Grassy Knoll – Friday Fictioneers

~ Amy Reese

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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.

46 thoughts on “Grassy Knoll – Friday Fictioneers”

    1. 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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    1. 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

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  6. 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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    1. 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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  8. 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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  9. 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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    1. 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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  11. 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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    1. 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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    1. 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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  14. 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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    1. 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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  17. 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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    1. 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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    1. 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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