The Town That Was Lost To Time

The small mining town had been built by hard working men for themselves and their families. Prosperity filled the buildings, laughter filled the streets and everything was just like any other town for many years. Then the coal and money began to run out, forcing people to find work else where and leave their homes.

With time, all the buildings become empty. For years, they sat alone until explorers came to see them. The new people found things pretty much as they had been left, as if the owners had just gone on holiday. Though, it was clear those people were never coming back.

The explorers’ photos and word of mouth spread and more people came to view the abandoned town. Things long untouched gotten taken, people left their different marks and the buildings deteriorated further. That though just made interested parties visit more often but they too added to the destruction.

At last, the ghost town crumbled and nature reclaimed the land. Visitors stopped coming and what little reminded of the buildings was left alone. And where once a happy, working town had stood there become nothing but the passage of time.

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Path #SundayPhotoFiction

Pausing at the crossroads, I looked at the new pathway stretching around the trees. With a glance at my yellow Labrador, we set off down it, unsure where it would take us. Following the twisting path, birds sang overhead, it was a sunny but cold day and we met no one else. Then my dog saw a squirrel and bounced off into the under bushes.

Something didn’t feel quite right. I didn’t know where we were and I knew these woods well. I expected to round a corner and find myself back on a familiar route, but that never happened.

Finally, I decided to turn back. I whistled for my dog and she came straight to my side. We back tracked as the sky turned a washed out grey. I looked at my watch and realised I had been walking this path for over an hour.

Picking up pace, I broke into a mildly panicked jog. My lab lolled beside me, sensing something was wrong. The birds had gone quiet, my breathing was loud and the urge to just get out was growing.

I started running, fearing it was too late.

 

(Inspired by; https://sundayphotofictioner.wordpress.com/2018/02/25/sunday-photo-fiction-february-25th-2018/ with thanks).

Dusk #writephoto

Flopping down onto my beach towel, sea water dripping from my hair and the surfboard abandoned at my side, I watched the sky. The sun was setting in a bright wash of colors; orange, yellow and red glowing whilst blue, pink and the white clouds mixed into the background.

Waves crashed onto the beach, racing along the sand then dragging what it could back as another waves formed behind it. As I watched, the sun seemed to sink into the sea, leaving behind blotches of fading colors. It was time to give up for the day.

 

(Inspired by; https://scvincent.com/2018/02/22/thursday-photo-prompt-dusk-writephoto/ with thanks).

Kitty

Disturb my nap time will you? No, I don’t want to be petted right now. See these claws? They’re about to go into you! Then we’ll see how you like it!

A Lost Day

I didn’t get around to today. It was like time wasn’t there. Things had stopped and just didn’t existed anymore.

Spring #FridayFictioneers

Looking out of the bus window at the gloomy winter day outside, I signed deeply. I was tried of the cold, darkness and snow, a change was needed. Then my eyes caught something a a patchwork blanket of green, purple and white on a small hill. Could it be? I fixed my eyes as we passed by and yes! Early spring flowers were shooting up and defying winter! This was it; the hope I craved! Smiling, I settled back in my seat, the knowledge the spring was almost here comforting my thoughts.

(Inspired by; https://rochellewisoff.com/2018/02/21/23-february-2018/ with thanks).

The Perfect Toy #1LinerWeds

Only the soft, fluffy yellow duck stopped the baby from crying which was a blessing.

 

(Inspired by; https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/24840312/posts/1772966431 with thanks).

Between #Writephoto

I don’t remember much about the Between, but mum said I spent a lot of my childhood there. I was an only child and Mum was a single parent on the run from her abuse ex-husband, a father I never knew. We moved around so much, not having much contact with anyone. Years later, I asked her why that was, couldn’t she have gone to the police or someone for help? She said, things back then were just different. It was normal for a husband to hit is wife.

I didn’t go to school and was only let out sometimes, so the Between was my imaginary world. Mum said it started when we stayed in a semi-abandoned farmhouse when I was around six. She let me out to play in a wild meadow and I came back talking about fairies and unicorns.

From then, I would often talk aloud and play with the things from the Between. I drew pictures too, to show mum what the animals and people were like. She kept some of them that I had drawn in a small sketch book. There was a fairy princess and queen, a unicorn, strange dragonflies and butterflies, gremlins, goblins, imps, pixies and other fantasy creatures.

‘You must have told me about them and I just imagined it all!’ I laughed to my mum.

‘No. I never said anything about any make believe things,’ mum explained, ‘not even Father Christmas or God.’

‘Oh…Then I must have read about it somewhere,’ I wondered.

‘Perhaps. I don’t remember,’ she replied, ‘I was sad when you grew out of it though.’

I hummed as I thought back. It was hard to remember clearly, but I started high school in one of the towns we were hiding out in. Something about being forced to go…But it meant that town became our permanent home. I had something of a normal life then and the Between was lost to me.

‘I guess it was a childhood thing,’ I added with a shrug, ‘but why were you sad?’

‘Because it meant you were grown up.’

(Inspired by; https://scvincent.com/2018/02/15/thursday-photo-prompt-between-writephoto/ with thanks).

Hopewell #TwitteringTales

All that was left of the old manor house was the front gate post with the name plaque on. The driveway led to nothing and nature was running wild. What happened no one knew for sure, there were too many secrets that the dead now kept.

(Inspired by; https://katmyrman.com/2018/02/20/twittering_tale_72-20_february_2018-hopewell/ with thanks).

Monday

Once Mondays had been hectic, with never enough time but now, each second seemed slower then the last. At first, she had been gratefully, she’d always hated that job so to lose it wasn’t that bad a blow. The belief she’d find a new job soon kept her going but now months later, she was missing working.

She was tried of daytime TV shows, reading books, job hunting and having to cope with less money. The other days were easier to deal with, she found things to keep her going but Mondays were just empty.