Flash Fiction / writing prompts

Do you believe in faeries? ~ episode 16

Chris Hall60 Comments
Illustration from the Rose Fyleman Fairy Book

Previously

As the Stingers advanced, brandishing their spray cans, the living carpet of brightly-coloured insects stirred and started to hiss; realising their potential plight, Lobelia whipped out her wand and fluttered skywards, circling over the blue-clad troops, and showering them with sticky streams of gossamer which rapidly transformed them into papery cocoons; the more they struggled, the tighter their bonds became.

Satisfied the opposition had been neutralized, Lobelia descended gracefully to the ground and nodded to Bethany; the insects fell silent, turning to face the palace doors where the Owl-King stood, seemingly transfixed, while Mr Eyre let out an audible sigh of relief.

Adjusting her hairband so that her golden curls flowed more fully around her face, Bethany let her feet guide her to the palace threshold, all the time reminding herself of what she’d been told by her new friends at the welcome feast. She halted before the Owl-King and tilted her head back to look up at him.

Fixing him with a big, blue-eyed stare, she stood on tip-toes and beckoned to him; bending awkwardly, the Owl-King stooped down and listened as she whispered to him. Moments later they entered the palace together, the doors swinging shut behind them.

next chapter

Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: HEAD, PAPER, BAND
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: GUIDE

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!

READ MORE SPLENDID SIXES

60 thoughts on “Do you believe in faeries? ~ episode 16”

  10. Your beautiful imagery leading us towards a resolution perhaps? You keep me in suspense by not revealing what Bethany said to the Owl King. Nice.
    My mind flew away on a tangent, wondering if the stingers would blossom out of their cocoons into heroes!

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  22. (continued, oops, heavy hands today)… insects hissing, and the stingers being neutralised and made immobile like that. Jenne’s thoughts that they might emerge as heroes is tantalising!

    I wonder what she whispered to the Owl-King… a trick, a charm, a dare, a game of chess lol, or… a remarkable secret that even the Owl-King could not resist!! Excellent cliff-hanger, Chris!

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