THE ANCIENT PLAGUE

Photo Copyright: Connie Gayer (Mrs. Russell)

Here we are for another week. This week we’re gathered near a virtual graded road with a cut phone cable. I’ve taken the liberty of transforming it into a virtual cemetery for my story. Our hostess for this gathering is the gracious and talented artist and author, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. We’re the Friday Fictioneers, and the challenge for each of us in the group is to write an original story with no more than 100 words. It’s supposed to have a beginning, middle, end, and follow the picture prompt provided for the week. This week’s prompt was provided by Connie Gayer (Mrs. Russell). Thanks Connie.

To read the other stories from group members, just click on the link given below, then on the little blue frog in the blue box. The link for the other stories this week is as follows:

https://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/6-november-2015/

Genre: Speculative Fiction

Word Count: 99 Words

THE ANCIENT PLAGUE by P.S. Joshi

Mary visited the cemetery to pray at the graves of her parents.

Today, as she neared their marker, she noticed the door of a new mausoleum standing open. Thinking nothing of it, she said prayers and placed fresh flowers in her parent’s vase.

Next morning, a headline in the paper read:

                                 RECENTLY INTERRED BODY OF COUNT MARKOVITCH DISTURBED

A strange sickness began affecting people in that area. They all showed the same symptom, two red marks on the jugular vein and gradual weakness. They never recovered.

New coffins were buried, then unearthed. No one would guard the open graves.