The Girl Behind the Door #TDWC

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Welcome, all.  Dan Antion‘s Thursday Doors Writing Challenge.   To join the fun, pick one of the doors that were submitted as inspiration for the challenge and write.  It doesn’t have to be a story — write anything that door image inspires in you.

The inspiration door I chose for today’s story is one of my own.  It’s an illustration I made for A Peril in the Vines.  So, my “story” today is actually an excerpt from that book.  Below, a historian tells our heroes about his encounter with the strange young girl who becomes central to the mysterious events of the book.   

The Girl Behind the Door

“Don’t worry,” he said.  “Yes, it was an atrocity story, but I haven’t the heart to talk about those details.  It could have been even worse, but maybe it isn’t at that.  As a matter of fact, those Ottoman soldiers got a little dose of their own medicine.  You see, they were headed for that church.  When they got there the whole thing blew up like a bomb hit it dead center!” Voisin finished with a shout.

“Oh!” Clover cried, startled by his sudden increase in decibels.

“Yes ma’am.  There’s a turnaround for you,” he added.  “Strange, don’t you think?  The Young Turks had created a special organization, which in turn organized killing squads or ‘butcher battalions’ to carry out, as one officer put it, ‘the liquidation of the Christian elements.’  They didn’t even spare the children,” Voisin said, but paused for a gulp of his whiskey.

The historian’s story, and the obvious effect the experience had on him, even years later was evident.  It made Daphne wish for a stronger drink than the glass of champagne that remained untouched in her hand.  The ambassador visibly collected himself and continued.

“Well, at first, I thought those Young Turks had been celebrating and had monkeyed round with their own explosives,” he picked up his story.  “As it turned out, they didn’t have anything of the sort with them.  So, I ask you, what should a bunch of nuns know about dynamite or bombs?”

“Bushwa!” Phineas exclaimed.  “Yes siree bob, that’s odd alright.”

“I interviewed several of the Turkish villagers in the area about the matter.  There were still some Armenians around, but they weren’t about to come out of hiding.  According to them it was a bonified, first-class modern miracle.  They laid it all to a little gypsy girl.  Not in a bad way, mind you.  To hear the villagers tell it, the child was a budding saint,” he paused to gauge the reaction of his audience.

Daphne’s hand had involuntarily gone to her stomach when a cold knot of foreboding settled there.  She forced her hand to her side.  To mask her unease, the medium asked an unnecessary question.

“Not in a bad way, you say?” she repeated as she tried to collect an array of emotions.

“Do you mean to tell us that the little gypsy girl set that big bomb herself?” Phinny broke in excitedly” and Mr. Voisin chuckled fondly at his enthusiasm.

“Ha!  No, young man.  That’s not what I mean.  Well, actually, in a way she did, but not in the way you mean,” the ambassador spoke confusingly, and Phineas looked about to burst.  “Perhaps you’ll understand it, Miss Moultrie, considering your gifts.  The locals said that the child went into trances, and that she saw visions.  They said she was responsible for the whole thing.”

♣ ♣ ♣

End of excerpt.

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Of course, here’s the obligatory shameless self-promotion.

A Peril in the Vines

Universal Purchase Links

A Peril in the Vines

e-book:  relinks.me/B0DS4G7RSD

Paperback:  relinks.me/B0DS69GJDV

A Medium’s Peril full series link: relinks.me/B0CG2SXX24

♣ ♣ ♣

This post is part of Dan Antion 6th Annual Thursday Doors Writing Challenge (TDWC). Click the blue link for more information about the challenge and how to showcase your stories.)  Fortunately for me, Dan’s rules for the writing challenge are wonderfully flexible and include any sort of creativity. 

This blog is entirely human-written.  Furthermore, the author expressly prohibits any entity from using this publication for purposes of training AI technologies to generate text.  No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author, or used with permission, or from free sources.

Copyright © 2026 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved.

Whatnot Wednesday & #TDWC

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

Welcome, all. This post is part of  Dan Antion‘s Thursday Doors Writing Challenge.   To join the fun, pick one of the doors that were submitted as inspiration for the challenge and write.  It doesn’t have to be a story — write anything that door image inspires in you.

The inspiration door I chose for today was submitted by, poet and collage artist, Kerfe.   Today, my story is true.  Kerfe’s collage is a brilliant use off lights and shadows, of bits of doors and windows through which one might — or might not find answers.  It’s also a perfect illustration of the strange way I felt when the following happened.  (Cue the Twilight Zone theme music.)

The Reminder

It entertains me to use my Amazon Echo device to set reminders for myself for all sorts of timing things, like laundry, birthdays, or “to do” tasks that don’t need to be done on a regular basis.  Or even to “move around” since I sometimes spend hours and hours working at the computer.  Once in a while I set a reminder several weeks in advance.  It works out just fine.  Except that… Well, sometimes Echo and I have a language gap.  This morning (as I write this) Echo gave me a strange reminder.

Echo:  Aires kyon ro rahaa hoon.

Please repeat that, Echo…

Echo:  Aires kyon ro rahaa hoon.

Now, if any of my devices, or the television up and says “Klaatu barada nikto” — I’m going to hide under the bed.

Update:  I should have thought of this earlier — here’s a link to the full movie on YouTube. 

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For more strange goings on, meet Birdie Devovo, Doug Armstrong, and Jinx the magpie in Brother Love: a Crossroad.  Links to that book are below. 

Friendly comments are welcome.  Thanks for opening this door.  Hugs!

♣ ♣ ♣

Brother Love: a Crossroad

Strange things abound in 1950s Parliament, Mississippi.  Jinx the magpie can fill you in on the details.

Universal Purchase Links

Kindle:  relinks.me/B07V25SXFR

Paperback:  relinks.me/107952309X

Also available for $1.99 in virtual voice audiobook.

♣ ♣ ♣

This post is part of Dan Antion 6th Annual Thursday Doors Writing Challenge (TDWC). Click the blue link for more information about the challenge and how to showcase your stories.)  Fortunately for me, Dan’s rules for the writing challenge are wonderfully flexible and include any sort of creativity. 

This blog is entirely human-written.  Furthermore, the author expressly prohibits any entity from using this publication for purposes of training AI technologies to generate text.  No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author, or used with permission, or from free sources.

Copyright © 2026 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved.

Whatnot Wednesday, #TDWC: Pumpkin Hat Girls-3

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Hello, everyone.  This whatnot is for  Dan Antion‘s Thursday Doors Writing Challenge.  The Pumpkin Hat Girls are back with the conclusion to the “New Boyfriend” storyline.  To join the fun of this challenge, pick one of the doors that were submitted at Dan’s blog as inspiration for the challenge and write, or create whatever you please.

The inspiration door I chose for today’s story was submitted by Robbie Cheadle.   

The Pumpkin Hat Girls:
The New Boyfriend – 3

The Offer

In my heart I knew what I had to do — regardless of whatever explanations (or excuses) might be made.  So, later that day, I tried to call Simon to tell him plain and simple that I wasn’t interested.  Not just in a romantic long weekend, but that I wasn’t interested in having anything else to do with him at all.  I wanted to tell him that he couldn’t want in one hand and crap in the other and see which one gets full first.  However, when I couldn’t get an answer, I held back on the message I recorded.

Actually, I left two messages, one at each of the two phone numbers I had for him.  Both times I said that I needed to talk to him, and that it was important.  I checked to confirm my messages had gone out properly.  That was when I saw something I should have noticed from the day that I met him.  Neither number was for his home — both were business numbers.

That should have been a dead giveaway.  Why do I never learn these things?

I headed to a park that was in the middle of a campus of office buildings.  I was supposed to pick up Ursula after a medical checkup so her nurse, Kelly, because he had other appointments.  After all, he was only her part-time helper.

It turned out that I was extra early.  I took out my phone to open an audiobook… but then I felt a new wave of pissed-off-ness at Simon for being such a faithless user.  If he wouldn’t call me, so that I could break up like a decent person should, then I’d just text that snake in the grass.

And I did.

I was too busy stewing to open the audiobook.  About five minutes later there was a voice right behind my ear.

“Really, Pepper.  I thought you were a better person than to break up with me by text,” Simon told me in a hurt tone.  “You must have misunderstood something.  Just sit back down and let’s discuss this rationally.”

Startled, I jumped up from the bench so fast that it made me dizzy.

“Rationally?” I echoed, furious that he would say that.  “That dog won’t hunt, Simon.  As for what I ‘misunderstood’ there were five of us who saw you and your… your whatever.  Don’t interrupt me — yes, my friends all saw you too.  And how in heaven’s name did you know I’d be here?”

“Look, Pepper…” Simon began, but his words stalled when Kelly and Ursula walked up to stand beside me.

“How dare you!” Ursula growled and before I knew it, her walking stick was on its way up toward Simon’s face.

I grabbed the cane just in time.  Meanwhile Kelly put his arm around Ursula’s shoulders to make sure she wasn’t thrown off balance.

“Oh, Simon.  You have really bungled things, haven’t you,” a smooth, posh voice said disdainfully.

Turning, I saw a tall blonde woman.  She was expensively clothed and coiffed.  She could have walked out of a TV show about a boardroom full of executives or high-priced lawyers.

“Ms. Riley, I apologize for Simon.  If you’d be so kind as to come up to my office, I’ll be happy to explain,” she offered, with an upward wave at the tallest building.

“Pepper, I will not allow you to go anywhere alone with either of these people,” Ursula told me, moving to stand between me and the woman.

“That goes for me too,” Kelly asserted, but then slapped his hand to his forehead.  “I can’t.  I have Mr. Higgenbottom scheduled for… for five minutes ago… And he’s not in the great shape that Ursula’s in.  But I’m not leaving while this guy’s still standing here,” Kelly added with a glower at Simon.

“Simon.  Why are you still here?  You can report to Langley.  Now.  I don’t see you moving.  That’s more like it,” the woman told Simon in mysterious, but not uncertain terms.

After Simon drove away, Kelly looked at each of us, including the unidentified woman.  He muttered something like “I don’t like this.”

“Go help the Higgenbottom.  He needs you.  Besides, are you thinking that I cannot handle this podsobnik?” Ursula hissed at Simon, in a voice too low for the woman to hear.  “I am also more than capable of looking after Pepper.”

The woman smiled reassuringly and handed Simon her business card.  Based on his expression, the card had the dual effect of surprising and placating him.  After Ursula and I assured him that we would be fine, Kelly also left.

She also passed cards to Ursula and me.  I read the embossed text, Jayne Smithers, Operations Director.  I glanced at Ursula who lifted one eyebrow as she read.

In other words, Jane Smith, I thought and my distrust-o-meter did not go down even one notch.

“Your friends, Maudie Rocket and Penny Shotz are waiting inside.  It’s this largest building, just behind us,” Jayne Smithers informed us in a casual, but still cultured voice as she led us into the largest building.

“As you can see, we believe in full transparency,” Ms. Smithers added with a smile that indicated the comment was meant to draw a chuckle.

“What are all of these squares all over all of the glass?” Ursula asked.

“That’s simply a safety feature,” the woman replied in a neutral tone.  “They’re meant to prevent people or birds, from accidentally colliding with the glass,” she explained.

Why did her explanation make me feel like there was more to the obviously special glass than that? I thought, but chided myself for being paranoid.  This Smithers woman just has an odd manner about her.  That’s all.

Ursula and I followed her to the end of the bank of elevators, which were also made of the same square-bedecked glass.  She touched a button.  Then she leaned forward for a retinal scan.  The unexpected security measure surprised me.  Taking a step backward, I was ready to make an excuse and leave.  However, Ursula had walked right into the elevator, bent on learning what was behind Simon’s behavior.  I’d have to make a scene and drag Ursula out… so I got on the elevator.

Ursula isn’t stupid or naïve.  She must be just plain fearless, I thought and tried to swallow my worry.

Sure enough, in a sleekly modern office, Penny and Maudie were waiting for us.  They were chatting comfortably, eating pastries, and drinking what smelled like very expensive coffee.

“What took you so long?  We wondered if you were ever gonna get here, so we started without ya,” Penny remarked, offering a plate of golden sourdough croissants.

“That treacherous Simon is what took us so long,” Ursula practically spat.  “Pepper did well.  She told him that dog does not hunt,” she added enunciating carefully.

“Attagirl,” Maudie murmured.

After a few preliminary words, Jayne Smithers apologized for Simon’s “behavior.”  She said that he worked for her, but did not proceed as she had instructed.

Penny’s eyes flashed angrily.  Clearly my friend detected subterfuge.  Maudie’s brow crinkled in concerned thought.

Maudie was trying to do something to her phone.  I noticed its screen was black.  I looked at the little frosted glass squares which were also on the broad window of the office.  Sure as shootin’ those “security measures” also prevented unsecure phone calls and texts.  I knew Kelly could ping Ursula’s phone as a means of checking on her.  He had been worried about leaving her.  That would explain why Ursula’s phone was silent.

Ms. Smithers was able to “read a room” and she got to the point.

“You see, ladies… Simon was meant to recruit you,” the woman stated.  “And to do so in a direct manner, not by any subterfuge and certainly not by any seduction,” she gave me an apologetic nod.

“Recruit us for what?” Penny blurted out distrustfully which made me expect she had also noticed a retinal scan when she and Maudie were brought to the elevator.

“Certainly not for anything dangerous or devious,” Ms. Smithers replied, and I immediately detected deviousness.

“Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit!” Maudie declared.  “You’re some kind of CIA, aren’t you?”

“Look lady,” Penny stood as she spoke, her Milwaukee accent heavier in her anger.  “Whatever you’re sellin’ we ain’t buyin.’  Right girls?”

Maudie sucked her teeth, making a tsk sound.  She stood to follow Penny.  Ursula gave the woman such a glower that I think she actually sank a couple of inches into the floor.  My three friends walked calmly to the door.  Jayne Smithers stared at us in shocked disbelief.

“Ms. Smithers,” I began archly and held eye contact to make sure my subtle point would be understood.  “My friends and I appreciate your interest and your point of view.  Thank you for the pastries and coffee — which is all any of us recall about this friendly visit.  That is, as long as you keep Simon away from me.  Maybe his ‘report to Langly’ can be a permanent transfer.”

Wanting to be sure that I came across as cold and unexpectedly dangerous as I meant to sound, I gave her a second that a second to sink in.  She nodded and looked suitably impressed.

“Are you certain, Ms. Riley?  I’m sure all of you would find the um… arrangement interesting,” she entreated, but I gave my head one firm shake.

“No.  It’s a shame that our interest and social circles don’t overlap,” I went on pointedly.  “So, I don’t expect to be seeing you — or any of your… colleagues again.  At all,” I added and turned on my heel to follow the rest of the Pumpkin Hat Girls.

We got as far as the parking lot before all of us burst out in amazed giggles.

“Can you imagine?” Maudie choked out between laughs.  “Us?  Spies?”

“Hey, what’s so funny about that?” Penny cried, but she was laughing too.

“It is not so ludicrous,” Ursula’s eyebrow went up again as she spoke in a manner that was so serious that everyone stopped and looked at her.  “You think I do not know about these things?  I could tell you children tales that would make your hair curl.  Our group and our daytrips would make an excellent cover for a group of covert operatives.”

We all exchanged looks.  We gulped, looked from Ursula and back at each other again.  About that time, all four of our phones made noises.  Kelly, having been unable to reach Ursula, was trying all of us.  He was probably beside himself.

“Wait ‘til we tell Kelly,” Maudie said with a grin.

Then the giggles resumed.

***

The End.

Although…

***

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This Pumpkin Hat Girls story was the conclusion of a three-part short story so here are links to the other two parts:

The Pumpkin Hat Girls and the New Boyfriend

The New Boyfriend-2: Secret Handshake

 Thanks for opening this door.  Visit Dan Antion‘s blog for more stories and poems written in response to the TDWC.  Hugs!

♣ ♣ ♣

Naturally, the obligatory shameless self-promotion must be included.

The Armadillo Files

Universal Purchase Links:

Kindle:  relinks.me/B0B8XX4ZSL

Paperback:  relinks.me/B0B8XDF1GF

♣ ♣ ♣

This post is part of Dan Antion 6th Annual Thursday Doors Writing Challenge (TDWC). Click the blue link for more information about the challenge and how to showcase your stories.)  Fortunately for me, Dan’s rules for the writing challenge are wonderfully flexible and include any sort of creativity. 

This blog is entirely human-written.  Furthermore, the author expressly prohibits any entity from using this publication for purposes of training AI technologies to generate text.  No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author, or used with permission, or from free sources.

Copyright © 2026 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved.

Whatnot Wednesday and Inspiration for #TDWC

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Hi, everyone.  May just might be my favorite month, and that’s because of Dan Antion‘s 2026 Thursday Doors Writing Challenge (TDWC).  This morning Dan posted all the “doors” images that people submitted for storytellers to use as inspiration prompts for the challenge, throughout the month of May.  I say storytellers because it’s open to whatever kind of creative work the images inspire in you.  There’s more information at Dan’s blog.

A Peril in the Vines.  For Thursday Doors purposes, gates are acceptable as doors.

Admittedly the paths inside my mind are awfully twisty.  A video mentioned “Jonah in the belly of the whale” and him being there for 3 days.  Participants could submit 3 images.  The next thing I knew, I was imagining a real house constructed to look like a whale.  It would need a huge pool around it, and a boat to ferry the occupants across the water.  Maybe it should be up high somewhere, for a nice view of the city.  Oh, and the door… that should look like one from Captain Nemo’s submarine…  Hence my composite image above.

Most of you will recognize the vintage Ford and Tiamat the cat from my current writing exercises, The Dragons of Cronesboro.  I was so infatuated with the wonderful car John W. Howell suggested to kickoff those stories, and the Siamese cat too… that I had to share one of the many car images I made for Dan’s challenge, hoping others would be as inspired by the splendid vehicle as I was. 

I hope to do at least a few story-posts for the challenge during May.  I’m bringing back the Pumpkin Hat Girls for my first offering.  That story is inspired by one of the images from DennyHo at Thoughts of an E’ville Woman.  I’m polishing up that short story now.  The Pumpkin Hat Girls and I will see you on May 1st.

Friendly comments are welcome.  Thanks for opening this door.  Hugs!

♣ ♣ ♣

Naturally, the obligatory shameless self-promotion must be included.

A Peril in the Vines

Universal Purchase Links

A Peril in the Vines

e-book:  relinks.me/B0DS4G7RSD

Paperback:  relinks.me/B0DS69GJDV

A Medium’s Peril full series link: relinks.me/B0CG2SXX24

♣ ♣ ♣

This post is part of Dan Antion 6th Annual Thursday Doors Writing Challenge (TDWC). Click the blue link for more information about the challenge and how to showcase your stories.)  Fortunately for me, Dan’s rules for the writing challenge are wonderfully flexible and include any sort of creativity. 

This blog is entirely human-written.  Furthermore, the author expressly prohibits any entity from using this publication for purposes of training AI technologies to generate text.  No part of this work may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission.  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

All images are either the property of the author, or used with permission, or from free sources.

Copyright © 2026 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

All rights reserved.

The Carnegie Carnegie — Doors from the library and music hall for #ThursdayDoors

http://nofacilities.com/2026/04/23/the-carnegie-carnegie/

MAISON DU PAIN, the House of Bread. #ThursdayDoors #Photo #FrenchBakery

http://teepee12.com/2026/02/19/maison-du-pain/

EXPLORE THIS, Thursday Doors. #Museums #Photos #ThursdayDoors

http://teepee12.com/2026/02/12/explore-this/

THE PLAY'S THE THING #ThursdayDoors #Theater #Photography

http://teepee12.com/2026/02/05/the-plays-the-thing/