious nuts." But, religious or not, there's a feeling of past sins intruding on the present in this tale. Just how far will Brad go to win that honeymoon and what price will the ancient house exact?

Brad learns about love and trust in this tale, and readers will enjoy a feeling of mystery, ancient sorrows, and modern day folly as they read. A short evocative scary story, this one's perfect to share with the one you love on a warm slow summer's evening.

Disclosure: The author let me know when this ebook was free and I quickly grabbed a copy for myself.

[DiDi · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot about this little story that I liked, but it just felt unfinished. The intrigue was there...and I wanted more...or maybe I needed it to go somewhere that it didn't. I wish this were a first draft.

[Kaye Lynne Booth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weeping Willows by B.J. Robinson has the potential to be a good ghostly tale. Unfortunately, Robinson didn’t take it quite far enough. All the elements are there, but they just don’t come together very well.

The story fails to set a tone scary enough to cause any real anticipation. The plot is classic haunted house to the point of almost being cliché. The circumstances often seem a little too convenient, as if the events occur at the convenience of the author, to get the story out. Weeping Willows is a ghost story of fair quality.

Read my full review on my blog: https://kayelynnebooth.wordpress.com/...