Feel free to join in with previous challenges if this one doesn't inspire you. There is no closing date, and I love reading your entries.
Initially I had another picture in mind for this week's Mid-Week Flash Challenge, but this one spoke to me first. I couldn't resist his beckoning hands and intense gaze. What is he saying to you?
He was taken by Ekaterina Zakharova, a Russian photographer who named him '1Fairy'. She normally photographs nude males, but this guy is only 16! (or was when this was taken). You can find more on her Deviant Art page.
The General Guidelines are here. Now go write!
Family Ties
Catherine’s
startled reaction was tempered by the sprites playful nature and beckoning
arms, particularly his electric blue eyes that delved into the deepest parts of
her soul.
She knew the woodlands around her aunt and uncle’s estate were alive with wonders and miracles, and she had hoped to meet some of the characters from the stories she had been told, but up until today they had only been glimpses and peripheral movements.
She wondered if her coming of age party on the lawn yesterday had done the trick; maybe once you turned sixteen it became permissible.
The sprite in front of her should certainly come with an age restriction; his semi-clad body causing a flush in her cheeks as he danced in front of her, moving slowly backwards, drawing her into the thickest parts of the wood. She was happy to follow; her curiosity ignited by his silent alluring manner and mischievous grin.
Eventually they came to a clearing, reached by pushing through a dense thicket which her guide pushed back for her, to bring her through safely. Initially they were alone in the clearing and his continued intense gaze sparked thoughts of romance in her mind. Butterflies took flight inside and out, and Catherine waited in anticipation for his next move.
But the silence was broken by laughter nearby, which caused the sprite to erupt in the same, the light sing-song of his voice like wind in chimes. Bodies burst through the undergrowth surrounding them, and danced around her, creating a myriad of colour. Swaths of material rushed through the air, which seemed full of petals and seed pods swirling around them in the late midsummer afternoon. All manner of mythical creatures danced past, each slightly different from the next, all enchanting and full of an energy that seemed to glow around them.
Their enjoyment was infectious. Catherine joined in, taking their hands and moving with them in time to the slowly manifesting music as more fairies joined playing pipes and small hand drums.
Catherine grew dizzy with the movement and the giggling. She wasn’t sure if she was spinning or the woods around her were, until eventually she found herself lying on her back giggling up at the blue sky, lost in the magic of the sounds.
Those sounds became faint as they were overtaken by voices calling her name. She sat up to find herself alone, and her parents pushing through the foliage with worried expressions on their faces.
“Catherine, are you alright? We couldn’t find you?” Her mother came to her side and put her arms around her.
“I’m fine mum, I was just ...” Catherine looked around her. How was she going to explain this? “I was just enjoying the sounds of the woods.”
Her dad smiled. “They found you, didn’t they?”
“Who?” Catherine put on her best innocent look. Her mother laughed.
“We knew they would when you turned sixteen, it’s the right of passage.”
“Right of passage to what?”
Her dad squatted down next to her. “To becoming a guardian of one of the best kept secrets in this family.”
He looked at her solemnly, his blues eyes glinting in a way that reminded her of the sprite.
“I won’t breathe a word of it, I promise.”
He laughed, the pitch identical to that of the sprite’s, and ruffled the top of her head. “I know you won’t. Blood is thicker than water; you wouldn’t betray members of your own family.”
Catherine smiled as her mum pulled her up to her feet and took her arm, leading her back through the underbrush. But her father’s words stayed with her as she pondered them: my own family?
She knew the woodlands around her aunt and uncle’s estate were alive with wonders and miracles, and she had hoped to meet some of the characters from the stories she had been told, but up until today they had only been glimpses and peripheral movements.
She wondered if her coming of age party on the lawn yesterday had done the trick; maybe once you turned sixteen it became permissible.
The sprite in front of her should certainly come with an age restriction; his semi-clad body causing a flush in her cheeks as he danced in front of her, moving slowly backwards, drawing her into the thickest parts of the wood. She was happy to follow; her curiosity ignited by his silent alluring manner and mischievous grin.
Eventually they came to a clearing, reached by pushing through a dense thicket which her guide pushed back for her, to bring her through safely. Initially they were alone in the clearing and his continued intense gaze sparked thoughts of romance in her mind. Butterflies took flight inside and out, and Catherine waited in anticipation for his next move.
But the silence was broken by laughter nearby, which caused the sprite to erupt in the same, the light sing-song of his voice like wind in chimes. Bodies burst through the undergrowth surrounding them, and danced around her, creating a myriad of colour. Swaths of material rushed through the air, which seemed full of petals and seed pods swirling around them in the late midsummer afternoon. All manner of mythical creatures danced past, each slightly different from the next, all enchanting and full of an energy that seemed to glow around them.
Their enjoyment was infectious. Catherine joined in, taking their hands and moving with them in time to the slowly manifesting music as more fairies joined playing pipes and small hand drums.
Catherine grew dizzy with the movement and the giggling. She wasn’t sure if she was spinning or the woods around her were, until eventually she found herself lying on her back giggling up at the blue sky, lost in the magic of the sounds.
Those sounds became faint as they were overtaken by voices calling her name. She sat up to find herself alone, and her parents pushing through the foliage with worried expressions on their faces.
“Catherine, are you alright? We couldn’t find you?” Her mother came to her side and put her arms around her.
“I’m fine mum, I was just ...” Catherine looked around her. How was she going to explain this? “I was just enjoying the sounds of the woods.”
Her dad smiled. “They found you, didn’t they?”
“Who?” Catherine put on her best innocent look. Her mother laughed.
“We knew they would when you turned sixteen, it’s the right of passage.”
“Right of passage to what?”
Her dad squatted down next to her. “To becoming a guardian of one of the best kept secrets in this family.”
He looked at her solemnly, his blues eyes glinting in a way that reminded her of the sprite.
“I won’t breathe a word of it, I promise.”
He laughed, the pitch identical to that of the sprite’s, and ruffled the top of her head. “I know you won’t. Blood is thicker than water; you wouldn’t betray members of your own family.”
Catherine smiled as her mum pulled her up to her feet and took her arm, leading her back through the underbrush. But her father’s words stayed with her as she pondered them: my own family?
Love the prompt pic this week!
ReplyDeletehttp://strangenotebook.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/mid-week-flash-week-3-beat-goes-on.html
And you are quick off the mark with your wonderful entry. Thanks for taking part.
DeleteClickable link to V's story: Beat Goes On
DeleteI made it under the word-count: 695! Don't know what came over me. Here's "Fee"
ReplyDeletehttps://www.patreon.com/posts/fee-8541282
(is there any way to make these URLs in comments a clickable link, I wonder?)
Great short, really concise. Liked it.
DeleteAnd yes, here is the Clickable link to your tale: Fee
It took a while. But I did come up with an idea. Here.
ReplyDeletehttps://mysoulstears.wordpress.com/2017/03/26/miranda-kates-mid-week-challenge-20170326/
A truly excellent tale.
DeleteHere's a clickable link to Mark's story: My Soul's Tears