It’s time for this week’s Song Title Challenge.

Write a short piece of fiction, around 300 words, using the song title as your story title but don’t listen to the song.  You can pick your own genre or use the one suggested to me.  Remember to link back to this post so I can find yours.

If you would like to suggest a song title for a future post, you can do so from the challenge page.  You can also leave a suggestion on the Facebook page.

This week’s song is Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving With a Pict by Pink Floyd and the genre is Crime/Mystery.  It was suggested by bumblepuppies (whose comments regarding my wife being pregnant should NEVER be taken seriously 😉  )

I did this one a bit differently, seeing as I’m already familiar with the song:  A friend of mine wrote a piece on this song on the blog where this challenge got it’s humble beginnings.  Please go give hers a read as well when you’re done here.

Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving With a Pict

It was a routine call as far as I was concerned.  According to dispatch the officer had claimed it was weird, but after twenty years on homicide there was little that could still surprise me.  Yeah, right.

The officer waited for me at the warehouse door.  He sprang to attention and saluted as I got out of the car.  Rookie.

“Put down that hand, son.  This isn’t the army.”

“Yes, sir.  Sorry, sir.”  He lowered the hand.

“And drop the ‘sir’ as well.  Name’s Johnson.  Where’s your partner?”

“He went round back to secure the perimeter…detective.”

I scowled.  No sense in disrupting the rookie’s healthy fear of me.  “Run me through it.  How did you find the body?”

“We were on patrol when we noticed the door was open.  No sign of forced entry, but Stanley, my partner, reckoned we should check inside, just to make sure.  Sir, it’s really weird.”

“Sure it is, son.  Sure it is.  Lead the way.”

The body was in a cavern of sorts formed with a bunch of empty crates.  I froze.  “Did you touch anything?”  I hoped my voice didn’t sound as strained to him as it did to me.

“No, sir!”

I leaned inside.  The body was positioned cross-legged on the ground.  He was naked save for a loincloth and bright blue whorls covered every inch of skin.  Toys were scattered…arranged round him.  Fluffy toys.  Bears and bunnies and the like.

“Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving With a Pict.”

“What’s that, sir?”

“Pink Floyd.  It’s before your time.  Google it.  And drop the ‘sir’.”

I didn’t hear if he replied.  I didn’t care.  This scene was staged.  By someone who knew my favourite band.  Someone I had thought dead many years past.

Copyright © 2014 Herman Kok

As always, listen to the song at own risk…

• Fiction
• Song Title Challenge