Ruining

The castle was pleasant by day but at night it became a sinister blot. Stories of supernatural creatures hung over the place, causing folk to stay away.

I’d set out to prove they were all legends. Peering out of my tent, the full moonlight touched the medieval stones, casting an eerie glow. I heard voices then a fire sprung to life. Before me, the devil and a coven of witches began to party.

I tried to convince myself it was a dream and perhaps it truly was but what I saw that night I will take to my grave.

 

(Inspired from; https://rochellewisoff.com/2017/08/30/1-september-2017 with thanks)

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Window

The window stood open and all I had to do was jump, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. The dazzling street was far below me, hazy in the summer heat and packed with tourists. A mingle of voices and traffic rose upwards, blending into the other city background noises.

I was balanced on the bottom rail, the cold metal biting into my bare feet and my toes curled around the edge. My hands pressed into the top rail, my fingers tightly wrapped around. It was if my body was refusing to move from this spot and rebelling against the wanting of my brain.

My lungs started to burn with the breath I had been holding. I tried not to think about it but instinct kicked in and I opened my mouth breathed. This city smelt both familiar and foreign; sweat, pollution, car fumes, spices, warm food and dust. It was hard to separate all those different scents.

I stayed tense and looked out over the city. I had been here a few times now, but it had been awhile since I’d last been. The narrow, twisty cobblestone streets and tiny back alleyways looked like a rats’ maze. The multi-colored two or three store houses were so close together that neighbors could lean out of their windows and have a chat.

Looking beyond, it was easy to mistake the line of pale blue sky for the sea. The coast was about forty minutes away and I had walked across the deep sand beach a few times. I remember thinking I was in paradise. There was a scattering of sitting people drinking out of coconuts or pineapple halves whilst couples hand in hand walked through the lapping waves.

There was too much pain in my body to remain on the railings. I got down, my limbs stiff and went inside to the small sofa. I sank down, my attention draw to the dark screen of the TV. It was stuffy in here, too much heat had gotten in. I put the ceiling fan on and it spun lazily. Watching the fan, I let my thoughts tumble.

It had been my plan to come here and die. I wasn’t sure why but for some reason this city and this room had stuck in my head. I had wanted to be far from home so I wouldn’t have the chance to back out again but I didn’t have the will to do it. Trying to think about the whys added to my tiredness.

I got up and went to lay on the bed. I put the fan on in here too though it was already cool because I had kept the windows and curtains closed this morning. Face down, I stretched out on the sheets, frustrated with myself.

Summer Ends

The sun melted away across the sky and night become ruler once again. Autumn broke the dawn the next day. The wind switched directions, becoming colder and harsher. The leaves began to change colour and fall to the ground whilst the plants started dying.   And just like that summer came to an end just like that.

Mini-Vacation

House-sitting for the farmer next door, hadn’t seemed such a bad idea at the time; what a nice min-break it’ll be! Now though, I’m chasing a fox, who’s chasing the hens around the yard and I’m really not having a good time at all!

(Inspired from; https://first50.wordpress.com/2017/08/25/mini-vacation/ with thanks).

Star Race

The three of them sat in the natural hot water spring rock tub, relaxing. Above them the late night sky was a wash with colourful clouds and stars. This morning, they had placed bets on which spaceship would win the Intergalactic Ring Race tomorrow. However, they had all entered the race and voted for each other, because it was all a bit of fun between brothers.

(Inspired from; https://allaboutwritingandmore.wordpress.com/2017/08/24/daily-picture-prompt-236/ with thanks.)

Them Bones

Whatever the creature had been it was pretty much dead now. Brushing more soil off the bones, I began to carefully remove them from the ground. There was no reason for them to become squashed under the new fence.

Later, I tried to shape the bones into the animal. I was thinking they would make a rabbit or a small dog which had been the last homeowners beloved pet. Instead though, it turned out to a snake.

Luckily, I had a friend who was a biologist teacher. So, I packed the bones up and delivered them to her. Perhaps, the snake would now be enjoyed a second time around.

 

(Inspired from; https://only100words.xyz/2017/08/24/three-line-tales-week-82/ with thanks).

Summer Ends

I looked up at the starry night and sighed. Tomorrow it would be hard to tidy away this sanctuary that Charlie had built for me. I shut my eyes but then I heard him moving behind me.

‘Come to bed,’ he whispered.

‘Okay,’ I mumbled.

We crawled inside the tent and lay in each others’ arms. He kissed my head and said, ‘Sophie, will you marry me?’

I looked up in shock as he held out his great grandmother’s wedding ring.

‘Yes!’ I cried and slipped the ring on.

And so ended my perfect summer.

(https://rochellewisoff.com/2017/08/23/25-august-2017/)

Craked #writephoto

The egg lay broken open on the ground. It was a dirty white, almost light grey color, with just one side missing.  It was a strange thing to find in the middle of the footpath but I was walking through a patch of trees which might explain it. I didn’t know anything about eggs though, but it didn’t look like any hen egg I’d eaten or used in cooking. It was probably a bird’s egg that had fallen out of the nest.

I frowned as an urge to pick it up grew. The egg shell looked normal enough to me and there was no sign of the baby that might have been inside. Why would I want to touch it though? I guess because I liked to collect unusual items I find on my walks. As far as I knew I didn’t have any egg shell in my box.

Picking it up gingerly, because I just knew it was going to further crack, I held the reminds loosely. The egg shell felt light, like I was holding nothing in my palms. Cradling the shell, so I didn’t look silly holding it out before me, I began to walk back home.

By the time I arrived which was about an hour later, my arms were aching. I looked around for a place to put the empty egg down; there was no way I could juggle it and my keys at the same time. Resting the delicate thing in the plant pot of one of the miniature cone tree that flanked the door, I was able to dig my keys out.

Then it was a simple case of gently picking the egg shell back up and taking it up to the attic to my study. Long had my wife and children complained about the hours I spent up here, but now I was all alone it still didn’t matter to me. I shuffled the egg on to my desk and dug out the large filing box which lived at the bottom of one of the many bookcases.

Opening the lid, I saw all the random objects I had collected. There were things like pressed flowers and leaves, small twisty twigs, beach shells, snail shells.  Scraps of newspaper, handwritten notes, leaflets. Pine comes, acorns, bird feathers, weirdly shaped stones. From a river had come; a shard of blue glass and a quarter of a broken porcelain sugar bowl. I had a rusted key, a dog’s name tag, a plastic key ring heart and the skull of a mouse.

Most of the items were in small plastic or glass jars and containers, or wrapped in tissue. I decided to put the egg shell in bubble wrap. That seemed the best way to protect it as well as putting it in a clear tub. Placing the egg safely in the box, I closed the lid.

(Inspire from; https://scvincent.com/2017/08/24/thursday-photo-prompt-cracked-writephoto/ with thanks.)

Lake Side

She tossed her head back, basking in the early evening sunlight. Dangling her bare feet over the edge of the jetty, her soles just skimmed the calm lake’s surface.

This is the life, she thought.

Shutting her eyes, she let the warmth drift across her face. She heard little waves lapping against the shore, the jetty and the small boat that was moored behind her. Birds were singing their late evening song and the wind was sometimes shifting the late summer trees.

There were no people or cars or another distractions, it was just her and the lake.

Wisp #writephoto

Some days, it was nice just to sit back and watched the clouds go by. Laying on the beach, I looked up and watched the thin clouds drifting across the ice blue sky. When I was a child my parents had played a game with me were we had taken it in turns to call out the shapes we saw within the clouds.

I smiled and began to play, trying to come up with all kinds of animals and objects that the wispy clouds could be. I got things like; horses, birds, people and a three legged crocodile. Then though all the clouds seemed to move away leaving just the bright sun above.

I sighed and shut my eyes, glad that the shade of the sun umbrella was keeping the glare off me. My mind wondered off and I thought about how much easier life had been as a child.

(Inspired from; https://scvincent.com/2017/08/17/thursday-photo-prompt-wisp-writephoto with thanks).