What a beautiful photo prompt by Madison Woods this week. Her photo prompts are typically challenging and stimulating, but this week the challenge for me was not to try to think of a story idea, but to pick a story idea from the several that popped into my head.
As always, I’m excited to read what everybody else wrote. Check out the other stories on Madison’s blog!
The Chosen One
She would not be afraid.
Dressed in a clean, white gown, she walked up the mountain. Mother on one side, Father on the other.
She would not be afraid.
Still, she felt her father’s hand tremble on her arm. Heard her mother’s whimpers.
She would not be afraid.
The One to whom she’d been promised heaved before her, his breath hot and angry. They told her she would calm him.
She would not be afraid.
Cresting the volcano, she watched orange flames leap before her like a lover’s fingers, hungry to touch.
But she would not be afraid.
This is brilliant! Great imagination!
Yours was poetic and oh, so beautiful, Elise Rae!
I enjoyed your story, Joe. Yes, seeing how Madison's photos “spoke” to each of us is part of the fun!
Sorry to be so long in reading everyone's tales, but it's been worth the wait. I loved the way your story was full of mystery as to who the character was, and then, what a neat surprise at the end.
Glad you liked it, Beth. I liked yours, too. Gotta love that Erica. She's a spunky little thing. 🙂
Glad you liked it, Beth. I liked yours, too. Gotta love that Erica. She's a spunky little thing. 🙂
Ha! Thanks, Jake. I enjoyed your story about the circles and “aliens,” too!
Thank you, Mike. I'm quite late getting to read everybody's flash fiction. Yours was very clever. The “Creator” being replaced. What an imagination!
Good point about “heaved.” I didn't even notice that. Enjoyed the “list” quality of your tale. It added a real sense of urgency!
This is beautiful. Both male and female virgins have been sacrificed throughout history, depending on which God/Goddess needed to be appeased. It just happened that this one needed a female according to this culture's traditions.
Never pull your punches on your characters, and I'm glad you did not. Her emotional turmoil–telling herself not to be afraid when she obviously is, is very moving. Well done!
I have two drabbles this week: http://quillshiv.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/within-the-inglenook/
http://quillshiv.wordpress.com/2012/02/05/ellipsis/
Great use of the prompt, Jan.
Carlos' comment, “we sacrifice people in other ways now,” hit a chord with me. I've got a character that will have to be sacrificed in a painful, public, and embarrassing way for the protagonist to get what he wants. It's rather dirty business, but hey, I'm writing a political satire. My justification–it's for the good of the country. 🙂
Great use of the prompt, Jan.
Carlos' comment, “we sacrifice people in other ways now,” hit a chord with me. I've got a character that will have to be sacrificed in a painful, public, and embarrassing way for the protagonist to get what he wants. It's rather dirty business, but hey, I'm writing a political satire. My justification–it's for the good of the country. 🙂
I had a busy weekend that prevented me from getting around to the stories as soon as I would have liked, but this is just lovely. The repetition is powerful. And the impending sacrifice is horrifying.