‘I tried Tiddlywinks, Ludo, even Snap. In the end I settled on this.’ Death gestured to the game scrawled out on the paper in front of them.
Reginald felt a pang of sympathy for the depressed figure shrouded in his black robe. ‘Really? Tic-Tac-Toe was the only one we could cope with?’
‘It’s called Noughts and Crosses,’ Death humphed. Reginald swore he heard him mutter ‘Americans’ under his breath (if a seven-foot skeleton can have breath).
‘Once it was Chess,’ Death continued, ‘but more and more people arrived without a clue how to play it. A symptom of the dumbing down of humanity.’
Reginald put a circle in the corner and declared it a Cat’s Game.
‘The trouble is anyone with even a mediocre IQ can draw game after game. What number are we on now?’ Death asked.
Reginald checked, ‘Game 5,789.’
Death checked his watch. ‘I really have to be going. Tornado season is just about to hit.’
‘Does that mean I can live?’ Reginald looked hopefully into the black holes that were Death’s eyes.
Written as part of Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. The challenge is to write a flash fiction story or poem in around 150 – 175 words, based on the weekly photo prompt. Thanks as always to the challenge host Priceless Joy. For more information visit HERE.
To read other stories based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.
Liked this Iain. Made me smile.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Di 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Defying death through a game – what an intelligent take on the prompt. Enjoyed reading this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Sonia 🙂
LikeLike
Perhaps Death would have been better off choosing checkers inside of tic-tac-toe? 😀 Great use of the prompt.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you! 🙂
LikeLike
I liked the reference to Ingmar Bergman’s 1957 film “The Seventh Seal.”
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks James, that was my inspiration for this one 🙂
LikeLike
Love how Death and Reginald are playing tic tac toe! I hope this means Reginald gets to live! Great story, Iain!
LikeLiked by 2 people
For a bit longer at least! Thanks PJ 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reginald lives! Great take on the prompt.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh that was a different take on prompt. liked the way he defied death – with a simple game!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you – glad you liked it.
LikeLike
A truly political move. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great idea! Tire death on tic tac toe and all’s good. Nicely done, Iain.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Varad, good to see you back 🙂
LikeLike
Keeping the grim reaper at bay, with such a menial game. Wonderful. Tonight I taught young three boys how to play dominos. It would be great if it helps to keep me young.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Michael. Handing down those simple childhood games is one of the joys of getting older!
LikeLiked by 1 person
How I wish one can win over Death in the game of life!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Don’t we all 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I suppose we all can play noughts and crosses. If death hasn’t won two games in a row by now, I think Reginald definitely needs to be allowed to live. Death can always come back after tornado season and outfox him.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He needs to go away and think through his strategy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh I love a cliffhanger, clever story as always 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Kate 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person