Setting: a beautiful forest
Courage
323)
@Viking_Ma
The Glen of Light
Alice wandered, singing.
The woods were deep and quiet, wet underfoot. The sun never quite pierced through the thick
green canopy, allowing the things that flourished in dark and damp to grow
unchecked. She crushed toadstools and
dripping lichen, and centipedes and woodlice skittered across her toes. Bulbous spiders dropped low to reach their
feet out to her hair, which sparkled with dew.
With every tread that carried her further from the glen, her
singing quietened a touch. Mother would
be pleased, but why did her own heart quail?
Unconsciously, she slowed, and began to waver. Maybe go back… and just peep into the soft
grasses…
No! She bit her lip
to galvanize her spirit. One spider
reached her, and walked along the tiny path of her parting. She scratched at it, the egg-filled body splitting
under her fingers and smearing her hair with gluey innards.
The sight of a cluster of sweating yellow toadstools brought
her to a sudden halt. Why was everything
rotten here? Why was it suppurating and foul?
She chewed a finger, thinking hard.
The forest was telling her to stop, to reconsider. Her heart beat faster. Resolutely, she turned around and faced the
past, looking back through the trees. To
that place where destiny had been so forcefully changed.
She sang again. ‘What’s
done must be undone.’ Her feet set out,
this time moving her back along to a different outcome. It was terrifying, but to her heart it felt the
right choice.
Gasping back a sob, Alice began to stumble, to run along the
slimy forest floor. The path was tricky,
and confusing. Would she ever find the
glen again?
With a final twist and turn, there it was. The only sunny spot, filled with a rioting rainbow
of wildflowers. Her eyes cast about,
panic tightening her chest, when she spotted it. The bassinette was still there, a tiny pink
hand reaching up toward a blue butterfly.
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There's something about this. Quite magical. I wanted her to be a little unhinged, but brave. Cutting for the word count was tough as the description of the forest was really fun. Maybe I'll extend this into a short story. I like Alice a lot!
We had our 5th meeting of Castlecroft Writers yesterday, in the pub of course. I expect that's the real reason why we have such a large loyal membership. We used Emma's story cubes, and they really do inspire some great fiction.
What I love is that when a diverse group of writers comes together, lots of things start to happen. Confidence grows, and we inspire each other to try new stuff. One of our poets is a quiet, unassuming fellow, but has been inspired recently to read his work in a pub - a huge deal for him. Reading out to our group helped him see that he could.
follow him at @SilenceHappens
The other thing I love is that from one starting point - for example, our 75 word warm-up was on 'The Death of Summer;' ten totally different stories grow like tendrils from a mad plant, all in our own special directions. Mind blown.
Thanks Castlecroft Writers, for being you, for being brave and coming to a group, and for sharing your passion of words. Good luck to you all with your own writing.
The world needs to hear YOUR voice. Grab a pad, a laptop, a small child...and write on it. You'll surprise yourself, I promise.
Blog article-wise, I have done some more pieces for Jimmy Trims...a collection of chat up lines which was very funny to research, and a history of hairstyles. Am enjoying writing some very different things.
Ma said to cherish the feelin’s as I weren’t never gonna have the baby to hold. A deal was struck with a Priest, of all folk. He was in the next town over, and his wife was just about dyin’ to have a baby of her very own. September was gonna be my harvest time.