I’m fashionably late this week with my story. I hope you can still read it.
Thanks to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields who leads the Friday Fictioneers group each week with such grace and style. Rochelle also provided this week’s photo. Thank you, Rochelle!
The challenge is to write a 100-word story based on a photo. All are welcome to participate.
Genre: Fantasy (100 words)
Green River Hag
“Her skin glistens. T’was never green,” said Callum.
“You’re in love with a hag,” the barkeeper said, smacking Callum’s head.
“Am not.”
“Ya are!”
“She’s not a hag!
“Don’t see her again.”
Those who walked the river’s edge disappeared. The hag gashed at their ankles, dragging and drowning them in one breath.
Callum swelled with love and couldn’t stay away from her.
But his dreams tormented him for there he saw her with lizard-green skin, muddy ropes for hair, and inky craters for eyes, which swarmed with snakes that choked him as he slept.
One day, he wouldn’t wake up.
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For more stories from the Fictioneers, click here.
the words and the image is such precise for a beautiful presentation here…Bravo!
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Thanks, Mihran. You’re so kind!
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Sheesh! This is rather creepy – in a stellar kind of way. “gashed at their ankles” is a great visual.
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Thanks for the compliments, Alicia. Glad you liked it and thought it was it creepy. I’m going for creepy!
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Sleepy with the fishes comes to mind but we can’t help who we love. Good one Amy.
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So true, isn’t it? Thank you, Tracey.
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*Sleeping with the fishes
Some autocorrects can not be left uncorrected. Besides you get 2 comments every time I botch it.
Ha ha
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Most of the time, I’m correcting autocorrect. I understand! I thought sleepy with the fishes was kind of cute. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by again!! Yay for me.
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Neat story, Amy. Is the hag a metaphor for the river? Seems like it is with plenty of room for even more stuff. Great!
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I didn’t think of the hag as a metaphor when I wrote it, but I can see why you could think of it that way. Thank you, Kent!
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You’re welcome, Amy! 😉
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Hi Amy, that was a fabulous piece of writing. The images so vivid I was sure you were talking about someone i knew once. Thankfully I keep waking up…so far at any rate…have a great day…
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Thanks so much, Michael. Oh, no! That’s pretty funny though. Thank goodness you woke up. You too, have a great day and keep waking up….
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Doing my best Amy…
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I see both the river, but also Medusa in those snakes… maybe it’s both in a way… a terrible love at least.
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Ah, Medusa! Oh, yes. Those snakes always remind me of Medusa too, but I didn’t think of her when I wrote this. Maybe eels or fishes could come out of her eyes, but then they don’t really choke so much. Crabs? They could pinch and that could work. A terrible love and one that doesn’t end well. Thanks, Bjorn.
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Oooooooo love it, very spooky. I don’t think I’d go near that river!
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Thanks, Laurie. Me either!
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great story. but i think “he woke up” better in the end. 🙂
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But he really didn’t wake up. Poor, poor Callum. Thanks, Plaridel.
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i know. just wishful thinking on my part. 🙂
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Aww, it’s good to wish for things! Thanks. She’s just not very nice.
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Very creative, and very vivid. Stellar story Amy!
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Thanks so much for the compliments, Melanie!
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Sounds like a dangerous affair he’s having. Maybe he should go find himself a nice girl and leave the river behind…
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Sinister, and full of foreboding. I like the helplessness of the main character.
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Thanks, Sandra. He definitely is cursed and helpless. He can’t help himself.
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Poor guy. He’s headed for a bad end.
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He fell for the wrong gal. That’s for sure. Thanks, Erin.
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The erotically dangerous water creature is one of my favourite characters in folk lore. As in your piece, it’s the young men who are normally at risk. Though, the Brazilian fresh water dolphin is believed by Amazonians to transform into a beautiful young man and impregnate village girls. A lovely piece
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Me, too! There is something so entrancing about the the “erotically dangerous water creature.” I loved how you phrased that. I’ve never heard of the folk lore about the Brazilian fresh water dolphin. Sounds intriguing. Thanks so much for your comments, Neil.
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This creeped me out! Well done Amy.
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Thanks, Louise!
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Vivid images . If only the monsters of our dream have the powers to kill us …it’s a scary thought. Nicely done.
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It would be quite a horrible thing to be killed in your dream, because you’d think it wasn’t real and so not fair. Thank you, Ansumani.
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Infatuation is a dangerous thing and makes you blind to the ‘normal and nice’–this is great, spooky and creepy in all the best ways. Makes me want to know more about the hag.
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Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments, Gah. I agree infatuation can be a dangerous thing, especially with a hag. Glad you liked it.
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Nice and creepy, Amy!
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Thanks, Tom!
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Ah well we can’t help who we love, now can we?
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No, I suppose not, Dawn. Ah well. Thanks.
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must be nightmarish dream
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It would definitely be a nightmare and one you don’t wake up from. The worst kind!
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‘Hag’ is such a big word, isn’t it? Wonderful use of it in your story. There are many interpretations of who she is, and how she’s got him hooked. I love it.
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Hags are fascinating creatures to me, Margaret. They can be shapeshifters and enter dreams, etc. at least according to the mythology. My story is kind of a mix of things. So glad you enjoyed it. Thank you!
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She reminds me of some of our politicians, gnawing at our ankles with their ads. There should be a law against such activity. Perhaps a new version of the Green River Ordinance.
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Ha. Politicians can be quite haggy. I agree with that assessment, Russell. Can we get this ordinance going before November?
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Dear Amy,
Great description of the hag. Who knows what draws Callum to her. Maybe it’s her winning personality. Love the story. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A personality can go a long way. Thank you, Rochelle. So glad you liked it. 🙂
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Eeps! That did conjure up vivid images. Fortunately I sleep easily at night.
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Thank you! I’m glad it didn’t interfere with your slumber.
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Great story… love is blind… until it is not!!
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Exactly. And then, it’s too late. Thanks so much, Dale.
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Wow, Amy. She’s nasty and attacks in his sleep. It sounds like he’s under a spell. That “is” creepy. What great description. Well done. 🙂 — Suzanne
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He is definitely under her spell. She’s got him fooled, Suzanne. Thanks so much for the compliments. 🙂
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My first impression of the picture was that it was steam punky. Your tale fit perfectly with what the picture brought to mind. It reminds me of the new Jekyll & Hyde series on the telly.
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Thanks for the compliment. I like the steam punk reference. Do you watch that series, Michelle? Sounds entertaining!
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I do watch the Jekyll & Hyde series. It is one of my favourites. I believe it is a Canadian thing.
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It must be a good one! I don’t have cable and depend on Netflix for my viewing choices. Maybe it will make it to Netflix someday!
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Your words painted such vivid pictures! Well done!
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Thank you, Roger.
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Funny, how we see different things..I saw the white water hard bedded creek and the statue of a sailboat in the window and thought of quite different dreams…and being happy with what you had. 🙂
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That’s the beauty of the prompt. Everyone sees something different. Thanks for reading and for your comments.
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Wow very strange one this – liked it a lot!
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Thank you, Ken. Strange is where I feel normal. 🙂 I like strange.
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Me too!
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