PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot

While antiquing with friends, Susan found a small pine box with the words “Wait for the final riddle” scrawled across the top.

Susan pressed the black button beneath the words. A small slip of paper, the size and texture of tickets at a carnival ride, popped out.

“Why are ghosts such bad liars?” the ticket read. Written upside down on the same paper, the answer was: “Because, you can see right through us.”

Susan laughed. “Adorable.”

Beside her, Steve said, “Creepy.”

“I love it, how much?”

The shopkeeper, near the back of the store, said nothing.

…

This submission for Friday Fictioneers is heavily inspired by the prompt and by our weekly library riddle at the library where I work. For October, we’ve been hosting a special spooky edition with the help of a couple nearby libraries that have been sending us spooky Halloween riddles. Because the prompt this week made me wonder about the Popsicle sign, so random, it made me think of the riddles. Posted the latest riddle at the bottom of the post, with permission. (Last week’s riddle was what kind of boat does a vampire use? My first draft of this story included actual responses patrons gave including The Demeter, Dracula’s ship from the movie. This week’s riddle was too much fun not to use instead.)

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