Today marks the official completion of one of my goals for the year –

16 flash fiction pieces written based on writing prompts I’ve shared, bringing my total to 90.

A small victory, but satisfying nonetheless, and something to celebrate, as all completed goals deserve.

Here are July’s offerings:

Unlocked

All houses had their secrets. The older the house, the greater the number of secrets it held. Everyone had heard the whispers of what happened in my house, long before I was even born, but now, as I took on the mantle of mistress of this keep, it was time to learn what was behind every door, what secrets were being kept, what mysteries might be revealed.

I left the warmth of the upper floors to delve deep into the lower levels where I had been restricted from entering…until now. I took a final glance as I descended the rough hewn stairs to the fading golden, reassuring light, and made my way into what had always been described as a pit of hell.

Accommodation*

When Wyeth had suggested they spend a long “weekend” on an advanced planet, Sadie not only blushed at the thought of the two of them spending time alone together, but she also could never have imagined such a place as the towering neon cityscape that made up the entirety of the planet spread before her. She could see a great deal of it from above on the ship. As if it weren’t mind bending enough to know such a place existed, that is was also not the only one of its kind caused Sadie to rethink everything she had ever learned. Traveling with Wyeth, for even such a short time, had led her to see remarkable things. Earth was only a tiny planet in a tiny system and the humans that lived on that little blue dot were ignorant of what lay beyond their known universe.

As Sadie and Wyeth strode into what was considered mid-range accomodations, the clean shiny surfaces made Sadie fearful of touching anything. It was a hotel, rising hundreds of stories into the clouds, but to Sadie it was magic, a marvel, and another clue into the mystery that was Wyeth. The way he handled himself in any given situation, the things he knew, the things he said, the things he didn’t say – it all made her realize how little she truly knew of him and that she wanted to know everything.

*This was one of those times I sort of had an idea of what I was going to write, and then a story of its own making made itself known. I was tired, not fully paying attention, and the above is what happened…stream of consciousness at its best, I suppose.

Peephole

Hannah didn’t like to think of herself as a gossip, but she did admit that she enjoyed hearing about whatever scandalous topic had her circle’s full attention, so when the wealthy, handsome, single Lord Evan broke his journey at her family’s estate, she couldn’t seem to stop herself from eavesdropping to learn what she could of the man. There was very little to entertain a young lady outside of town.

Well, perhaps gossip wasn’t too disparaging a word.

It wasn’t just that he was rich and titled, he was attractive and alluring in a way that made Hannah want to draw nearer. He seemed to feel it too. He sought out her company, engaged her in conversation, and stirred her imagination with posssibility. She was certain he would speak to her father, and so later, when she spied on him through the keyhole in his door, hoping to ascertain how the conversation might have gone, given his demeanor, she found herself rooted to the floor with an eye full of his bare flesh. He didn’t look anything like the boys in her village who swam in the lake in the summer.

No, indeed.

She couldn’t move, her mind swirled, and then, as if sensing her presence, he turned to give her a complete view, and she noticed the smile upon his lips. “Well,” Hannah thought, “I do enjoy a challenge. I’ll have him begging for my hand before his sojourn ends.”

~ * ~

We’re over halfway through the year, how are your goals coming along?

If you’ve been inspired by any of the prompts I’ve shared, I’d love to see what you’ve created!

Happy Writing!