My 333 words offering for Trifecta this week is a sweet story. The word this week is freak
3 : one that is markedly unusual or abnormal: as
a : a person or animal having a physical oddity and appearing in a circus sideshow
b slang (1) : a sexual deviate (2) : a person who uses an illicit drug
c : hippie
d : an atypical postage stamp usually caused by a unique defect in paper (as a crease) or a unique event in the manufacturing process (as a speck of dirt on the plate) that does not produce a constant or systematic effect
Picture from Wikimedia Commons
To compete with sewer rats for the best leftovers was always easier on Friday nights. People tended to throw away most of their expensive meals and rely only on alcohol to start their weekends. Eric Winterbottom Jr. had once been the most desirable bachelor in town, but after the scandal he was now considered an outcast and a freak. His old friends didn’t even recognize him with his grizzled beard and filthy clothes.
He couldn’t believe his luck when he found it.
The reason he was an outcast, the mistake that pushed him over the edge. What a freak coincidence to find the ring in a garbage can. Would this be a ticket home? Could he redeem himself?
The wedding, he recalled, was perfect until the ring disappeared. A heirloom of his mother’s and grandmother’s was lost. He stood there with only faint memories from the bachelor party the evening before. His best man, Louie, assured everyone that he saw the ring last time at the strip-club. Eric wouldn’t believe it, but when pictures of him with a stripper started to circulate, his destiny was sealed.
Amanda, his bride to be, married Louie and Eric was sent to Iraq, where he managed to survive on booze and drugs. Since then it had been a steep journey downhill.
And now he had found the ring. A brass-plate outside the house said:
Amanda and Louie duPres
In a flash of recollection he remembered that Louie had taken care of the ring for safekeeping before the bachelor party. Fuming with anger he rushed up to the stairs, and started pounding the door.
To his surprise it was opened by Amanda, looking not a day older than when they parted. A middle-aged women appeared from the shadows and said in a calm voice.
“Eric, I’m so glad you finally found the ring. When Louie died I saw his deceit, and I have left the ring for you to find every Friday night since. Here’s Melinda, your daughter”
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Oh man! I was broadsided with that one…never saw a pleasant ending quite like that coming. Great piece!
Thank you 🙂 from some of us, a sweet end is more of a surprise than a grizzly one.
Great story! This reminded me of a short story I read a long, long time ago. Don’t remember the name and the main character in it is the female who finds a letter from her former lover (written a couple of decades before) and going to him only to find out he is in love with her daughter (from the man she chose to marry instead). It also reminded me of my recently lost wedding band! Perhaps I too will find it someday …
Thank you – but you have the man, but not the ring at least 😉
So satisfying to have that twist turn in his favor.
Sometimes twists has to be going that way
comes around nicely.
I’m loving all the great twists in this week’s entries. Wonderful happy ending to this story too.
Great story. I’m always tempted to join more flash fiction groups, but I really ought to be getting on with my longer projects.
333 words is longer than 100 🙂
What a great twist.
Didn’t see that twist coming at all, Björn! My, my. Very nicely done :))
What a surprise. Maybe things are turning around for him now?
What a brilliant twist.
I’m so happy it ended with a good turn for him.
Wait…why did he take the ring to a strip club in the first place?? (: I’m so glad he has a happy ending.
He didn’t take it to the strip club… He might not even have been to a strip club.. If you ask me the worst best man ever 🙂
Other than feeling a little rushed (darn word count), I really like this story and I can see how it could be developed into something bigger.
Twisted! What a lot you made happen in a short piece. Amazing.
Another wonderful twist of an ending and great write!
I liked it.
His luck has turned, and I’m so glad! Great story!
Wasn’t quite sure where this story was headed in the beginning but, by the end, I was hooked and loving it. If that makes me a Bjorn Rudberg’s Writings junie then, so be it! 🙂
“junkie”, not “junie”….geez!
I love the implication that she knew he was still out there, loving her. Nice job!
This was great – I love that she left the ring out for him to find.
wow – that had a ring of unexpectedness – that resonated wonderfully 🙂
Great twist, but couldn’t she have been a bit more proactive? What if he’d never stumbled over her garbage, or someone had got there before him? Some women, honestly!
Such a cool twist at the end. To get recognition – at last.
Oho! Things took a startling redirection. All this time and she was waiting for him. I guess he had to find himself before he found the ring, and the truth. Lovely story.