When She Was in Danger

 

I wanted to be brave.

Not like heroes in fairy tales.

Not like that.

Just an ordinary courage that snuck in the drafty front window in our kitchen and found me in the midst of calamity.

But I froze. Mind blank.

For all the bravery I thought I possessed, that I claimed I would have, should the moment arise, I failed.

Whether it dissipated when need barked at it or I never had it to begin with, I was frozen in a time when she couldn’t respond and I wear that coldness like a lead vest. My badge of dishonor.

 

Flash Fiction Challenge over at Carrot Ranch 

May 14, prompt: Danger – In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that answers the question, “What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you are in absolute danger?”

 

 

Nourishment

 

She felt magnolia petals falling on her grave.

Freshly dug, soil still loose, the mound surrounded by mourners, she heard crying. Noisy sniffles, gentle sobs, painful wails.

She shifted focus from those above her, fixing her mind on the tree. Its branches reached for her. This time of year, it offered pale pink flowers.

This time of year, it needed her most.

And every spring these coming years. Her body would nourish the magnolia roots and, in return, her grave would be speckled with velvet petals. Nourishment for her soul.

When the grieving left, she would dance in nature’s bouquet.

 

Flash Fiction Challenge over at Carrot Ranch 

May 7, prompt: Nourish – In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about something that nourishes/is being nourished.

 

 

Featured On the Reef ~ Graeme Cumming @GraemeCumming63

 

 

On the Reef is a series featuring fabulous indie authors from around the blogosphere and beyond. Titles, covers, and blurbs that catch my eye, new releases, great reads… Basically, authors I’d like to highlight and works I’d like to share with my fellow book-loving word nerds. Happy Reading!

 

New Release

 

Carrion by Graeme Cumming

CHOOSE YOUR WORDS CAREFULLY. WORDS HAVE POWER.

A sheet of black filled his vision as hundreds of birds dived at the cottage, pointed beaks thrust forward. From this angle, he couldn’t see many of them striking it, but the few he did see held nothing back as they hammered into the shutter. The scale of the attack was beyond anything he’d seen or heard of. And bloodied casualties littered the ground: skulls shattered, wings broken, innards spilling from them. The fact that so many of them continued with the onslaught in spite of this filled him with even more dread.

Salin has always wanted an adventure and, when the opportunity presents itself, he grabs it with both hands, taking his friends along for the ride – whether they want to or not.

With strange lands come strange creatures that stand between them and their goal. And that goal is the same for someone else, a man who believes the prize is worth every sacrifice – especially when the sacrifices are made by others.

The future is about to change. But who for?

 

Available for preorder. Delivered to your kindle tomorrow, May 9th!

You can get your copy here: 🙂

Amazon US | Amazon UK

 

About Graeme:

Graeme Cumming is a child of the 60s and 70s, gifted with a vivid imagination and the ability to convert that to the written word. Put another way, he’s an author who yearns for his youth and draws inspiration from the books, movies and TV of those times.

He has written stories since his childhood, but by his own admission has allowed too many other factors to get in the way of taking it seriously until recent years.

His first novel, Ravens Gathering, is a blend of horror, fantasy and thriller and is available as an e-book. His second novel, Carrion, also promises to blend genres and is currently undergoing what he has termed “a final makeover”.

Having wasted too many years not writing, Graeme has said he plans to make up for lost time, so expect more to follow.

Website / Blog
Amazon Author Page

 

On the Reef: The Shark’s Friday Feature