Flash Fiction / writing prompts

Do you believe in faeries? ~ episode 12

Chris Hall53 Comments
Illustration from the Rose Fyleman Fairy Book

Previously

Mr Eyre paced the cell slowly, ‘we could use the bracelet to escape,’ he turned to face Bryony, ‘but that won’t help us find your sister, although in our current predicament…’ his voice tailed off as he caught a glimpse of the gallows outside the narrow window of their prison.

Bryony was about to reply when a strange, beetle-like creature came racing down the passageway and skidded to a halt in front of their barred cell. Glancing nervously over its shoulder, it reached under one of its armoured wing cases and drew out a key, which was almost as big as itself, and dropped it on the floor in front of them; then without a word – if indeed it could speak – it turned and scuttled off, back in the direction from where it came.

Bryony swiftly retrieved the key and Mr Eyre applied it to the lock; a moment later the cell door swung open. They were about to follow their strange, silent rescuer, when an ashy-faced woman appeared from the shadows of the cell opposite; the key fitted that door too.

Mr Eyre raised an optimistic eyebrow, ‘now all we need to do is get out of the building.’

on to the next chapter…

Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – SLOW, CAMERA, SHY
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: ARMOUR

Bryony, Bethany and Mr Eyre first appeared in my historical fantasy fiction novel, Following the Green Rabbit. They’ve been begging to go on another adventure and now they’ve got their wish!

MORE SIX SENTENCE STORIES HERE!

53 thoughts on “Do you believe in faeries? ~ episode 12”

  6. Oh, the great escape and a mysterious new acquaintance. Your going all in with this one and I’m captivated. I went to bed last night thinking about your tale 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. I really like the inventive way you use to your story’s advantage the words that need to be included, Chris. The aSHY-faced woman. Terrific! And the description of the beetle is so alive. Of course anything can happen in fairyland! I’m wondering about this ashy-faced woman though!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thanks so much, Jenne! Fantasy is such a flexible genre. I believe the ashy-faced woman might be the Shoemaker’s wife who was arrested for ‘word singing’ a couple of episodes ago.

      Like

      Reply

  10. Hurray! Enchanting episode. So easy to immerse myself in this mysterious faerie land 🙂
    “..strange, beetle-like creature…Glancing nervously over its shoulder, it reached under one of its armoured wing cases…” Brilliant bit there, Chris.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I had to scratch my head over ‘camera’, but then I had a sudden vision… and I rather like beetles.
      Ah, but we heard about the other prisoner a few episodes ago. It has to be the Shoemaker’s wife, arrested for ‘word singing’. I didn’t catch her name yet, though.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  13. This is the week for Six Sentence Serials to dial up the action and the pace of the stories.
    Cranking up the energy while still adding to our (the Reader’s) understanding of the world and the people we’ve come to care about.
    Cool

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  15. Love your description of that beetle-like creature with key under its wing cases. It sounds like it is time for the ashy faced woman to be rescued, unless of course she is someone to fear.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  17. I am not sure if I will make any sense, but you know me, I’ll do it anyway:
    apart from the actual structure of your stories/words that are enchanting, there is a “music” to the arrangement of your words.
    If I am to find an analogue, that would be the low key, round sound of a stream in a forest.
    And I constantly discover that whenever i listen your words without paying any attention to their meaning.
    What I’m trying to say is that the pleasure is doubled by that signature trait of yours.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a reply - I'd love to hear from you.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.