Tag: 200 word story

Do you believe in faeries? ~ episode 6

Chris Hall48 Comments
Illustration from the Rose Fyleman Fairy Book

Previously

Although their previous dalliance with other-worldly travel had led to a certain equanimity in how to handle unfamiliar situations, nothing had quite prepared Bryony and Mr Eyre with the sight which confronted them now.

They were surrounded by a small group of black-bearded fellows, dressed in indigo army fatigues and wielding weapons reminding Mr Eyre of the stingers found on wasps and other vespids; the overall effect would have been rather intimidating but for their small stature and the incredibly large pointy ears poking out from beneath their caps.

‘Other-Worlders!’ exclaimed one who, from the elaborate insignia adorning his cap, must be the captain; he craned his neck in an attempt to look Mr Eyre in the eye, ‘ready your weapons, men,’ his eyes switched back and forth between his prisoners, ‘these could be tricky customers.’

Six stingers began to buzz; the captain pointed first at Bryony and then Mr Eyre, ‘Turn out your pockets!’

Mr Eyre offered Bryony a reassuring nod before emptying the pockets of his tweed jacket of everything from bus tickets to bits of string; Bryony pulled her notebook from her pinafore pocket and held it out.

 ‘Word-Peddler, eh?’ said the captain with a sinister smirk.

next episode

Written in response to two challenges:

– Di of Pensitivity101‘s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – DALIANCE, BUZZ, CRANE
– Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge‘s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt – HANDLE

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 it looks like they’ve got their wish!

More #SixSentenceStories here – don’t be shy, add one of your own!

Do you believe in faeries? ~ episode 5

Chris Hall43 Comments
Illustration from the Rose Fyleman Fairy Book

Previously

Bethany stared at the green-clad brother and sister who had turned away and retreated a few steps to confer in private, she strained her ears but her grasp of their conversation was limited to what she took to be oaths and exclamations; whatever could be the matter?

She surveyed her surroundings, as she retrieved the memory of her previous encounter with an ‘other world’; by whatever method she had been transported to this unfamiliar place, it was important to commit the exact location of entry to memory in order to find the way back.

Their discussion over, the green-clad man marched back to Bethany and stared up at her, ‘Greta and I have decided, we have to hand you over to the Owl-King, we don’t want to, but…’ he paused and took a breath, screwing up his eyes, ‘it’s the Rules.’

Greta hurried over to join them; taking her brother’s arm, she whispered, ‘Hans, there’s no need to frighten her,’ she stared around with anxious eyes. ‘Anyway, we haven’t decided; we’ll go back to the house and then we’ll decide.’

Although Bethany still had no idea what was going on, she was certain that this Owl-King was someone best avoided.

next episode

Written in response to two challenges:

– Di of Pensitivity101‘s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – PRIVATE, LIMIT, RETRIEVE
– Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge‘s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt – METHOD

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 it looks like they’ve got their wish!

More ‘Sixes’ here!

Do you believe in faeries? ~ episode 4

Chris Hall65 Comments
Illustration from the Rose Fyleman Fairy Book

Previously

‘Perhaps this landed in the bush when Bethany fell?’ suggested Mr Eyre, holding out the object which he’d just lifted from the buddleia bush.

Bryony shook her head, ‘I don’t remember Bethany having a beautiful bracelet like that, in any case, it’s not the sort of thing people wear unless they’re going somewhere special,’ she took the bracelet from him and held it up to the light, gently unfastening the catch.

The bracelet fell open into two half-moon sections, an inscription ran around the glossy inner rim, written in a language which Bryony didn’t recognise; Mr Eyre peered over her shoulder, trying to decipher the strange script; then it dawned on him: ‘it’s mirror writing, Bryony, look!’

Mr Eyre took out his pocket-watch and opened it, tilting the inside of the shiny silver casing so they could read the inscription: to faraway lands, travel you may, now seek and you will find; Bryony looked up at her tutor, eyebrows raised, ‘What do think, Mr Eyre?’

The bracelet began to vibrate and Bryony began to shake with it; Mr Eyre held onto on her shoulders to steady her.

A moment later they vanished, leaving the buddleia bush swaying silently behind them.

on to the next episode…

Written in response to two challenges:

– Di of Pensitivity101‘s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – GLOSS, PEOPLE, REMEMBER
– Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge‘s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt – ISLAND

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 it looks like they’ve got their wish!

More stories here and we’d love you to join us… just follow the link!

Do you believe in faeries? ~ episode 3

Chris Hall54 Comments
Illustration from the Rose Fyleman Fairy Book

Previously

Bethany rubbed her ankle, although the soft moss beneath her had cushioned her fall, she’d still landed awkwardly; she stared wide-eyed at her surroundings: a swathe of swaying bluebells within a woodland glade, each painted with glassy dew; one thing was certain, she was no longer in the London garden where she and her sister, Bryony had been looking for the little folk.

Hearing voices, Bethany looked around to see two small figures, clad entirely in green, approaching – ‘look, brother,’ one said, ‘the golden-haired child, after all this time’ – the other replied, so quietly that Bethany could barely hear him, ‘hush, sister, wait until we’re sure what we’re dealing with.’

Bethany slowly rose to her feet, thankful that her injured ankle was stable, and took a few steps towards them, ‘I think I’m lost, can you help me please?’

The green-clad man glanced up at her and murmured, ‘if she’s come from Other World, we must tell the Owl-King.’

‘Other World? Owl-King? I don’t understand,’ Bethany held up her hands in confusion; she frowned, seeing them staring at them, ‘what’s wrong?’

‘She can’t be, brother,’ the green-clad woman’s face fell, ‘she isn’t wearing the travelling bracelet we left for her.’

next episode

Written in response to two challenges:

– Di of Pensitivity101‘s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – GLASS, CUSHION, TABLE
– Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge‘s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt – DEAL

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 it looks like they’ve got their wish!

More great stories here!

Do you believe in faeries? ~ episode 2

Chris Hall48 Comments
Illustration from the Rose Fyleman Fairy Book

Previously

‘Really, Bryony, people don’t just disappear into buddleia bushes,’ Bryony’s papa frowned his irritation, ‘I always thought you were the sensible one,’ he tapped his cane on the floor, something he did when he was unimpressed, ‘stop playing games and tell Bethany to come out from wherever she’s hiding.’

‘You believe me, don’t you, Mr Eyre,’ pleaded Bryony, watching Papa glare at her tutor. Mr Eyre was about to speak when Papa, Donald Goodwin of HMDS*, cut in: ‘and I’d thank you not to encourage such nebulous ideas in the girls, Eyre,’ he growled, stalking into the hallway.

‘Come, Bryony, if we’re going to search for young Bethany, we should start from where you last saw her,’ Mr Eyre extended an arm to shepherd his charge out into the garden, grabbing a cane from his employer’s collection, which was stored in an elephant foot stand, a souvenir from Goodwin’s service in India.

Mr Eyre advanced across the lawn and began to poke about in the buddleia bush; the cane snagged something in the undergrowth and he crouched down, reaching into the foliage. ‘Aha, what have we here?’ he swiveled round and proffered the object to her.

Bryony eyes lit up.

*His Majesty’s Diplomatic Service (the year is 1912).

on to the next episode…

Written in response to two challenges:

– Di of Pensitivity101‘s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – POKE, TAP, PRESS
– Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge‘s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt – NEBULOUS

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

Your portal to more Six Sentence Stories awaits you here!

Do you believe in faeries? ~ episode one

Chris Hall66 Comments
Illustration from the Rose Fyleman Fairy Book

‘It’s probably too noisy here in London,’ Bryony whispered, straining her eyes in the pre-dawn darkness to see deeper into the shrubbery, ‘it’s not as if this is Bluebell Woods where we used to live.

Bethany shivered slightly, the early spring frost was creeping through her sandals and pricking at her toes, as she crouched beside her elder sister, peering into the flower bed; nevertheless, she was determined not to give up yet.

‘Just because you read about them in your new poetry book, doesn’t mean they exist, especially at the bottom of our garden,’ Bryony hissed, ‘and I really don’t imagine it’s going to be like last summer after we read ‘Alice in Wonderland’ together.’

Undeterred, Bethany crept a little closer trying to avoid trampling the pretty patch of primroses which lay in her path, ‘look,’ she exclaimed delightedly, ‘here’s a perfect little glade for them to skip about in… oh! oh! oh!..’ she cried out, losing her balance and tumbling into the arching foliage of an unruly butterfly bush.

Puzzled by the sudden silence, Bryony rose to her feet and stepped into the shrubbery, parting the waving fronds of the foliage.

There was no sign of her sister.

Next episode

Written in response to two challenges:

– Di of Pensitivity101‘s Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge – FROST, DAWN, SKIP
– Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge‘s Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt – TRAIN

Some of you will remember these two plucky young heroines from my historical fantasy fiction novel, ‘Following the Green Rabbit’, which celebrates its second book birthday today. To celebrate, and in a shameless bit of book promotion, I’m offering the Kindle version at the special price of $2.99 (or your local currency equivalent) until the end of August. You can find it here: mybook.to/GreenRabbit

Read more Six Sentence Stories here

The Cutesy-Pie Snow People

Chris Hall36 Comments

The image shows four tiny snow men like figures in different poses. All looking very cute!
The image shows four tiny snow men like figures in different poses. All looking very cute!

The Cutesy-Pie Snow-People were the craze of the century that Christmas. Their sweet little faces and animated features melted the hardest of hearts, and by mid-December every garden, balcony and complex had their own little Cutesy-Pie.

Everyone feared what would happen to the cute little creatures come the thaw. People cleared spaces in their freezers and banded together to rented chill-rooms to accommodate them for the warmer months.

But as the snow melted the Snow-People hardened. They began to grow taller and slimmer. They lost their sweet expressions and threw off their quirky hats. People stared out at them with a new fear. Were their cute little Snow-People going to turn on them?

Then one morning as the sun rose and cast its strengthening rays over the land, the Snow-People took to the air, rising up, glinting in the sunlight like so many ice angels.

They banded together and flew north.

Satellites tracked the angels’ progress; the feed was live-streamed into every home. People watched and waited. Then, as the first light dawned over the northern pole, the angels descended. Their bodies merged with the melting glaciers and re-froze the recent permafrost.

Together the Snow-People undid the damage of decades.

Written in response to Sadje’s What Do You See #29 photo prompt.
Image credit: Alexas Photos on Pixabay

Catch a falling star

Chris Hall28 Comments

what do you see 9 by chris hall lunasonline

‘Okay, kiddo, you might come from a long line of lovable Disney characters but…’

Dumbo Olivier III held the phone away from his large crinkly ear and let his agent drone on. From the hotel bar where he was standing, he could see the pool area where a couple of tasty elegirls were frolicking. One of them caught his eye and beckoned playfully to him.

‘Dumbs!’ his agent’s yell caught his attention, ‘you listening?’

He put the phone back to his ear. ‘Yeah, yeah. Go on.’ He fiddled with the swizzle-stick in his empty cocktail glass.

‘You’re gonna fall off the Disney money train if you carry on like this!’ his agent continued. ‘Just lay off the booze and the chicks for a month or so. Keep your trunk out of the snow… you know what I’m sayin’ kiddo?’

‘Yeah, okay man. I’ll tone it down.’

‘I’ll book you into the Betty Ford Clinic if you don’t behave yourself.’

The young Disney star sighed. ‘All right, already!’

‘Towel yourself off, kiss the girls goodbye and get down to the studio now. I’ve got some cute photo shoots lined up for you.’

‘Cute shoots with girls?

‘Yeah, kiddo. Something like that.’

Written in response to Sadje’s What Do You See #9 photo prompt.
Photo credit: Yo

Trance

Chris Hall13 Comments

Trance by Chris Hall lunasonline

My storyteller falls silent, staring at the distant smudge-blue mountains. Sitting on the still-warm rocks, he is a ‘there-not there’ presence beside me.

The sun sets quickly here. Now the great African moon, reclining serenely on her back, casts a soft glow over the darkening veld.

All is still.

Soon the broad African sky is star-pricked velvet. Orion, the hunter, with his belt of three she-tortoises hanging on a stick, stalks across the western sky. The frothy plume of the Milky Way is a handful of ashes, cast into the sky by a Bushman girl to light the way for her people to return home.

Long, long ago was that past-time when the great herds roamed the plains: springbok in their multitudes, steenbok, kudu, eland and wildebeest. Then there were lions and elephants in the veld; and jackals, wild dogs and hyenas; great giraffes and rhino, small hares and porcupines. Now only their ghosts remain, painted on the cave walls behind me.

A huge 4×4, lights ablaze, erupts across the highway below, shattering the silence. My storyteller shakes himself and stands. He turns to me, nods and walks away. 

I remain.

All is silent again, but the spell is broken.

In case you missed it, this is the story my storyteller told

The Story of the Storyteller

Chris Hall10 Comments

The Story of the Storyteller by Chris Hall lunasonline

The Storyteller arrived in the village wearing a broad-brimmed black hat which made it hard to see her face. She began to tell stories, her stories. She encouraged us to tell our stories. Stories of all kinds: short stories, sad stories, stories that would make you think, or laugh, or look under the bed before sleeping.

Our village was alive with words. Our stories became known far and wide. We were the ‘Village of the Stories’ – stories which we could shout from the rooftops or sing by the stream or whisper in the woods.

People came to hear our stories. They wanted stories of their own. Some learned how to tell them, but others came to steal them. They sent their spies to seek out our stories and sell them as their own.

We were disheartened. The Storyteller slipped away; her stories disappeared with her. We fell silent. Our words were hidden and our stories slept.

But then we decided.

‘No more,’ we shouted. ‘We will seek out the thieves and shame them. We will take our stories back.’

And so we did. And we hope the Storyteller hears this and returns with her stories and her broad-brimmed black hat.