Dottie over at Tink's Place have come up with the idea for a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge. Each Monday a new picture prompt will be posted and if you choose to participate you post your story on Friday - 350 words, give or take.
I have to thank Blodeuedd at Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell for introducing me to this fun meme. I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with every week, but I'll give it a try from time to time.
The Image this week:
The Myth of the She-Wolf
By Melissa
It was the full moon. She didn't need a calendar to tell her. She could feel it down through the fabric of her tan skin through to her bones. She knew the dreadful moment was close. As soon as the moon crested the landscape to its full view of the rolling hills and forest, it would escape her. The only nights it actually left her body were the full moon nights, all others she changed with it.
She watched, sited in the woods of the home land she grew up in, leaning against a large aged maple tree. She didn't want to fall to hard like last time when she bruised her eye. The glow of the silver moon filled the sky as it crested the dark hills in the distance.
Her head jerked back and hit the tree trunk, her eyes closed and mouth open as she felt the pain of the sudden strike of the hard tree. The sound to follow was the howl of the creature she locked inside her, a howl started with a high pitch scream from her voice then dropped octaves to the howl of the beast. Her hands started to change, as every night they did. Her eyes snapped open as she felt the ripping from her insides. And saw the ghostly form of the wolf pulling from her body, and the ache as her fingers formed back to human.
The pain stopped, for now as she would feel it when the wolf returned and tomorrow. Her body wass empty now. Her mind would remember if anything or anyone passed by her, but she would not move. Not until the wolf returned to her body. Returned to make one as the spell she cast years ago created. But the wolf had to have it's night to run freely in the world, and so was granted on the full moons.
She had gotten use to running through the fields and forests in wolf form with her. But tonight she wouldn't change, just lay helpless here while half her soul searches the world with the wolf. Although she does not know what the wolf searches for, she still lets her go as it brings more peace to it than harm.
Aw... it's kinda sad. Well done!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful image, your story fitted it perfectly and in so few words, I am impressed.
ReplyDeleteI am a bit late but here I am :) And lovely story. Sad yes too
ReplyDeleteMelissa (Books&Things) - Ooo, you are really to kind to me. Sad though... Thank you! I didn't realize I had made it sad. I might have to work on that.
ReplyDeletePetty Witter - Oh, thank you. :) You are to kind. Glad you enjoyed the story.
Blodeuedd - Oh, I'm late at getting around too. Been a crazy weekend (since Wed. of working around here.) Glad you liked the story. And Sad, I didn't really think about it. I don't know what I was going for. I just wrote. Thank you!
That last sentence brings the sadness to the story, I think. The poor wolf seems more trapped than she does.
ReplyDeleteCarolsnotebook - Oh, you know I didn't even think about the last sentence making the story sad. Hm, I just wrote. It does sound that way though. Thank you!
ReplyDelete