It’s time for Friday Fictioneers. I’m the late night crew. Ha! Well, I made it.
Thanks to Madison Woods for the prompt and a special thanks to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields, who is celebrating her fourth-year anniversary hosting the Friday Fictioneers. A big, heartfelt thank you to her! We are so lucky to have her leadership.
My 100-word story follows. This is part of something I’ve been working on, an excerpt I suppose, revamped for this prompt. It’s a fantasy, although this might not appear to be…
(100 words)
Island Fever
Waves crashed among faint drumming of the markets and playful dwellers’ banter. It was the pulse of the island and it flowed through Varella like blood. From her self-burial in the sand, Varella sprang to her feet and stumbled onto the path, not knowing where it lead.
Away. That was the only destination that mattered if there was such a place.
Trees shrunk around her to a miniaturized version of themselves, as if squashed from above. Only Varella remained a full measure of herself, slamming into bushes swarming with thickets biting at her ankles, pinning her to the soft sand.
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Reminds me of Gulliver’s Reisen (Travels). Cool story, Amy. 🙂
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I wasn’t aware of the German translation. 🙂 Thanks, Reinhold. Glad you enjoyed it.
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The initial sense of serenity changes into her escape.. I get a sense of how the blessings of the shore is moved to the darkest heart of cruel woods.
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Thanks so much, Bjorn. I’m glad those things and the contrast came across. Thanks for your feedback.
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I liked the image of the waves as the pulse of the island
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Thank you, Neil. I like that, too. 🙂
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I like the thought “is there any such place as ‘away'” – you might be away from something/somewhere but you’ll still be somewhere else.
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Exactly, Ali! Such a profound thought. Thank you.
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I agree with Alistair… is there such a place as away?
Great take, Amy!
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it sure like fantasy unless she just woke up from a bad dream.
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Thank you, Plaridel. Thanks for the feedback.
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I love islands, especially the tropical ones! Puerto Rico was my first time. Those beautiful places full of sand and palm trees just do something to me. And you nailed it with great descriptions. Varela is almost metaphoric to me. Intentional?
Five out of five coconuts. 😉
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Me too, Kent. I think if I lived on one, I wouldn’t try to escape! Thanks so much. Varella wasn’t meant to be metaphoric, but I’m glad that it feels that way. Five coconuts! Can I have those in a pina colada?! 🙂
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Sure. We put the lime in the coconut, we drink it all up.
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Where’s the groan icon?
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Hahaha. You’re cracking me up.
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I had flashbacks of the TV program “Lost” crossed with “Alice in Wonderland” with everything shrinking. I’d certainly like to read more of where this came from.
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Ooh, yay!! There’s lots more where this came from, Michelle. So happy to hear you say that and I’m so pleased with your flashbacks.
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From calm to frenzy, which leads to spooky for me.
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Well, that’s a lot of emotion there, Frank. Thank you!
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She sounds desperate and determined.
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Yes, she is. Thanks, Dawn!
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Such a vivid scene!
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Thanks so much, Audra. Glad you liked it.
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Very imaginative. I liked the opening line very much, setting the scene in a unique way. I think ‘sprang’ rather than ‘sprung’ though I’m not able to articulate the reason well. Past participle I think… 😉
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Thank you so much, Sandra. It wasn’t my original opening, but I thought a tie to the island made sense. If sprung seems to off to you, then it probably is! I get those tenses mixed up. Thanks for the feedback.
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Dear Amy,
I’m a mermaid (why am I in the Midwest???) inside. I felt the crash of the waves and the pulse of the ocean through your apt descriptions. I’m intrigued by what this is excerpted from. Lovely. I liked the ‘place’ called Away.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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My mermaid friend….why are you landlocked? You need to swim this way! Thanks so much for your lovely thoughts and compliments. Well, see, it’s this epic story I’m working on….I hope to finish it someday in the near future. When I do, I’ll let you know. Thanks for the encouragement!
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Love it! I sometimes write 100-word-or-less posts that I call my Scriptiunculae (tiny posts). Fun to see how much you can express in such a little space!
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Thanks so much, Tom. I’m glad you enjoyed my small space story. Thanks for reading.
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This is like a dream. Very intriguing. There is no escaping the sand.
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Thanks, Gah. Well said. The sand has its own power.
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So much going on with her! Loved the “self-burial in the sand.” Became so frantic so quickly! Great work, Amy! Very intriguing – more please! 🙂
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There’s so much depth here, Amy; I feel like there’s more of this story to tell!
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Aww, thank you, Dawn. I hope to tell more. I’m writing it…I’m trying to pick up the pace.
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A very intriguing excerpt. I could feel the pulse of the island. I can’t help wondering what she’s running to “away” from, though it seems she may have jumped from the frying pan into the fire.
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Thank you, Russell. Very keen observation. Indeed, she has jumped into the fire. It’s a complex explanation of what she’s running away from. The short answer: the sea. She’s a wreck. 🙂
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Very intriguing… I like the line “.Away. That was the only destination that mattered if there was such a place.” That line is a story by itself.
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Thanks so much. I appreciate that. Made my day. 🙂
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There seems a connection between her and the island and yet a disconnect. It’s an intriguing idea that there’s no “away from”. Well done, Amy. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Thanks for your observations and feedback. I think she definitely has a disconnect, but something that pulls her to stay. Thanks, Suzanne! I’ll be over to read yours. I’m very delayed this week.
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