Remember what it was like
to be full of wonder?
When every day brought
a fresh new adventure?
To view the world
curious and unafraid
without prejudices
or preconceptions
open to possibilities
alive with expectations,
just starting out
on life’s path?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Image credit: Dimhou@Pixabay
Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #115 photo prompt
The afternoon wore on and languid shadows yawned and stretched their fingers across the emerald-green lawn. Beetle-Queen Florigia regarded the blank-windowed frontage of the pink palace with her multi-faceted eyes, bending her antennae into a quizzical frown, while in response Lobelia’s lacy wings began to flutter in graceful agitation. Greta voiced their joint thought: ‘can it be that the charm hasn’t worked?’
Florigia’s colourful subjects were also becoming restless, some meandering about the lawn like bored holiday-makers waiting for a long-anticipated show, while others remained stationary, their wing cases fanning noisily like the droning engines of over-heated cars halted in grid-locked traffic.
Around the back of the palace, driven on by the developments he and Bryony had observed inside, Mr Eyre was grimly prying open the grimy window with a discarded poker, while Bryony kept up a hushed commentary as beyond the glass, her sister retreated from the three squat figures who had emerged from under the Owl-King’s flowing robes and who were tottering about in front of her, as if having imbibed too much brandy.
‘Quickly, Mr Eyre,’ Bryony urged, seeing Bethany scurry behind the jewel-encrusted throne while the trio advanced, staggering and swaying in a strange drunken dance.
Written in response to two challenges:
Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: TRAFFIC, HOLIDAY, BRANDY
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: CHARM
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!
The novel is now also available as an audiobook – free on Audible with a 30 day trial.
MORE SIX SENTENCE STORIES HERE – DROP IN AND SEE!
Reflecting
on the year that has passed
on the year before that
on how our lives have changed.
Remembering
the loved ones taken
without goodbyes, without a hug
or a gentle brush of a cheek.
Thinking
of those we couldn’t comfort
grieving behind closed doors
spending a first Christmas alone.
Lighting
a solitary candle
watching it flicker
pushing away the darkness.
Reminiscing
about the happy times
the laughter and the smiles
knowing they will return.
Wiping away
the tears that stain the page
the flame sputters, then strengthens
and burns again anew.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Image credit: Being.the.traveler@ Pexels
Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #114 photo prompt
Muttering to himself, the Owl-King marched slightly unsteadily down a long passageway; Bethany, who was walking just behind him, had the distinct impression that not just one voice, but three different voices were holding a hushed conversation beneath his flowing golden robe, although annoyingly she couldn’t make out what they were saying.
The passageway ended in a large door, decorated with an owl holding a drooping lily flower in its beak; the doors swung open and Bethany followed the now-tottering figure over the threshold. The Owl-King steadied himself, leaning on the back of an opulently appointed throne, which was one of the few items of furniture in the room; he turned to Bethany, ‘you say you know my secret, but I know yours too!’
The Owl-King bent forward; his helmet twitched, then suddenly he crumpled to the floor; his helmet rolled away and three small figures scurried from beneath the golden robe.
‘This is Owlet Hall and we are the Owlets!’ the three of them danced around Bethany, hooting with mischievous laughter, ‘drop the pretence, you’re not the golden-haired child at all!’
Undeterred, Bethany planted her hands on her hips, ‘well, to be fair, you three aren’t the Owl-King either.’
/….to be continued.
Written in response to two challenges:
Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: LILY, LETHAL, PRETENCE
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: FAIR
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!
As the festivities commence
my thoughts turn north
to the country of my birth
where snow crunches underfoot
and darkness is driven away
by constant pools of light.
Where ice sparkles
and children exhale
frosty breath
making snow angels
on silvery lawns.
Now I’ve put down roots
where summer’s sun
bakes the thirsty earth
and children dance
on dusty paths.
Here, where velvet darkness
draws in quickly
and Africa’s golden moon
smiles down, I know
I’m already home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Image credit: Jonathan Borba @ Pixels
Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #113 photo prompt
Mr Eyre and Bryony looked at one another in concern as Bethany disappeared inside the Owl-King’s palace, whilst the exchange which passed between Greta and Lobelia was one of quiet satisfaction; Beetle-Queen Florigia whispered soothing words to her many-hued subjects, who folded their bright wings, preparing to wait.
Ten minutes stretched to twenty and Mr Eyre began to pace, long strides repeatedly carrying him the length of the palace’s pink frontage with its blank-eyed windows, which offered no clue as to what was happening inside.
Bryony rose to her feet and joined her troubled tutor, increasingly anxious for her sister, despite their companions’ placid insistence that all would be well; she tugged at his sleeve and muttered, ‘if only we knew what was going on!’
Mr Eyre jerked his head, gesturing his young charge to follow him, before ducking around the side of the palace, where they were greeted by a surprising sight: it was as if the entire contents of the building had been dumped outside.
As they picked their way through the heaps of junk, they heard the murmur of voices; they peeked in through a grimy window. Mr Eyre’s jaw dropped, while Bryony inhaled an astonished gasp.
/….next episode.
Written in response to two challenges:
Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: VOICE, CARRY, BRIGHT
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: JUNK
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!
HOP OVER HERE FOR MORE SIX SENTENCE STORIES!
Sun’s last liquid rays slip silently beneath a purple-clouded horizon, while birdsong fills the twilight air. Wings, skimming softly over a wide velvet lake, whisper gentle goodnights, and from night’s star-bright firmament, a pearlescent figure appears, bathed in lunar light.
angel’s wings descend
cocooning the sleeping town
in tender embrace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Image credit: Kellepics @ Pixabay
Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #112 photo prompt
Note: It seems that some of my spam woes have returned. So if I seem strangely silent, my comments may well have slid into your spam folder. Please, if I’ve just popped in a ‘like’ on one of your posts and run away, would you mind having a hunt for me and fishing me out!
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.
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!
Saffron rays stream
over ochre battlements
castellations contrast
with soft sapphire hills.
Walls whisper secrets
in this citadel of splendour
cruelty and kindness
hidden deep within the keep.
Fortress façade fit
for the finest queen
monument to a mistress
a woman never seen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Image credit: Vrolans @ Pixabay
Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #111 photo prompt
The insect army parted as Beetle-Queen Florigia led Bethany, flanked by Greta and Lobelia, onto the emerald-green lawn, where they were bathed in the unforgiving brightness reflecting off the pink walls of the Owl-King’s palace.
Seeing her sister, Bryony dashed from the poplar grove, followed by Mr Eyre and Hildebrand, to be greeted by Florigia, beaming in all directions from her multi-facetted eyes. Their reunion was interrupted by a blare of trumpets emanating from the palace, as the massive front doors swung open to reveal a towering figure, wearing golden robes and a richly-decorated helmet in the shape of an owl’s face.
Florigia advanced on the palace; perhaps it was a trick of the light, but she seemed to grow in stature with every stride, ‘Owl-King, we have had enough of your unwarranted acts against those who use words.’ She beckoned to Bethany, ‘we present the golden-haired child, who has returned to reclaim her queendom!’
The Owl-King swept his arm forward as though swatting a fly; a shrill whistle signalled the advance of a swarm of blue-clad troops clutching sinister-looking spray cans; Mr Eyre’s eyes widened, wishing he had a plan in reserve which might save them from the Stingers.
/….to be continued.
Written in response to two challenges:
Di of Pensitivity 101’s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: PERHAPS, SINISTER, FORGIVING
Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge’s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: RESERVE
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!
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