Note – I wrote and posted this almost exactly three (3) years ago, on March 1, 2018. It was written for Sue Vincent’s #writephoto challenge that week. Since Sue is unable to post new photos, many of us are bringing back posts from the past to show our appreciation for the stories and ideas that she inspired :) See below for more detail on this story.

With no wizard’s light to guide us, we ran through the darkness.  Occasionally a great leap of fire was reflected on the dark stone, casting an evil red glare across our party, but mostly we moved through a black so deep it seemed a physical force.  On we went, stubbing toes and scuffing hands as we ran in pitch black.

“I see light,” the sharp eyed elf yelled.  “Daylight!”

We ran faster, though us mere mortals could see naught.  I bumped into a man, a common occurrence in this mad dash.  But then something amazing happened.  I could make out his form.  In a few more steps, I too could see the cool blue daylight.  We might make it!

There were guards at the entrance, but they were expecting an attack from the outside, not one from within.  We swept them away without an injury on our part and pushed out into the open.

This one is a little different – I wrote a new story for one of the old photo prompts. I hope you enjoy

***

Becky stared at the reflection on the water without seeing.  Her mind had wandered to its own place, a place in the past.

She had discovered over the last two weeks of living with her uncle that the lakeside was the one place she could find shelter, to be truly alone for a short time.  Alone.  Away from him.

In the two weeks she had been there he had barely said a word, and when he did talk it was brusque, harsh.  He rarely put more than three words together, and most of those phrases had the word “time” in them: “Time for dinner.”  “Time to go.”  “Time for bed.”  The few others were just as bad: “Brush your teeth.”  “Get ready.”  “Wash up.”

And he didn’t even look at her most of the time!  He might point his face at her when giving his orders, but she could tell that his eyes weren’t seeing her.  Except when he did look, usually when she was doing something else.  She would see him out of the corner of her eye just staring at her, a deep frown on his face.

(Originally posted on 22nd of November, 2019 for Sue Vincent’s writephoto challenge)

It was just after the first real snow of the year. A couple of wet inches, which might be gone by noon or may last all winter, greeted us.  It sure was pertty, that untracked white. I smiled at the sight, though dreaded the cold winter ahead.

A chill ran through my bones as I thought of last winter.  Not everyone lives through winter, see? At least not out beyond the frontier. Yeah, it was pertty an’ all, and I was as happy as the others, but…

“I say winter is here, no matter the calendar tells us. Let’s get our tree today,” Pa said as we stood around gaping the changed world.

The young‘nes whooped.

My mind went back to that cold, earthen mound.

“Oh, what fer?” I asked.