The television crew followed them through the narrow hallway and into the small lounge.
‘Welcome to my humble abode,’ Maggie opened her arms with a winning smile.
The camera caught the look of disgust on Lady Carrington’s face as she surveyed the room.
Ashtrays filled with cigarette stubs, used tissues and dirty plates littered every surface. A damp patch covered the ceiling in one corner. The carpet was marked with stains.
When she signed up to appear on ‘How The Other Half Lives’ Lady Carrington hadn’t bargained on this.
‘When does your cleaner arrive?’ she asked in haughty distaste.
Maggie stared at her blankly.
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.
Iain Kelly 
Send a climbing boy up the chimney. Great fun, Iain
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Thanks Neil
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Good one 🙂
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Thanks Reena
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Dear Iain,
Obviously neatness isn’t a priority for Maggie. Fun story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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You take Maggie as you find her, or not at all 😉
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Ha ha – now that was a great last line. Loved this!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thank you Susan, much appreciated 😉
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Lady Carrington will never get it. Very thought provoking, Iain.
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I think you’re right, she never will.
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Very fun. Loved it!
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Thanks Lisa 🙂
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A superb story, Iain. I loved it!
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Thank you kindly Edith 😉
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The cleaner. I wish.
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Me too.
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This is great. I want to watch Lady Carrinton doing the dishes. Brilliant, Iain.
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It would be strangely compulsive viewing 🙂
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brilliant, it would be an instant hit
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There are quite a few similar shows already out there I believe. Thanks for reading 🙂
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Well done, Iain! Brings back memories of a woman I once knew, a sweetie but with various addictions. There wasn’t a clean, un-littered 4-inch square anywhere in her apartment. Wait til Lady C sees the bathroom. 😉
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Haha, I can imagine her reaction!
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🙂 This is such a neat take. So much said in so few words.
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Thank you so much, very kind 🙂
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Brilliant!
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Thank you Di 🙂
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Excellent story about differing expectations. I loved the last two lines.
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Thank you so much Penny
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This was fun Ian. Funny yet thought provoking. Loved it!
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Thank you Meha, exactly as it was designed to be.
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This is brilliantly done, Iain. I had a tough time stopping myself from photoshopping the image to make it a little less messy.
😀
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Haha, thank you 🙂
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Really funny. How do you find anything after the cleaner has been. Perhaps, Lady Carrington will enjoy the challenge after a few weeks of afternoon TV.
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Who knows, maybe she will turn over a new leaf! Thanks James
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Sometimes TV has entirely too much reality added.
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Way too much. Thanks for reading
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How the other half lives indeed! Nicely done!
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Thanks Russell
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Excellent! See how the other half lives (though they are not all slobs…)
Great last lines!
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Thanks Dale, of course not all are like this – relying on stereotypes for flash fiction again!
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Of course! As writers, we allow ourselves that right 😉
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I have no sympathy for her. Signing up to reality TV indeed. Time for Lady Carrington to get the Marigolds on! Nice one 🙂
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Will it be a life changing experience for her though? I think not.
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I hope Maggie indicates upon Carrinton’s arrival, that the cleaner has just arrived! Then they clean up together. Time to get dirty and really see how the other half lives.
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Haha, yes lovely idea, Lady Carrington is in fact the cleaner 🙂
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I have a feeling, without the maid, Lady Carrington’s room would have looked worse.
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Very true! 🙂
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Poor Lady Carrington. She will need a double sniff of her smelling salts when she finds out there is no cleaner. Great fun.
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Thanks Jilly 😉
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I hope this is one of those “Changing Places” type shows.
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I’m not sure she even realises what she signed up for.
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Love it! Wonder how Lady C. will survive 🙂
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I suspect she might leave the TV show early! 🙂
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Bahaha the blank look got me!
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😉
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Room looks really dirty. Some reality, indeed!
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Yet people seem to want to watch it.
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Poor lady dont think she can deal with this..
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She certainly can’t!
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This doesn’t bode well for the programme!
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I hope they have a back up plan.
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The hoity-toity Lady Carrington would take really long to get out of this shock. I am pretty certain about that 😉 Fun take on the prompt, Lain
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Thank you 🙂
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Really like the contrast within the story – ‘bohemian’ lifestyle versus Lady Carrington & her expectations – chalk and cheese. Well done.
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Thank you 🙂
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and then she picked up the phone and called in for a cleaning service to come…. at once.
ha – nice take on this image –
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I bet the TV company would ‘phone in cleaners for her if she threatened to walk off the show 🙂
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yes – yes
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I am not a fan of reality TV, I can just imagine your lady Charrington’s reaction.
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Me neither, but plenty are it seems
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Maybe the dear Lady would like to put on some rubber gloves and start cleaning. Then she can really find out how the other half lives. Nice one Iain.
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I suspect she will try and get out of it! Thanks Susan
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Thats really funny, made me chuckle and so close to the truth i’d wager. I suspect Lady Carrington may be a bit short of cash to sign up for this TV show, could this be where her future lies??
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She may turn out to be an unknowing star.
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Oh how the other halves live.
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Exactly Kelvin
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Is Lady Carrington daft or skint, or so full of self-importance she likes the idea of being on telly? Oh to see that face – wonderfully done.
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Or all of the above?
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Why do people like tv shows such as these? To watch a Lady C look down on someone like Maggie with disdain, how is that entertainment? Well-written as always, Iain!
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I agree, yet they keep making them, and people keep watching.
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Haha…I believe she is in for a rude awakening.
Clever story.
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Thanks Dawn
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Haha! Even if Lady C learns a bit about The Other Half, will she ever understand what it’s like?
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No, I fear she will take nothing away from this experience.
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Love this, especially the last line. Obviously, Lady Carrington can’t imagine anyone not having a cleaner at their disposal!
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Thank you 🙂
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Loved the blank stare,
Randy
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Thank you 🙂
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Loved your “behind the scenes” look at reality TV. I’m sure there are plenty of writing prompts from such scenes- a reality show in itself!
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Oh definitely, I refuse to believe there are people in the world like those presented in ‘reality’ TV shows!
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