Excellent painting by Patrice Murciano Trespasses by jim vecchio Picture This! writing prompt entry

He was an old man. I couldn’t even describe his appearance. It seemed to change with the weather. There were some who remembered him as a genteel young man, who moved into the one-room flat to write his stories. None of them offered photos or any evidence to back up that claim. Somehow, people were drawn to him. He was easy to speak to, a good listener who never turned out anyone. This trait could have led to his downfall, but he seemed so honest and was such a trusted confidant that it was inconceivable anyone would desire him harm. On this particular day, there were three who sought his comfort. One was a teenage girl who at first had placed her trust in a deceiver. She now was faced with an unwanted life forming within her. Next was a wizened old lady. She bore scars of shame from an unfaithful spouse. The final visitor for the day was the proprietor of the local grocery. He had spent the store’s profits capriciously and now faced the consequences. That’s how the life of this old man went. A man everyone trusted and yet many did not even bother to learn his name. He was their friend, their father/confessor, their guide. Outside of that tiny room, no one much bothered to speak of him. He was the one who held their inner secrets. Each time they came to him for consolation, it appeared he had aged, his appearance perhaps corrupted by the daily trials of those who came to him. There was a day when those sessions came to an end. They found him sprawled on the floor. His heart had stopped beating. Sol Demarion, the grocer, soon after came to rent his little room. He had failed in his business and needed a cheap place to live. That night, patching up things here and there, Sol came to a hidden compartment in the wall. He opened it. Inside were reams of paper, stapled together, some very large, some smaller. Sol’s name appeared on the top sheet of the first file. Underneath in bold red letters: “EMBEZZLER AND THIEF.” He picked up the second. It read: “Mary Lou Daly” and, in bold red letters: “ADULTERESS”. He picked up a third. It read: “Darren Mclennon-  MURDERER.” Sol could not bring himself to read the others. Why did the old man keep those papers? Was he a blackmailer? Sol tried to convince himself the records were maintained for purposes of prayer. He tore them into shreds, one by one, and disposed of them. Writing Prompt Choose a painting (or other visual art piece) for your photo and write an outrageously **untrue** story that explains the scene in the picture. Any format (prose, poem, caption, newspaper article, etc). Any length. Author Notes

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