Short stories, fantastic tales, spun from a single picture. It’s flash fiction month! Our picture is colorful, detailed and fun! See what you think!
And down below, check out the openers from Robin and Trish!
Parker Broaddus
Author of A Hero’s Curse & Nightrage Rising
The Elemental Temple
“Over there,” Teddy pointed with the gnarled stick he was holding like a staff. “They’re probably hiding in the shadows – they don’t like the sun.”
Lena wasn’t sure if Teddy truly believed in goblins, or if it was just his highly active imagination embracing the game as completely real.
“Knock it off, Ted.” She tried to sound tough, like an older sister should sound. “Let’s just find the temple already.”
She didn’t do games like this with her little brother. Ever. But when he asked her to play this morning he had been so earnest, almost desperate, and he had been decked out in his medieval festival costume. He’d even strapped some sort of a saddle on Bear, their dog, who was, well, the size of a bear. And when he held out her old roller skating knee pads and a wooden sword, she caved. It was the middle of summer after all, and she was bored.
At first, as they pushed into the woods that bordered their backyard, she had encouraged the play acting. When Teddy suggested they find one of the lost elemental temples, she had grinned and joked about goblins. Teddy looked troubled for a second, but recovered. “But not too many,” he muttered, “and they don’t like the light.”
Lena laughed and pat Bear’s giant shoulder. “I’m sure Bear can handle anything this forest throws at us.”
Teddy grinned. “Oh, yeah. Good. That’s good.”
The noises from the suburban neighborhood faded, with only the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the trees overhead. Twigs snapped underneath their feet, and a kind of green twilight settled over them. Up one ridge and then down another, the forest subtly changed. It felt older. Quieter. Lena thought the trees themselves stopped their whispering to watch the trespassers. She shivered, and looked for something to say to break the silence. “So, what about trolls and–” Teddy brought the end of his stick down on her foot. She stopped mid sentence, “Ow! Ted that hurt!”
He held a finger up to his lips. “You can’t say stuff like that Len–that’s part of the rules.”
“What rules?” Lena huffed. She looked at her foot. That would probably leave a bruise. She wouldn’t be able to wear sandals for a week!
“You just can’t…” Teddy shuffled awkwardly. “You can’t call the names here.”
“Call what names?” Lena was actually getting angry now. She pulled off her shoe and looked at the red spot.
“They turn real if you call the name of it.”
Lena turned to look at him, her face a combination of frustration and puzzlement. Teddy was close to tears. Her aggravation quickly evaporated. “What are you saying Ted? I don’t understand the game.”
Teddy shuffled his feet. “Sorry about hitting your foot. It’s just,” he paused and took a deep breath. “It’s not exactly a game.”
Lena raised her eyebrows.
“I mean, it is a game,” he twisted his staff nervously. “At least, it was a game. But it’s real too.” He looked down again.
“I still don’t get it,” Lena said in a dry voice. “Talk to me like I’m eight.”
Teddy whipped his head back up. “Hey. I’m eight.”
Lena flashed a sarcastic grin at him. “Exactly.”
“Fine.” He shrugged. “I started playing the game a while back. Just by myself. Remember that old gemstone that Mom gave me?”
“Yeah – the emerald one from the dig? I thought you lost that.”
“I did,” he flapped his hand impatiently. “I’ve been looking for it ever since. That’s the elemental temple.”
“Okay. So we’re pretending that the emerald gemstone Mom gave you is a temple, and we’re looking for it.”
“Right, that’s how it started. I mean that’s what I pretended at first. And stuff was pretty normal, but then it all started to get…well…real. Like the woods.” He waved a hand a the huge trees surrounding them.
“What do you mean?” Lena felt a weird tickle up her spine.
Teddy looked down at the ground and kicked at some leaves. “Promise you won’t laugh?”
“Yes!” Lena snapped, impatient.
Teddy glanced up. “I think the gemstone actually turned into the temple. Like, planted itself or something.”
Lena snorted, but Teddy stayed completely serious. He put a hand in Bear’s deep fur and kept talking. “And then, whenever I would pretend that there were–” he paused and looked around. “Other things…creatures and stuff…they started being out here too.”
“Other things?” Lena asked, arching an eyebrow.
“Like…goblins and stuff.”
A branch broke some ways off in the woods. Something thumped off in the undergrowth. Lena scanned the trees and rocky trail before looking back at Teddy. “Deer?”
Teddy shook his head.
“Really, Ted? You don’t expect me to believe that, do you? You can’t scare me, I’m twelve!”
“The more you talk about it–the more you name it–the more real it becomes.”
Lena frowned at him, but Teddy stayed serious. “So now what?”
Teddy folded his arms across his chest and took a deep breath. “We need to find the temple. I think that’s what’s giving power to this new world. I’ve been out here a lot, looking, but every time it keeps getting more–dangerous.”
Lena rolled her eyes. “Fine. So, the same game we were playing at the beginning.”
Teddy grabbed her arm. “Just don’t name anything bad. That’s the most important rule.”
Lena pulled herself away. “Okay. I won’t name goblins or trolls or werewolves or…” Teddy’s face had gone white. “Fine, whatever. I’m sorry Ted.”
He shook his head, unable to speak. Lena puffed her cheeks out. “Maybe we should just stop this game and go home.”
Teddy pointed past her with his staff. Lena glanced back in the direction he was pointing, the direction toward home. What she had assumed was a boulder was standing on stumpy legs as big as tree trunks, leering down the trail at them. Its black eyes glittered. Another lumpy creature stood up behind the first, even taller.
“See?” Teddy whispered. “You made it real.”
Lena’s hand found Teddy’s. “Ted…” Her voice wavered. “What’s that?”
Bear growled. Teddy gulped, choked, and tried again. “It’s between us and home.” He squeezed Lena’s hand. “We have to find the temple this time.”
Robin Lythgoe
Author of As the Crow Flies
Hazu Hotfoot and the Orb of Orgrad
“We’re here.” Hazu peered over a moss-covered pile of rocks, eyes narrowed. A thundering roar filled the space beneath the towering trees. Gnarled, humped roots rose far over the goblin’s head.
“Can you see the orb?” Pint-sized Morsel rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
Hazu grunted. “Nah. Too much water.”
“Lemme look.” With a shove and a wiggle, he moved up beside her. “Wouldja lookit that…”
Patricia Reding
Author of Oathtaker
The Screaming Wilds
by Patricia Reding
Copyright Patricia Reding 2021
The Screaming Wilds spread far and wide, filled with centuries-old trees, the roots of which bulged above ground, ready to trip the weary or unwary. Meandering streams throughout poured into fetid marshes. At the center sat The Crushing Falls, through which flowed The Tears of Beasts, dark-magic infused waters that turned all that entered them from good, to evil.
Storm and Tracer trudged through the Wilds, along with Beowulf, their trusty canine companion.
There it is! Up top you read a flash fiction that was great fun for me, but what about you? What tale would you have spun from the picture above? Drop me an email or comment below
I love it! Thank you!
Great story, Parker! It *really* needs to turn into a book!