Iceman
Today is Day Nine of the A-to-Z Blogging Challenge. Click on the letter picture to the right for more information about this blog hop. Like last year, I’m writing 100-word flash fiction stories/poems/scenes for this year’s challenge. Today’s is:
Iceman
Ted dropped another cube in Lucy’s glass.
“It’s for the best,” his voice smooth, comforting, enticing.
He had to do it. Lucy needed to face the fact that Desmond didn’t really love her. That their whole relationship was based on empty platitudes. It was a blessing for her that Ted saw through it all, and could let her down before things really got out of hand.
Lucy was silent, eyes to the ground. Ted put his hand on her knee. He was there for her. Always.
Outside his door, the nurse watched as Ted stroked Lucy’s wooden face, and smiled.
Tune in tomorrow for J…
What connection has the story to “Iceman”? It’s more than just the cubes in the glass, but it’s not obvious (it wouldn’t be to me, anyway). If no-one’s got it by the end of the day, I’ll comment with an explanation. 🙂
OK, I give up! I’ll be back later in the day either with an answer or looking for one!
Of course, that’s end of the day Eastern US time–just to be sure we’re on the same page, Keith. 🙂
Let me think about it for awhile…but first, error in last line. Either take out the ‘as’ or add a ‘d’ to stroke. Hopefully this doesn’t post twice, wouldn’t work the first time.
Love that I have to think about the story. Will try not to Google ‘Iceman’.
Ooo–good catch, Amanda! Thanks. 🙂 I’ll give a clue–it’s a literary reference.
Intriguing!
Good! I’m glad you’re intrigued. 🙂
I have no idea the connection, but I thought the ending was chilling.
Thanks, Patricia. I’m glad it works even if you don’t know where the inspiration came from. 🙂
I keep thinking ventriloquism and that’s throwing me off because that wouldn’t be a literary reference. Desmond, Lucy, and Ted. Lucille, and Theodore, and Desi. Doesn’t help. Rats.
No… I’ve got you on completely the wrong track! 🙂 If it helps, I could have gone with plastic just as easily as wood at the end there.
I didn’t see that ending coming. But I give up. I have no idea to what you’re referring.
Yay, Liz! I’m always glad when I can spring a surprise on my readers. 😀
I’m clueless, too. Generally, always. Not just about this.
Ha! I don’t think so, Jed. I’ve read your blog. You have clues about stuff. 🙂
When exactly is end of day Eastern U.S. time? Just in case it’s different than end of day Eastern Canada time.
Oh, soon. Ish. 🙂 Maybe in about an hour I’ll post the answer. It’s 10:40pm now. Ish.
OK. Here’s the story behind the story…
When I picked the word “Iceman” the first thing that came into my head was “The Iceman Cometh.” This was the title of a Eugene O’Neill play and later a movie that I heard many, many years ago, but I never had a clue what it was about. I thought it was some kind of horror movie. And, just to lay bare my literary ignorance, up until the writing of this story, I still didn’t know much about what this was. So, out of sheer curiosity, I did extensive Wikipedia research. The gist of the story concerns a hardware salesman, Theodore Hickman (“Hickey”) who disabuses a group of people of their dreams and convinces them that the only way to stay sane is to embrace their hopeless fates. Later, it transpires that Hickey’s dead wife was in fact murdered by Hickey, as he claims, “out of love for her.” In the end Hickey loses his mind, and only then comes to the conclusion that people need to cling to their dreams to stay sane.
That’s a very rough sketch of the plot, but it gave me the idea of the guy in a padded cell still trying to convince his mannequin friend to leave her imaginary lover, thinking he’s being the best friend in the world to her.
And there you have it. 🙂
DAMN! That’s why Iceman sounded so familiar! The Iceman Cometh. I’ve heard of it but never read it. When I Googled Iceman the first thing that comes up is a hitman for the mob.
Makes a lot more sense now. That was fun AND I learned something. 🙂