Granny Jess passed away peacefully in her home, surrounded by her family.
Sandra, her eldest, had the task of cleaning out the house where Granny had lived on her own for forty years. She took me along.
‘What’s this, Mum?’ I asked.
Sandra smiled. ‘That’s your Granny’s old sewing machine.’
‘Should we keep it?’
My Mum thought for a moment, then shook her head. ‘It served its purpose long ago.’
I lifted the machine off the table and struggled out the door with it. I dumped it on the lawn with the other rubbish.
My hands were covered in rust and dirt from the old machine. I wiped them on my white t-shirt. I noticed a smear of dark red. We never spoke about what happened to Grandpa.

Written as part of the Friday Fictioneers challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above, thanks to Sandra for the photo this week).
Read more stories based on this week’s photo here: HERE
80 responses to “ALL SEWN UP”
Granny beat him to death with a sewing machine?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Perhaps… We don’t talk about it 😉
LikeLiked by 3 people
Neil’s response made me laugh out loud. Perfect response to an old secret and mystery.
Randy
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Iain,
Pity they got rid of the old machine. I wonder what happened and why the blood wasn’t cleaned off.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a mystery. I guess if the family still loved their Granny they must have forgiven or understood what had happened to Grandpa…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very intriguing… Some things are better left unspoken of indeed… Very good piece of writing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many thanks Joy 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha I love it. Great story Iain.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Al – another one that has turned an innocent object into an act of violence….
LikeLiked by 1 person
And done well 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
As I believe they say in Glasgow “Stitch that Jimmy”. Nicely done.,
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Sandra, and thank you for the photo prompt this week.
LikeLike
Oh I didn’t see that coming!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I couldn’t bring myself to just leave it as a nice tale, had to add a sting at the end!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know how you feel! Sometimes you need that twist or sting don’t you 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess it was not the red of rust… hmm better keep silent
LikeLiked by 1 person
Some things are best kept quiet 🙂 Thanks for reading.
LikeLike
Ooh, that was a surprise! I don’t like to think what you could use a sewing machine for with a dead body…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Best left to the imagination! Thanks for reading.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lol. Brilliant. I have one of these…..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Whatever happens you didn’t get any ideas from me! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
But of course…..
LikeLiked by 1 person
poor Grandma, all sorts going through my mind, was it a jealous lover or a heated argument that left that red? or did she have Grandpa instituitionalised when he tried to do her in? Wonderful, wonderful story that keeps the reader guessing and coming back to read between the lines. as you can see i am on Grandma’s side.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The family seem to be on Grandma’s side too. I think Grandpa wasn’t such a nice guy. Thanks for lovely comment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perhaps the odd leather jacket in the closet? Or maybe a lampshade?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well THAT’S a great hook! LOL
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like to leave the reader with something to think about 😉 thanks for reading.
LikeLike
I’m sure grandpa just had an accident, tripped, and broke his neck hitting the sewing machine, right? 🙂 Great twist.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe… 😉 Thanks for reading.
LikeLiked by 1 person
O dear,🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my..interesting…now I need more Iain! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
A mystery indeed. Sometimes things are best left in the past. Nicely done!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Served its purpose indeed. Good yarn.
Tracey
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Tracey
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh dear, poor old grandpa!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sew what if she knocked off the old guy?! lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very good. We’re all having fun punning with the word sew this week! Thanks for reading.
LikeLike
Ooohh ominous end!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, family secrets are best kept hidden 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I loved the story in a story 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many thanks Helen.
LikeLike
They killed her.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting idea
LikeLike
Cool story with a surprise blood ending. Nice!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you liked it. Many thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha, I was just thinking “what a sweet yet melancholy story” and then that killer last line. “Killer” in more ways than one, perhaps 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Perhaps… Yes, I couldn’t just leave it as a nice sweet tale!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! That was a shocker. A nice family drama turned to murder in the blink of an eye. Nicely done, Iain – a great tale
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many thanks Lynn.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
As a grandpa myself, I now find myself extremely concerned when Connie asks me to look at her sewing machine.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Watch your back….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Let’s just hope he injured himself when he tried to fix the machine, but that’s’ not what you had in mind I fear.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It could have been an accident, but most comments seem to think it’s something more sinister. Thanks for reading.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I actually have a workshop and a few sewing machines. I always joke that my DNA is on each and every one of them. That’s why I didn’t move to the dark side with this post.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oooooo great ending! That red smear is very haunting
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Laurie. Could mean so many things…
LikeLiked by 1 person
The lesser you know, the better you sleep, indeed.:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Killer last line- good twist. Nicely done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many thanks.
LikeLike
Oh my! So the sewing machine played a role in his death? What a cool idea for a murder weapon. It beats a gun in my book for creativity.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Melinda 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amazing work.
Old stuff makes many emotions come flooding back. Hats off!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many thanks.
LikeLike
Whoa…still bloody after all this time? I wish we could know more about how this happened, though I like the idea of the family secret. Many families have interesting secrets, though not (hopefully) THIS interesting in most cases.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree. Although it might make a good story to explain it more, I think this one is better left as a mystery. Thanks for reading.
LikeLike
Now that’s got me wondering how you murder someone with a sewing machine. You’ve left it up in the air masterfully. Did she sew up his mouth and nose so he couldn’t breathe. perhaps?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha, there are many possibilities!
LikeLike
It’s hard to get parts for those old things anyway — the machine, I mean. As for grandma, well, I suppose that’s bigger than both of us.
You nailed it, Iain. Five out of five salvage trucks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Even more ruthless than in mine — the lady in mine just put images on the treadle — no one was harmed.
Though I too thought sinister at first, could the blood be where Grandma had pricked her finger and had nothing to do with Grandpa?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good thought. It could all be innocent 🙂
LikeLike
Oh my! I love the intrigue. More!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many thanks – so many ways it could continue…
LikeLike
I’ve read several of flash fictions based around the sewing machine image, but I really like yours the best 🙂 I’m a sucker for stories that wow you with their last sentence. Great writing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Paul, I’m the same, always like to leave short stories with a last line twist. You’re very kind.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess we can figure out what happened to Grandpa. If Grandma was strong enough to pick up the machine and whack him with it, Grandpa should have been ‘much’ nicer to her. Great ending twist, Iain. Mom’s words, “…it served its purpose…” become clearer after the last sentence. Good writing. 😀 — Suzanne
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many thanks. Lots of different theories about what happened to Grandpa, nice to get everyone’s ideas.
LikeLiked by 1 person
‘It served its purpose…’indeed. Nice twist. I didn’t expect it.
LikeLike
Many thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person