FF – How to Fix Your House
Here is my story for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. This week’s picture was sent in by Roger Bulltot.
I hope my story works okay, I had to cut a lot out 😦
To read this week’s other stories, click on the blue froggy.

Copyright Roger Bulltot
“What is this, oh Ghost of Future?”
“This is your manor two hundred years from now. Broken, dilapidated, your family living in poverty.”
“What must I do, oh Ghost?”
“Stop being a doormat! Take control!”
“I will, I will! I shall start whipping the servants immediately!”
“Good.”
With that, the “ghost” vanished, appearing two hundred years later inside a very well appointed mansion. He stepped out of the time bubble and looked around.
“Well, that worked.”
A drop of water dribbled through the ceiling. He checked his bank balance and frowned.
“Hmm, now to do something about great-grandfather’s investment portfolio…”
It works pretty damn well!
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Yeah, I want me one of those time bubbles!
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and me!
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So the Ghost of Christmas Future was a time traveler. Interesting.
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He sure was! It was all explained in the original cut of “A Christmas Carol”, but Dickens’ editor told him to cut it out as he was over the word count…
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Hahaha good one Ali!
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I’m glad you liked it!
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I imagine that would be the first thing many people would do, if they had a time bubble! Fun story, and it made sense even without whatever you cut out of it. (I feel your pain!)
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It would be just too tempting to pop back to improve your lot in life…
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Although of course, you never know what other effects that supposedly simple change will make… (cue ominous music) Yeah, I’ve read too many of those stories; I know how badly this turns out. 😉
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OMG did you just step on that butterfly… 🙂
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NOOOOOO!!!!
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Squish! Bye bye THE MOON 😦
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Wow, that was a *really* important butterfly. 😉
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🙂
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I wonder if this would work at my house………….:)
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If you have a time bubble it would! Do you have a time bubble? No? You would need a time bubble 😦
Besides, Henri might not approve…
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It works, but I still feel bad for the servants…
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Me too. Their future just got a lot less rosy.
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Oh! This made me laugh.
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I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Very creative way to fix the house! 😁
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It’s a lot less work, too 🙂
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I wish I lived in a manor and had a time machine. That not being the case, I’ve been considering … a loan.
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The fallback for all of us not fortunate to be able to travel through time 😦
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Got to protect one’s interests, anyway you can! Good one.
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Thanks! He is of a somewhat mercenary disposition.
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What a wonderful fantasy!
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
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So am I to assume time travel is dirt cheap in the future? He was living in poverty after all. I’ll have to make a note to my descendants to come back and spruce up my life a bit when time travel gets that cheap. It’s not for my benefit, but theirs… clearly.
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Clearly. You’re all heart 🙂
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it looked like he got it under control, but poor servants…
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Yeah, there’s always someone who loses so that others can win.
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I really liked this. Thanks for posting.
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
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Evil Squirrel’s Eiplogue:
And so the Ghost of Future reappeared to the man again, this time with solid tips to invest in a couple start ups nobody had heard of named “Amazon” and “Google.” The Ghost stepped out of the time bubble and once again back into the future, where he promptly vanished into the ether…. erased from existence after his now very rich great great grandfather broke off his engagement to the ghost’s future great great grandmother in favor of a blonde floozy half his age.
“Bollocks!” the Ghost cursed from nowhere in particular.
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Ha! You have succinctly described the major drawback with mucking about in your own past…
At least he made his great great grandfather very very happy, though.
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A “TIME MACHINE”. I love time machine stories. We can do some much with time machines.
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The whole of space and time is our oyster!
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The essence of a Spirit, nicely distilled. Good one, draliman.
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
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So far I haven’t been contacted by anyone from the future. I have a strong feeling my employees wouldn’t take to “whipping” kindly. They’d just go elsewhere. Good writing, Ali. 😀 — Suzanne
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I can’t imagine his servants stuck around for very long either. I’m glad you liked it!
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Time travel comes in handy every once in a while 😀
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It does. Shame I don’t have the required equipment 😦
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My place is in need of repair, I wonder where I can find a machine!
Click to read my FriFic
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Maybe chappie will lend you his. For a price…
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Dear Ali,
I wonder what else he might have changed by messing with the space-time continuum? I don’t know what you cut but the story comes across loud and clear. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
Anything could have happened, he’s a pretty selfish-sounding person.
I originally cut out so much I had to edit it a lot to get it working again. Thanks 🙂
Ali
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Travelling back in time to bully your ancestors into investments and actions, brilliant idea. He doesn’t deserve it though, whipping the servants and all… This so works. 😀
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He’s a real entrepreneur 🙂
I’m glad you liked it (apart from the servant-whipping)!
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Hahahaha! Cute story!
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Thanks 🙂
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“I will, I will! I shall start whipping the servants immediately!”
Aww. 😦
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Yeah, a bit harsh 🙂
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Why oh why do the servants have to pay for his own laziness? That “ghost” could have given better ideas though, selfish as he is, I think he cares not about the hows as long as he gets the desired results!
This was a lot of fun, Alistair. and I sure did not suffer reading it so you must’ve done a bang-up job !
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He definitely doesn’t care about anything other than himself. He probably also figures the servants are long-dead so what the hell. I dread to think what he got his great-grandfather into to make money…
I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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Selfish! I guess he can justify his nasty behaviour as none of his “puppegs” are around!
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I’m dying to know what a “puppeg” is 🙂
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Sh*t! Puppet! I meant puppet!!
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Aw, that’s a bit disappointing. I thought I was about to learn some cool Canadian slang 🙂
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So sorry… wish it were the case…
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😦
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You story tickled me pink. Lovely
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
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Good one. I can see where you’ve cut it. It was funny.
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
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Nice take on the picture.
Click Here to see what Mrs. Dash Says
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Thanks 🙂
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Somewhere, a timey wimey person is having a major headache, and a tall, green-haired woman is readying her time-traveling key like a baseball bat. Well done! ^_^
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Hah, “timey wimey”. He never was the best at described the whole thing! I’m glad you liked it!
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Awww…..he had to beat his servants so his family could be wealthy 200 years later? That sounds like something a 1%er would do. :o) Great story!
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He managed to turn his ancestors into nasty people 😦 Glad you liked it!
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I like it 😊
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Thanks 🙂
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Take a look on my last post and follow me if you like it 😀.
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Well, he certainly had a plan – and a time machine, of course. An excellent way of making sure the property he inherited was in good shape (if we discount his selfish, callous behaviour). 🙂 Well told, with a great touch of humour. 🙂
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He doesn’t much care as long as he’s living in splendour. A cunning plan, though! I’m glad you liked it 🙂
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Maybe he should go further into the future to check the consequences of his own actions! Nicely done Ali
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I have a feeling he won’t like what he finds, and he’ll spend the rest of his life travelling back and forth manipulating things… I’m glad you liked it!
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A very good use of that time bubble, Ali. 🙂 I’m glad it’s safe wherever it is… in the possession of that future ghost. The thing is, the servants should never know…otherwise… who knows what would happen. 😉
That was a really good one Ali. 😀
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He’s a bit unscrupulous but it got the job done. I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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More than one twist in this one. Made me smile.
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Twists come hand in hand with time travel. I’m glad you liked it!
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What a clever ‘ghost’ !Great story, Draliman .
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He is! I’m glad you liked it 🙂
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MOL 😀 Loved the story, Draliman 🙂 Pawkisses 🙂 ❤
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I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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Such a fun story 🙂 Love it.
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it 🙂
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