Bloody Basin Real Estate

Menage Monday over at Cara Michael's blog here is another flash fiction contest. I have enjoyed the two I wrote for Flash Factory Friday, so I thought I'd try another. This one is a little more difficult. It requires between 100 and 200 words. As you know, I've been perilously close to the 350 limit on my other two, so this was a challenge. Anyway, there were three prompts: 1) a picture of an exit called Bloody Basin Rd. 2) the phrase "a family affair" and 3) the phrase "a fight to the death" - I'm not sure if that last is supposed to be a phrase or if the story is supposed to include people actually fighting to the death...hmmm...I suppose I should have clarified that because mine doesn't work that second way. Oh well, here's my flash!

Word Count: 178

Stupid name. We’re coming up on the exit and if he sees the name he won’t buy the house. He has to see the house first. Maybe if I distract him, he won’t even notice the sign.

“Beautiful mountain view.” I flick my turn signal.

He grunts, “Bloody Basin? What’s the story on that?”

Unfortunate. “Lots of stories.”

“Which one’s true?”

“I don’t know if any of them are.”

He glares at me. “Try me.”

“Cowboys, Indians, a fight to the death, that sort of thing.”

“Anyone important?”

“I’m sure they were to somebody.” Time to change the subject. “Do you have family? The schools-”

“This isn’t a family affair. Just me.”

“There’s a lot of square footage, are you looking to entertain?”

“No. I don’t like people.”

Right. “They just laid fiber last year, so you should be able to get fast internet. And the basement could easily be converted to a home theater.”

“Bloody Basin sounds ominous.” He’s not even going to look at the house.

“It’s just a name.” I wish they would change it.