Award-winning author, Suzanne Burke, provides a photo prompt and invites everyone to write a short story, poem, or one-liner based on the photo. This week’s photo inspired me to write one of many stories or poems, because I lived in Hollywood the last two years of high school. I walked down Hollywood Blvd. to go to school where I had classes with Annette Funicello and Stephanie Powers.
The story within the Tanka Poem is true. I hope you enjoy it. Some happy memories about an amazing film personality came back to me.
HOLLYWOOD WAS HOME TO THE FAMOUS MOVIE STARS SOME LIVED IN MANSIONS SEEN DRIVING EXPENSIVE CARS. BELA LUGOSI WHO STARRED AS COUNT DRACULA WAS MY NEW NEIGHBOR WHO DAILY WALKED BY MY HOUSE SURPRISED I KNEW WHO HE WAS. HE SIGNED A PHOTO WHICH I TREASURED ALL MY LIFE WHILE WE TALKED AND LAUGHED ABOUT DRACULA’S STORY NOT LIKE BELA LUGOSI. HE DIED ALONE, POOR NOT FROM A WOODEN STAKE PLUNGED DEEP INTO HIS HEART, NOR SUNLIGHT AS TOLD IN BOOKS ABOUT THE COUNT DRACULA. A HEART ATTACK TOOK HIS LIFE OF FAME, WITHOUT WEALTH ENDING IN A GRAVE WEARING DRACULA’S BLACK CAPE BURIED IN CULVER CITY.
Unfortunately, I have lost the autographed photo of Bela Lugosi. He was a sweet gentleman, who lived and died in a small apartment three houses away. He was type-cast in the role as a monster or vampire. His career declined quickly once the Dracula movies were no longer in demand. He earned large sums of money which he spent unwisely on alcohol and opiates for his chronic sciatica pain. In those days, there were no residuals.
Thank you for taking the time to read this Fiction in a Flash piece. I encourage you to go to Ms. Burke’s website: https://sooozburkeauthor.wordpress.com/. Let your imagination go and write a poem or short story based on that week’s photo prompt. Have fun!
KAREN INGALLS, AUTHOR, BLOGGER & SURVIVOR 