Fiction Friday: The Soul of the Garden

The Friday Fictioneer challenge: Write a 100-word story based on the photo.
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Friday Fictioneer photo prompt. Copyright Janet Webb

Friday Fictioneer photo prompt. Copyright Janet Webb

The Soul of the Garden

Running steps thunder atop the path. Little arms push through brittle twigs and branches as white puffs of breath ascend and dissipate. Ice falls onto hats and coats, melting when coming in contact with children’s faces and hands. Echoes of their laughter seep into the leaves, stems and trunks, sinking through the roots, igniting a spark of time, of change, of warmth, of hope.

This message travels beneath the frozen earth, down and across, across and down, reaching all life in its suspended, wintry state. The soul of the garden awakens to the music of children’s laughter. Spring is nigh.
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Fiction Friday: The Bookmark

The Friday Fictioneer challenge: Write a 100-word story based on the photo prompt.

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Friday Fictioneer photo prompt.  Copyright Randy Mazie

Friday Fictioneer photo prompt. Copyright Randy Mazie

The Bookmark

Gasping, Tom wobbled onto the grass, the world around him whirling in streaks of green, blue, and white. He managed only a few more steps before dropping the book, falling face down onto it. No one noticed as he quit breathing. If Tom had taken the time to open the book while still in the library, he would have found the bookmark, the one he’d given his wife, Helen, as a souvenir from one of his trips, the one she forgot to remove when returning the book they were both so very interested in, titled: How to Poison Your Spouse.

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Fiction Friday: Shattered Dreams

The Friday Fictioneer Challenge: Write a 100-word story based on the photo prompt.

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Friday Fictioneer photo prompt.  Copyright Claire Fuller

Friday Fictioneer photo prompt. Copyright Claire Fuller

A week after his father died, Lou locked the shop for the last time. When they buried his father, they buried Lou’s plans to join his father’s business after graduation.

Ten years later, on the anniversary of his father’s death, Lou stood in front of the shop, remembering his shattered dreams. He said goodbye to the life he had planned as a teenager. He looked at his watch, a Gucci limited edition, as his limo pulled up behind him. Life, he learned, rarely offered only one possibility. Lou had kept dreaming. His smile was bittersweet as he entered the limo.
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Fiction Friday: The Gift Shop

The Friday Fictioneer challenge: Write a 100-word story based on the photo prompt.

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Friday Fictioneer photo prompt. Copyright Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Friday Fictioneer photo prompt. Copyright Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Walking to an interview, Barb’s nose started to bleed. “Sit, sit,” she heard, as someone grabbed her elbow, guiding her to a chair in a gift shop. She looked up; an old Korean man offered her a towel.

Soon, the bleeding stopped. The man put a silk scarf in her hands. “You take, bring back,” he insisted. It completely hid the stains on her blouse.

Retracing her steps after the interview, Barb stood over her own dried blood on the sidewalk, from earlier. Only no gift shop was there. She touched the scarf, in silent wonder.

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Fiction Friday: Brotherly Love

Friday Fictioneer Challenge: Write a 100-word story based on the photo prompt.
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Friday Fictioneer photo prompt.  Copyright Jean L Hays

Friday Fictioneer photo prompt. Copyright Jean L Hays

Ken looked out the window and saw only his station wagon. Where was Larry? It was Friday night and Ken wanted to “borrow” Larry’s car yet again. Ken was always “borrowing” Larry’s stuff. That’s what big brothers are for, Ken thought.

Big plans for tonight?” Ken asked when Larry returned. “Nope, gotta work late again,” Larry said, picking up the phone.

While Larry was busy, Ken took Larry’s keys from their hook in the entryway and ran out the door, laughing. His laughter died as he stood in the middle of the parking lot, looking at the newly-altered Edsel.

Laarrryyy!!
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