The June 2023 Flash Fiction Draw Challenge draws were for a fairy tale involving a bicycle built for two, a Fairy Tale and an empty nightclub.

This is a sequel to my FFDC story “The Deadly Poppy Field.” https://authorjeffbaker.com/2018/12/10/the-deadly-poppy-field-by-jeff-baker-the-last-of-nathan-burgoines-monthly-flash-fiction-draw-challenges-december-10-2018/

Auntie Granite’s

by Jeff Baker

Once upon a time there were two fairly successful restaurateurs.

Ollie and Spence had opened their bar and restaurant “A Field of Poppies” in 2018, and with the help of a magic wand they found they had kept the place going. Now they were branching out and somebody had told them about a nightclub on the edge of town that had been closed for years.

“Auntie Granite’s” was not much to look at. A bar, a dance floor a spot for a band and some seating. There were fire exits, which was a plus but there hadn’t been anybody to exit the place in a good number of years.

The two of them stared at the once not-quite grand room, at the cobwebs and the faded wallpaper.

One wall had a genuine bicycle built for two anchored above the floor. Off to one side was a picture of a lady pedaling that same bike happily through the countryside with a fellow happily pedaling behind her. This, they had been told, was Auntie Granite the club’s namesake.

Cobwebs covered almost everything.

Spence shrugged.

Ollie sighed. “I wish we’d brought that magic wand,” Ollie said.

There was a flash of cute, multicolored sparkles and a plump lady in a flowing robe suddenly appeared in front of them.

“I’m your Fairy Godmother!” she brightly announced. “I’m here to grant your wishes so you can live happily ever after!”

“Um, how many wishes do we get?” Spence asked.

“Oh, your real wish is for this place to be spruced up and open, so…” The Fairy Godmother waved her wand and there was another puff of sparkles and the sound of some really cutesy music and the club suddenly looked brand new.

Ollie and Spence glanced around at the club and at each other.

“All riiiiiight!” Ollie and Spence yelled, high fiving each other.

There was a knock at the door.

“Customers?” Ollie asked?

“Could be part of the magic?” Spence said, but the Fairy Godmother was nowhere to be seen.

The man who entered looked a lot like the actor Sheldon Leonard, right down to the pinstripe suit.

“You guy’s Auntie Granite’s?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah?” Spence said.

The man handed them some papers. “This is stuff the last owner didn’t pay,” he said and left.

Ollie and Spence sold the place to pay the bills and went back to running their own restaurant.

MORAL: Be careful not to be taken for Granite.

—end—