Flash Fiction / writing prompts

The Jade Camel #3

Chris Hall73 Comments

Previously

Ceridwen shivered as she closed the door, Joey was a nice lad, a bit rough around the edges but he had a good heart – and he had Cullen’s approval; she smiled at her feline companion, she’d had him since he was barely weaned, having seen him cowering in the bushes all alone and mewing piteously, she’d known immediately that his little soul had been reaching out to hers.

She drew her cardigan around her narrow shoulders, armour against the unexpected feeling of foreboding that had accompanied Joey’s passage across the landing.

The feeling persisted as she fed Cullen, and as she nibbled on her own frugal supper; she glanced ceiling-wards where she could hear Joey moving about, the feeling was one she couldn’t quite describe, almost a vibration in the air, something she hadn’t experienced since that young woman had brought the strange little amulet to her.

The nagging feeling accompanied her through her dreams, faint glimpses of things that made no sense.

In the morning, sipping her herbal tea, she heard Joey’s rapid footsteps on the stairs; moments later the front door slammed. It was immediately apparent: what had been troubling her had left the building along with Joey.

next episode

Written in response to two challenges:

Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: BEEN, SEEN, WEAN
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: SCRIBE

More #SixSentenceStories here!

Photo credit: illustration from a book somewhere on my bookshelves which I cannot presently locate 😉

73 thoughts on “The Jade Camel #3”

  16. Cue the subsonics, yo*

    “…footsteps on the stairs; moments later the front door slammed”

    Nice job in setting detail. I’ve lived in enough old houses, including tenements to hear the distant, but personal tone of sounds of other tenants.
    The closest I’ve come to that kind of audio ambiance had been in my fortunately few stays in a hospital, the people reinforce the character of the place.
    Also like the element of animals awareness (of beyond the day-to-day world), nothing creepier that watching a cat or dog react to something that isn’t there (to us).

    Excellent low-key foreboding

    *ok, put just a touch, not yet ready for a full-on Tubular Bells in the soundtrack

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    • In close proximity within a shared house, one becomes (too) intimately familiar with one’s neighbours’ activities *slight shudder a certain memories* I’ll spare my readers the details.
      Mike Oldfield will be perfect for later, once the animals suddenly start staring over our shoulders…

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  17. I’m beginning to think there is a spiritual connection here to those other Liverpudlians, The Beatles, especially the late John (although we know Paul’s been dead since Abbey Road). I am thinking as this story unfolds that Ceridwen’s going to end up singing ‘Everyone’s got something to hide except for me and my monkey-like cat, Cullen.’ Or maybe not.

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  23. Is “enchanting” the adjective I’m looking for to describe your writing in this story?… Whatever it is, it’s attached itself quite firmly to your readers (appears there is indubitably, consensus on this point 😀)

    I’ll 2nd the call about Dame Margaret Smith. Good one, Spira!

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  24. I say it is interesting that the downstairs neighbor was also ‘enchanted’ by the Jade Camel….
    One can only hope that progress is positive. But then… reactions to actions are not always what we wish them to be…

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