The Forest of Tempered Secrets
Eli braced his arm across Freya’s stomach, much the way their father did when danger surfaced. Freya halted before a contorted lot of trees covered with moss, their branches a maze of wooden tendrils strangling each other. Dead branches in pain.
“Don’t move. It’s the Forest of Tempered Secrets,” Eli said. “You must give them up. Otherwise….” He pointed.
Freya’s expression matched the grotesque grimace of a stranger’s last scream branded into the bark.
“What choice do we have?” Eli said.
A touch of her hand and they melded into the forest, blowing through undetected, like leaves in the wind.
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Our challenge is to write a 100-word story (more or less) with a beginning, middle, and end based on a photo prompt.
With the prompt up early this week, I am able to get my story together before my usual time. I typically do not have repeat characters in my Friday Fictioneer stories, but I made an exception this week. Freya and Eli just begged to come back. You can also read about them in this story.
Thanks as always to our gracious leader, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields, and to John Nixon for this week’s photo.
For more fantastic stories from the Fictioneers, click here.
Genre: Fantasy/YA (100 words)
Copyright – John Nixon
AmyReeseWrites 
So they made it through, Amy? I hope so… I like to hear from recurring characters!
I very often see faces in trees… although not exactly like this…
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I think their chances of making it through are good since they are undetected. I see faces in the trees too. Tom, now we know why! Ha ha.
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I always knew trees held secrets. They are good at keeping them too. Really well done Amy! 🙂
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Trees can seem so mysterious, can’t they? Thanks so much, Jackie!
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Beautifully written, Amy.
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Thank you, Jan.
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Hey Amy!
The story evokes images of Harry Potter and his adventures with the shape shifters.
And I cannot get the moving trees from the LOTR trilogy out of my head either.
Good work
Regards
Jim
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I love the moving trees in LOTR. My husband actually has figure of Treebeard. Thanks a lot, Jim. I appreciate it!
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Reblogged this on kolak jengkol.
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Great work, Amy! 😀
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Thanks, Dianne!
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This was a great story Amy I love the last line. excellent image.
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Thanks, Michael.
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So are Eli and Freya shape shifters? What can they shift into? And would Freya like me? A lot of interesting implications here!
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Would you like to shift into something, Perry? I wonder what it would be? I wonder if I want to know? I think Freya would think you’re really funny and laugh at all your jokes! Thank you!
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The image of a scream branded into bark is one that stays with you. Well done Amy!
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Thanks, Sandra! That’s nice to hear.
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This has some great descriptions, Amy. I like the line “dead branches in pain”. I guess they made it, but that would be pretty nerve-wracking, going through a place like that.
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Thanks so much, David. It’s a good time to have superpowers, no?
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First of all, I love the new look of your blog. It’s very fresh and inviting. I loved the story too and felt whisked-away through a scary and dangerous situation.
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Russell, thank you! Thanks for those nice comments. I’m very happy with this banner. It was a process, but I think totally worth it. It’s fun anyway. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
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Good job they had a plan for slipping through that forest – they wouldn’t want to become two more screaming faces!
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No, right?! That was fast thinking thinking on her feet. Thanks.
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Trees are alive, like in Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.
Nice one Amy!
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Thanks, Leo! I always feel like the trees can talk. Oh, I bet they have lots of secrets.
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Based on this flash I could practically hear and smell that forest, Amy. Very intriguing storytelling here, and like some of your other readers, I instantly felt the Harry Potter and LOTR influence. I’ve just read your first post featuring these characters. I think you should consider expanding your tale telling featuring them. They’re an entertaining brother-sister duo, much more so than Donny and Marie.
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Thanks so much. I’m not really sure how I came to think about these characters, but I’m not going to question it. I think they want a story told about them. Thanks for the encouragement. Maybe they will sing a song together too. Who knows!
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I love your title and the last line. (Not saying I don’t like the rest, of course.)
janet
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Thanks, Janet. “Tempered” came to me like in a dream…this never happens to me.
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Amy I really enjoyed both stories…for some reason I just have a suspicion that Eli is up to no good.
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Hmm…you could be right. So far, Freya trusts him completely. Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed them!
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Absolutely charming fairy tale…like those of old. Well, at leas those I grew up with some 60 years ago or so.
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Thanks, Hugmamma. That made me smile. I like that I may have written something worthy of being named a fairy tale!
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Great take on the prompt and I love the fairy tale theme. I was thinking of the Harry Potter series when I read this. Very, very good and I enjoyed this a lot! Thanks, Nan 🙂
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I’m glad you enjoyed it, Nan. Thanks for the kind words.
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wonderful. you’re really great at writing fantasy stories! 🙂
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Thanks, K.Z!
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This was as fun as riding along the breeze!
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Thanks, Dawn!
Just read yours. I’m a little late this week. Great story!
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Some weeks it is near impossible to write, read, blog, edit, and also keep up with the real world!
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Wow, dead branches in pain….must be excruciating. Well done Amy, I really enjoyed this one 🙂
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Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
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Dear Amy,
Sandra beat me to the punch. I loved “scream branded into the bark.” Visual and audio at once. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks, Rochelle! I was proud of myself for this one. 🙂 I knew there was a reason for all the faces in the trees.
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Hey, pretty cool, Amy. I like the idea of a forest with “untempered secrets.” Great! Thanks for this.
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Oh, you’re most welcome! Thanks for stopping by and reading.
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Hi Amy,
That is a beautiful banner. No bumbling. I like your sequel story and I think the fantasy genre is something you should explore. You may have found a hidden talent here in the enchanted forest. Ron
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Thanks, Ron. I appreciate your encouraging words! I’m glad you like the banner.
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That’s really lovely. Magic stuff.
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Thanks, Patrick.
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AH.. what beautifull magic here.. so good to be able to meld with the forrest…
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AH…thanks so much, Bjorn. I wish I could meld with the forest.
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That is beautiful. I’m so glad they made it through undetected. No one wants to end up being a contorted face on a tree. I’ve seen them. Now I know why.
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Thank you, Michelle! Ah…me too, now I understand the faces in the trees because they spoke to me.
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“stranger’s last scream branded into the bark.”
Makes it really stand out when you put it like that.
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Hey, thanks. I appreciate that.
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Love the imagery! There’s a much larger story in there…
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Guapo, I think I may continue this one. Thanks! Are you still thinking about doing FF? I hope so. I hope you’ll try it! You’ll have fun.
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I am. Rochelle usually posts the pics on Wednesday, doesn’t she?
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Yes, usually on Wednesday. I follow a few FF’s so it shows up in my Reader. This week she did it on Tuesday, by accident. You can just Google Friday Fictioneers, too, and you will see it. Technically, you have until the following Tuesday before she closes the linkup!
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it felt as if, the way the dialogue was exchanging, that freya should have asked, “what choice do we have?” because eli was the one who had to explain what the forest was. either way, my favorite line was “dead branches in pain.” to imagine pain so bad it still hurts after dying – that’s big. well done.
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Thank you, Rich. I can see why you’d say that. Eli knows her powers! I went over to read over but couldn’t comment yet. I’ll be back over. I liked yours a lot. Yay, I’m glad you joined us.
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Thanks very much for both your story and and thoughts and peeking at mine. My story. 😉
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Beautiful descriptions. – tendrils strangling each other. The last sentence has a wonderful ethereal quality to it.
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Thanks so much, Sarah! Thanks for those thoughtful comments. All smiles here.
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You have such a great imagination Amy. Every week I see a mere hundred words and by the time I’ve finished them there’s a whole world of wonder and magic in my head.
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Ah, thanks Jon. Your comments are magical to me. Thanks so much!
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