I kept the promise I made to myself and wrote a couple of flash fiction pieces.  I used them as a warm-up exercise as I pushed past that third act hurdle I have been struggling with…

The Sis made note that I always set up the story without any follow through; she wants to know more, which I appreciate.  I suppose I could work on that, but I write about what the image entails, and with 200 words (or less) it’s hard to get into the story much beyond that.  I hope you enjoy anyway. 🙂

Lost

The cavern smelled of death and rot, of days long since passed.  Her nose twitched and she winced in response.  A cool breeze wafted through swirling her hair about her and with it came expectation.  The months of visions had all led her to this moment, and she could feel the vindication welling in her chest.  There was light illuminating the cave before her, and she stood up at the bow of the small rowboat eager to see what would reveal itself beyond.  She knew it was there. 

The few sailors she had aligned herself with rowed a bit faster and she held the lantern up a bit higher.  The edge of the cave was like an open mouth; jagged rocks reached upward and hung menacingly from above.  She held her breath as her eyes adjusted to the light and then she gasped.  There she was.  The prized Jewel.  She had long been lost, but no longer.

The Portal

I couldn’t remember how we had arrived in this place.  I was upon my back, everything ached, and as I looked around I found my companions in similar positions upon the ground around me.  Nothing was as it should be; the sky was yellow, the trees beheld faces, and the air smelled of ash.  I winced with each movement as I rose to my feet.  That was when I was able to take in our surroundings more fully.

 There was a tower of sorts that held a world within it; starry sky, a sea of clouds, and a beautiful sunrise in the distance.  It clearly held a more sinister purpose as I noticed the trail of blood leading inward from the stairs.  The tower was taller than any structure I had ever encountered before, and it appeared as if there were people on the ramparts above.  I had the distinct uneasy feeling that they were watching us.  Along with the doorway cut into the sky itself on one side and a castle alight with an inferno on the other, my mind reeled.  I drew my sword and took an unsteady step forward.

Happy Writing!