The “Fizzled Enchantment” and other stories of ruin tell stories of The Eye who disguised itself as a spider and silently clung to the top right corner of the 14-foot-wall in the old Imperial Inn, Hattenville, TX.   It was a picture perfect spot to see all creatures who walked through the portal of the luxurious nineteenth-century edifice with the broken windows and knocked down doors.  

In its early years the Inn was renowned for it gale parties, rich clientele, chic ladies, and wealthy ranchers.  In recent years The Eye has seen critters, flitters, and sitters:  coyotes and raccoons, mosquitoes and sparrows, hobos and gypsies.   Occasionally he would hear horses gallop by and three or four times a curious cowboy had stuck his head in the door but they were not curious enough to come on in with all the spiders, bats, and rats that now found haven from the sun. 

The Eye is getting old.  Almost 238 years it has made its abode in that corner – awaiting fulfillment of its purpose.  He had an assignment:  “Watch.”

Finally withered and dried up, it fell to the floor, defeated by not fulfilling its mission.  It had never found what it was watching for.

The Eye never recognized the difference in “Watch” and “Watch for.”  It got lost in the minutiae.

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Luke 19:13  “….Occupy til I come…….

Written to fulfill two prompts.  M’s Monthy Prompt “the fizzled enchantment and other stories of ruin, and mindlovemiserysmenagerie’s photo challenge#283.  I love the challenge prompters.  Thanks to those who work so hard giving us a united community on many levels.

Photo:  Google Images

https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/2019/10/01/october-2019-writing-prompts/

https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2019/10/01/photo-challenge-283/