Visitors gather at the grassy knoll,
A private spot for nibbling biscuits.
They patter and jabber,
And feast on the views.
They laugh and they wonder,
The woodlands enchant.
Isn’t it here the story foretells of the
Beast hidden beneath?
Footfalls traverse nature’s stairs,
and slacken the soil,
Uprooting the rot below.
A troll eternally grinds his teeth in his sleep.
Dust in his eyes, awake he stirs,
Hunger impatient at his bedside.
The scent of his next feed near,
He reaches, and devours it in one smear.
He’d rather die than eat again.
If they’d just leave him alone.
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Genre: Fantasy (100 words)
Photo Copyright: Björn Rudberg
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Season’s Greetings! I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday. Thanks for taking time out to read my story.
Thanks to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for her unwavering support and leadership. It’s been a great year! Bjorn, thanks for the enchanting photo.
All are welcome to participate. Here are the instructions.
For more stories from the Friday Fictioneers, please visit the Link Up.
AmyReeseWrites 
I guess asking them politely to leave hasn’t occurred to him 🙂
I like the image of “devouring in one smear”.
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I guess not, Ali. The troll must have forgotten his manners! Thanks so much. 🙂
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The tune of your words and the image made a great difference to understand and explore deeper!
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Thanks so much, Mihran. Thanks for your thoughtful comments!
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I think buying ear-muffs to the troll would be a great investment. Hope you have a wonderful holiday.
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Ha ha! Maybe that would work, Bjorn. I have a feeling they would itch his ears or something and he would throw them off. Thank you. I hope you had a great holiday, too!
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This is absolutely wonderful Amy. I always love your way to add the macabre to the tale and with such fluffy sweet sounding words. Merry Christmas and I’m glad you are in my life.
Love,
Shalagh
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Thank you, Shalagh. Thanks for the nice compliment. I enjoy trying to write the fluffy/macrabre combo mix! Merry Christmas to you, too, and thanks for being in my life. I hope you had a relaxing, enjoyable holiday.
Love,
Amy
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I did and me too!!! Hope you and everyone is well.
Love Ya’,
Shalagh
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Brilliant, Amy! One hundred words and a poem, no less! Man! That is one cranky troll…
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Thanks so much, Cathy! And to think he’d rather just die. I guess it’s just not going to happen. I hope you had a great Christmas!
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Love the use of a poem in this one … and then the beast replies, Bah humbug. … Hope you Christmas Day was a great one.
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Thanks, Frank. It’s kind of an experiment for me to write poetry, but I have different results if I were to write this as a story. I like to see what I come up with! Thanks for reading. I had a great Christmas! How was yours?
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Good to experiment, so good luck with your growth. Cheers to good Christmases for each of us.
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Thanks, Frank!
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Loved it.. the troll … just leave him alone!
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Thanks so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
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Your contrast between the cranky troll who has no desire to eat and the happy nibblers is spot on. Poor guy, he has no choice but to rise and eat.
(Suggestion: Change Uprooting the rotting below to Uprooting the rot below.
and A troll eternal grinds his teeth in his sleep to A troll eternally grinds his teeth …
or not)
Happy Holidays.
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Thanks, Alicia. I like all your suggested changes. Thanks for your thoughtful comments. Happy holidays to you!
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Amy,
what a great story! I like the idea of a conflicted villain. In some ways, he reminds me of my character last week: one side eating quick and viciously but on the other, hating it. Nice work.
-David
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Thanks so much, David! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I like with a villain with depth. Yes, that’s right! I remember your character from last week. Who would ever really want to be a troll, right?
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I wonder if “rather sleep” would be better in the last stanza… just thinking.
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Hmm. Well, he’d rather die, so sleep would be something else. Thanks for the suggestion.
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Thanks for thinking…I wasn’t entirely happy with the end I came up with, just so you know. It seems to need a little something else I think.
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i think it’s fine the way it is. read it again after several days and you’d realize i’m right.
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I like the thought that “he would rather die” than eat again. It gives you the idea that he eats his intruders against his will and that he is wrestling with a force of nature he can’t control. I feel for the troll.
Great tale for the pic, Amy.
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That’s exactly what I’m trying to get across, Michelle. I’m not sure if I was successful or not, so thanks for this. Poor troll. It’s his fate I suppose. Thanks so much!
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Dear Amy,
A troll with a conscience, how refreshing. A unique and imaginative take on the prompt. Smear made me think of bagels and cream cheese. 😉
Shalom and Happy New Year,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
I’m giving the troll a break today. Maybe he does care. How can you not think of cream cheese with smear?Ha ha. I know! Me, too! Thanks. I liked it enough to keep it.
Shalom and best wishes for the New Year!
Amy
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An intriguing poem. Everyone has a back story, even trolls. Well told.
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Everyone has a back story. Apparently so! 🙂 Thanks, Margaret.
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Amy, Good story and well written. It just goes to show that villains can be complicated. This one had a good streak. He just had an addiction to eating people. The villagers should have paid more attention to the old story. Happy Holidays! 🙂 — Suzanne
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Yeah, that little addiction of eating people. Ha ha. Oops! Indeed, those villagers should trust the legend. Thanks, Suzanne. (Do you like Susan or Suzanne. I must ask :))
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I hope he chews well before swallowing. I’d hate for him to get indigestion. Great piece, Amy. I read it twice.
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Trolls – you have to tiptoe very softly past them, or stamp so hard on the bridge that they get a ehadache! At least, that’s what I tell my grandchildren 🙂
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Oh, I love that, Liz! I guess they didn’t stamp hard enough here. Thanks so much!
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Dear Amy,
Your poem captured the irascible nature of trolls and fit the prompt perfectly. ‘He reaches, and devours it in one smear’ is the best line, though they all combine to show us what sleeps fitfully beneath the mossy stairs. Well done.
Aloha,
Doug
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Thank you, Doug. I think that is my favorite line too, even though it reminds me of bagels. 🙂 I appreciate your comments so much. Thanks for taking the time.
Aloha,
Amy
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‘Grassy knoll’ is a loaded phrase, you know. It didn’t used to be but now it calls to mind all sorts of dark intrigue. A very nice tumble of words there. Happy new year. All the best to you in 2015.
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Ooh, yes the dark intrigue of the grassy knoll. I like it. Thanks so much, Mark. You too! Best wishes for the New Year. I can’t believe it’s 2015. Yikes!
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Wünsche ein gutes neue Jahr 2015 alles liebe von mir Gislinde
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Thanks. Happy New Year! I hope you have a wonderful year.
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I love both the poetic and fantasy elements here, Amy. A fun piece with character. Happy, happy New Year blogging friend!
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Thanks, Dawn. I am glad you enjoyed it! Happy New Year! Here’s to an even better year.
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Clever girl 🙂 You’re dedication to writing is very inspiring – I could do with some this year! 🙂
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I just love your posts. You’re such an incredible writer, Bec. You inspire me all the time. You are the clever one! And you’re the one with the book, which I’m going to buy. 🙂
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