fiction

Magično Zastrašujuće

“That was NOT here yesterday,” Medina said, pointing at the large white castle.

Jim-Bob guffawed. “Castles don’t appear, darlin’,” he said. “Look — it’s got a name ‘n ev’rythin’.”

The stone marker read: Zastrašujuće Magično, 1234.

“Magic-no,” read Jim-Bob. He tilted his head toward the sign. “No magic, see?”

Medina stared at the building.

“Weren’t there some book about Zara-juicy by that Nee-Chee guy?”

Medina cringed. She couldn’t believe that she was traveling with such an ignorant yahoo.

“You’re thinking of Zarathustra, right? By Neitzsche?” she replied, emphasizing the correct pronounciation, Nee-chuh, of the philosopher’s name.

“That’s what I said!” he argued.

Medina spoke the words to him in her native tongue. “Za-STRASH-oo-yooch-na MA-geesh-noh.” In English, she explained, “Terrifyingly magical. That’s what it means. Don’t read the number aloud. It will open the magic.”

“Aw, darlin’, ain’t no such thing as magic,” he said.

To her, the building was proof that there was.

“Jus’ to prove it to ya, I’m gonna say that number,” said Jim-Bob.

She grabbed his arm. “Please, no,” she pleaded.

“Twelve-thirty-four,” he said, waggling his head as he did.

Nothing happened, and Medina exhaled slowly. Thank God, he hadn’t read the four digits individually, she thought.

“Ain’t no such thing as magic,” he said again. “Kind of a crazy year, though, ain’t it? It’s like countin’! One, two, three, four.”

Immediately, the ground rumbled. It opened and swallowed Jim-Bob. With a loud burp, the ground closed and the castle disappeared.

Medina smiled.

“Buh-bye, darlin’!” she said.


Another Unicorn Challenge done! No more than 250 words. Base it on the photo. You, too, can do this.

8 thoughts on “Magično Zastrašujuće

  1. Ha ha, that made me laugh.
    Serves the yahoo right.
    Can’t be doing with folk who mock the culture of other places.
    Good story, Sally and a clever take on the prompt.

  2. Fun, fun, fun, Sally!
    That’ll larn Billy-Jim-Bob-Joe-Boy to mind his manners!
    The photo was taken just outside Aiguines, a village in northern Var, near the Gorges du Verdon, which are kinda like the Grand Canyon.

    PS I love ‘Terrifyingly magical’!

  3. This was really good! “Please, no,” is what I thought when I thought you were going to say the number and I would read it. Thankfully everything turned out ok and I didn’t join the goofball Jim-Bob.

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