Posted for Five Sentence Fiction—where this week’s one-word prompt is “Pirates.”
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The storms outside have rendered my fragile craft impotent—but those within are worse. Everything seems so dark, foreboding. Roiling waves toss me about, confuse me. Who is that on the horizon—a rescuer perhaps? But no, he travels on by—oblivious to my desperation—leaving me at the mercy of the pirates of my mind.
This week’s prompt for Five Sentence Fiction is to write a pithy story inspired by the word “Faerie.” This wasn’t easy for me–not that I’m a skeptic–but I’m not a reader of fantasy.
If you’ve never visited FSF, come on, join the fun and add some flash fiction of your own.
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Faerie Land
The tension in Carl’s voice was like a violin wound too tight when he asked his wife’s best friend, Alicia, if she had seen or spoken to Naomi.
Not since Tuesday, was the response; she was blathering on that there’s more to this world than we can see. She cut the call short, said she had to get back out into the garden where someone was waiting for her beneath the irises. She couldn’t stop sneezing–told me it was faerie dust.
I haven’t seen her since Tuesday morning, Carl replied.
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They talk about me like I’m not here just because the words inside my brain have lost their way to my lips. Don’t they know I feel the softness of her cheek against mine and smell the scent of peaches in her hair, reminding me of the taste of summer?
She doesn’t shun me, doesn’t recoil from the pungent smell of aging or the roughness of my wrinkled cheeks and beard. I know she knows I hear the words she whispers: I love you, Grandpa.
When I reach for her they grab her by the hand and jerk the child away, leaving me, once again, alone—a prisoner in this body.
Posted in response to the prompt: “Lost” hosted by Lillie McFerrin at Five Sentence Flash Fiction. Stop on by with a story of your own, but hurry up because I’m joining late to the party, as usual.
Victoria C. Slotto, Author 