The Mistress of Friday Fictioneer micro-fiction (and non-fiction), Rochelle, has floated us a Roger Bulot picture with a bench, a bridge, a fence, a river, and a cityscape to inspire us to write our best story in fewer than 101 words. I shoot for a hundred. Some do less. Never more.
Take the risk and click on Roger’s pic to be shipped over to Rochelle’s blog where it all begins.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Title: Green River Gary
Word Count: 100
***
Gary Ridgway, a middle-aged man, sat on the bench next to her. He asked her name.
“I’m Jane Sue, wanna party? Twenty-five and you get it all.”
He pulled out a Bible and started reading aloud. She rolled her eyes.
Gary said, “Let’s go to Cody’s Camp near the river. We can moonlight dance.”
Jane said, “Dancing’s extra. Time’s money. Let’s go.”
They got in his truck and drove off.
Her real name wasn’t Jane. To this day she is known as one of several Jane Doe’s. Gary sits out his life plea deal. Did he ever reach 100 murders?
***
Look both ways and look again and again.
Mind the gaps, it’s a dangerous world out there.
Note: Gary Leon Ridgway is The Green River Killer. He confessed to the murders of more than 70 women, and it may have been over 90. He is still alive (age 73 now), in prison in Walla Walla, Washington.
There is more than one Green River, as the CCR band can testify.
Our Literary Journey 
It’s always difficult to LIKE a story such as this. It is an acknowledgement of having read it rather than a like. I knew nothing of this man before and he is the sort of individual who brings out the worst in me, makes me want to inflict nasty things on him and, in a way, demeans my very being by raising my baser instincts. I guess we humans have a very thin veneer of decency!
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I agree, Peter. It took 20 years to catch him.
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These stories come up too often to be called inhuman, but there is something incomprehensible about them nevertheless. You wove it into something unexpected there, and tied it back to our own 100 target at the end, which I found somewhat chilling!
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Thank you, Jen. (I think) 🙂
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Wow from bible reading priest to serial killer. Dark one, Bill. Well done.
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Thank you, Mason.
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You’re welcome.
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Does make you wonder, when the number is that high, how he managed to get away with it for so long, and what the authorities missed, and more importantly, what question that raises about a society where something like that can occur. Good write, Bill.
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Thank you, Iain. It does make me wonder.
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Clearly evil and disturbing.
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Very.
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What a disturbing individual, and an uncomfortable tale but expertly rendered.
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Thank you, Sandra.
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You’ve quite the talent of bringing history (no matter how recent) to light in a skillful way. I have to echo Peter wondering how the hell did he get away with it for so damn long? Of course, working girls are easy prey… Still awful.
Excellent writing!
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Thank you, Dale.
It got the sheriff elected to Congress.
There are still at least two who’s identity are unknown. Weird stuff and scary.
I lived in the local (King County, Washington) from 2015 to 2018. I have set eyes on that Green River. Anyway….
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Wow. That is impressive.
Very weird and scary.
That is something, eh? To say you know of what they speak (or where)…
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Yes. When I was talking about the Congressman with the locals, I was told that was why he’d been elected.
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Interesting. Isn’t it funny how one influenced the other?
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🙂 Yep.
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Eerie stuff. Even eerier that is is true.
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Have to wonder what’s in man that goes so wrong. These monsters are fascinating. It’s a shame women are put in these situations. A well-written warning.
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Thank you, T.
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I dread to think what the count would be now had he never been caught.
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Dear Bill,
Now that sent a chill right through me. The Bible threw me off as I’m sure it did Jane. Glad they caught him, sorry it took so long. Hope he comes down with a slow moving, very painful cancer. The sad thing is that he’s not all that unique. But your story is. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you, Rochelle.
We will never know why. It is a dangerous world out there.
Peace,
Bill
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Wow a serial killer with some twisted religious obsessions. That’s quite dark, but very creative and written very well.
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Thank you.
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Thanks for raising this Bill, I hadn’t heard of him being in the UK – it is so scary and to think he looks like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth, an utter demon.
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Bad indeed.
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most definitely, he fit the definition of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
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Sadly he is not alone in his depravity. One wonders if we will ever find how to stop such evil
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Serial killers are intriguing. The mentality to kill repeatedly for pleasure and the ability to evade capture are astonishing. One has to be mentally ill but also calculating. They’re a different breed.
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I read that his IQ was near 80. I question that.
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His brain is obviously not “normal,” so it’s fair to assume his intelligence defies standard tests. Alternate intelligence if you will.
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“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
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Wow. Dark and chilling. Well done.
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Thank you.
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Oooooo awful. I mean, you wrote it really well but ugh, what a monster
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Thank you, Laurie.
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What a pity Gary continues to get 3 hots and a cot after snuffing so many innocents. Some things are best not to dwell on too often.
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Well, it was a deal.
So, the lesson is that if your gunna be a killer, do over 90 in 20+ years so you can bargain.
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One day they’ll be able to jack into peoples heads and see what’s there. (I hope I’m long gone by then.) The up-side is they’ll see who got killed and where they are buried. Ideally they would get an alarm at HQ if one human tries to harm another so they can stop them before even one murder/batter/rape/etc. No more bargaining with monsters!
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Whoa … that was quite the twist. He likely surpassed 100. Cruel, cruel man. Nice one!
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Thank you.
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I found your story compelling and chilling. And then to read that it was based on real events, well, that takes chilling to the next level. Thanks for sharing.
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🙂
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