Nothing sinister or suspect.
Samson looked out at the row of bungalows. A car drove past, a dog barked, the trees swayed in the breeze.
He stepped inside the house, walking through the hallway, glancing in each room.
No signs of disturbance.
She lived here alone. Late last night, a call from neighbours reporting screaming.
In the backyard a huge oak tree dominated. Samson walked up to it, feeling the cracked bark.
He walked round the wide trunk. His hand felt a sticky, dark excretion. His fingertips were red. He looked up.
A large hollow. He had found her.

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).
To read stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.
Read more stories featuring Detective Samson: THE DETECTIVE SAMSON STORIES
111 responses to “IN THE HOLLOW TREE”
Nicely done, Iain. I see we went along the same lines here and suspect FriFic will be littered with corpse-filled trees before too long. Perhaps I should have done the weeping reindeer after all. 😉
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Let it be, Sandra, Rudolph already has a red nose!
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Nope, I’m definitely warming to the idea.
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Save it for a Christmas Special.
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It’s nice to know I am not alone in seeing corpses in the prompt photo. Somehow reassuring!
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The place is littered with them!
Maybe including Santa?
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Such a sad story for a lovely tree 🙂 but Samson did well,
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Thanks Michael – perhaps next week I will try and write a happier tale!
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What an ending. Great story, Iain.
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Thank you Annie 🙂
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You’re welcome, Iain.
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Sent a chill down my spine, very good!
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The desired effect, thank you!
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Dear Iain,
That’s not what one wants to find hanging in a tree, is it? Chillingly well written.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks Rochelle – will put him off climbing trees for a few years I suspect.
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so well written!
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Thank you Moon
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Lain, your story kept me right up to the last word, and then I wanted more. Good job.
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Thank you so much.
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The tree as a hiding place for bodies! Rumor has it that Thomas Pynchon would stash manuscripts for his editor in a hollow tree somewhere in Central Park, so reclusive was he.
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Are they still there, do you think? Has anyone searched?
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I think it’s legend. But hey, it’s a good story.
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I have to admit, I wasn’t surprised. Still well played, Iain.
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Thank you.
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Tight and tense as always, Iain.
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Thanks CE
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Like a scene from a movie! Bloody brilliant Iain
Click to read my FriFic!
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Thanks Keith
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Poor girl. Nice job.
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Not a happy ending, thanks Janet.
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You seem to be channeling Sandra. Nicely done, Iain
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Thanks Neil – reassuring that I’m not the only one who saw death in a picture of an old tree.
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Dead people in trees. Reminds me of “Harvest Home” by Thomas Tryon. Well done!
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Not familiar with that one, will need to look out for it. Thanks.
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Ooh, grisly!
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I just saw the Jo Nesbo film The Snowman at the cinema – I think it had an effect.
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Hah!
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that was scary as hell
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Thank you, the desired effect.
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Delightfully creepy story, Iain.
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Thanks Varad
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I don’t think I could be a detective…
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Not for me either. I’ll just write about one instead.
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Excellent job. Great economy of words .
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Less is more. Thank you Shehanne.
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Absolutely xx
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I’m glad I didn’t go for the hollow as a hiding place this time… you did so much better.
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Thank you, very kind.
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May I just say “Ick” and be done with it? In a good way, that is. Kudos.
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Of course you can. I like a good ‘ick’.
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The way you painted a picture of suburban normality at the beginning lowered my guard and although I knew something must be coming, I didn’t twig what it was until you told me. Very well told.
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Thank you, I’m glad you saw that at the beginning, it was the effect I was aiming for.
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Oh wow…gruesomely good!
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Thanks Dawn 🙂
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Great story. Very dark.
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Thank you.
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Ooh, gruesome. Loved it!
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Thank you
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This had the feel of a murder mystery from the off. And I was not disappointed. I like the crisp viewpoint of the narrator.
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Thanks Kelvin, much appreciated.
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Oh God! How many dead bodies is this tree hiding. Yours is a fresh one. Watch out- grandma is here too!
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Room for anymore?!?
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Let’s keep searching 😉
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You’ve given me a good idea Iain. I hope I won’t get caught.
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Oh dear, I hope I haven’t started something…!
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I wonder if the tree ate her?
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That could be a good defense if they ever catch a suspect!
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I wonder how many armadillos a person could stuff in that tree?
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Oh, room for plenty.
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‘Nothing sinister or suspect.’ Love that opener, as I know fulle well this is not going to be the case with your fiction! A great set up and the creepiest of pay offs. But how did she die and how did the killer get her up into that tree? Good beginning to a crome novel Iain
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Err, Crime novel. Not sure what a crome novel is 🙂
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A whole new genre! 🙂
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Haha!
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Thank you Lynn. Quite a distance to get a heavy body up there, I’m guessing there might be a few body parts…
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Yes, I think that would be the only way. Unless they had a ladder and an accomplice. Or supernatural powers. Am I over thinking this? 🙂
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Usually the simplest theory is the right one 😉
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Bloody Mess! What a shame to dirty that beautiful old tree!
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Thanks Ruth, hopefully it can be cleaned up!
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Another body in a tree? How macabre. I love it, of course!
Scott
Mine: https://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2017/10/19/from-tree-to-shining-tree-friday-fictioneers/
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Thanks Scott – it just looks like a tree you would hide something in..
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I agree, but I saw, instead, an invasion! lol
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Oh no. Oh dear what on earth happened? Truely terrifying to imagine
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He’s on the case to find out… Definitely something that will live with him.
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It did seem like she had come to no good end, and indeed, bloody and up a tree counts as “no good end.” What a gruesome ending! The tree in the photo does look a bit like it’s bleeding, now that you mention it.
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Thanks Joy, that’s what I saw when I looked at it – not sure if that’s a good thing!
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You aren’t alone in that, at least — so it’s not just you!
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i was hoping for a happy ending, but maybe not this week.
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Maybe I need a break too, to find a bit of happiness!
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Very atmospheric – I like the spare style, and build up to the grim truth.
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Thank you so much.
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Great build up of tension and use of the photo. I have a vision of someone trying to stuff her down that hole. Ugh! Good story.
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Thanks Irene – sorry for giving you that vision!
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So chilling – well done!
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Thank you.
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Oh! Quite a discovery! Stop this short stuff! Give us a great big novel of gore. 🙂
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Haha, NaNoWriMo is round the corner, so I’m gearing up for a bit of longer writing soon. Thanks Sascha.
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Can’t wait to see what you do with it!
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Cool! Nicely done Iain 🙂
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Thank you
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Detective Samson I presume? Some people take the blood and bone fertilizer too literally. I am guessing the gardener did it.
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Ha, he’ll certainly be wanted for questioning! Thanks for reading.
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That matches the picture a little too close for comfort.
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It looks like blood, right? Thanks Alice.
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Ouch! This one’s gory and like how. And yes, the picture portrays your tale too well.
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Thanks Natasha
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Great work !
See some of my blogs as well hope you will like them 😇
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Thanks, look forward to checking out your work 🙂
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Interesting how reading that has completely changed the way I looked at the picture. Well done
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Thank you 🙂
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Nicely told, very macabre
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Thanks
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