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It's finally here! Time to enter this fantastic competition designed by Lydia Lukidis and Kaitlyn Sanchez. Image #5 was one of my favourites because it made me think of all things faerie and magical. I had lots of fun writing the story and after quite a few rewrites, it's done! I hope you like it.
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Sasha
I spy with my little eye. . . Sasha loved that game. She also loved our maple tree. The tree stood tall in the backyard, close to the gate, where our house backed onto woods. We’d spend hours in the branches of that old tree, spying things like ladybirds and silvery snail trails. We’d watch 'helicopter' seeds spin down in spring, and marvel at the colors of the fall leaves. It was during last fall that Sasha saw the faerie circle - mushrooms with long, white stalks and conical tops, growing at the base of the tree. We had climbed up and were sitting on one of the thick, low branches telling each other stories of faeries and magic. ‘I spy a faerie ring!’ she whispered excitedly, and pointed to the bottom of the tree. ‘Let’s see if we’ll become faeries like the legend says.’ I shouted ‘Wait for me!’ but Sasha had already jumped off the branch and landed in the middle of the circle. I watched, mouth open, as she grew smaller and smaller, until she faded away with a tiny ‘pop!’ leaving nothing behind but lines of twinkling gossamer . . . Sasha © Kerry Gittins 2020. All Rights Reserved.
33 Comments
10/1/2020 09:13:34 pm
I really enjoyed this! So magical and full of fun. Good luck :)
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Kerry Gittins
10/2/2020 09:35:33 am
Thank you so much Rosanna.
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Gennie Gorback
10/1/2020 10:02:08 pm
Wow! This is great! I would love to know what happens next!
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Kerry Gittins
10/2/2020 09:46:32 am
Thanks Gennie! Am thinking of a short story for this one . . .
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10/1/2020 10:57:05 pm
This is very sad to me as I read it as Sasha falling to her death and her friend trying to find a way to explain it. Perhaps that is not your intention, and therein lies the beauty of your writing as it is left to interpretation.
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Kerry Gittins
10/2/2020 09:48:09 am
Thank you so much Colleen. I had not thought about the story in those terms so you have showed me another side that I could perhaps include in a longer version.
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Kerry Gittins
10/2/2020 09:48:31 am
Haha thanks Kathi!
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Kerry Gittins
10/2/2020 09:48:53 am
Thankyou Kelly!
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Kerry Gittins
10/2/2020 09:49:17 am
Thanks so much Janie!
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Charlotte Dixon
10/2/2020 05:54:45 am
LOVE--a little magic and a mystery. Well done. Good luck!
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Kerry Gittins
10/2/2020 09:50:11 am
Thanks so much Charlotte.
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Kerry Gittins
10/2/2020 09:50:57 am
Glad you liked the ending Melissa!
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10/2/2020 07:59:27 am
Kerry - you are so right. This photo inspires so much whimsy! I was so excited to discover the faeries with Sasha and then - GASP - was not expecting that ending! Leaving behind mystery and wonder - nice job! Good luck!
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Kerry Gittins
10/2/2020 09:51:59 am
Thanks so much Alicia. Hopefully it will hook readers into wanting to read more.
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10/2/2020 09:57:34 am
Well done! I wasn't expecting the ending--as some of the others said, mystery, magic, and it also made me feel a bit of heartache, worrying for Sasha and grieving for her friend left behind. <3
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Kerry Gittins
10/2/2020 10:29:36 am
Thanks so much Jolene. As I said in a previous reply, I hadn't actually thought of the story in that way, so these comments have opened up a new area to explore!
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Anne Lipton
10/2/2020 02:17:48 pm
Your beautiful and well-chosen natural details, such as ladybirds, silvery snail trails, and 'helicopter' seeds, draw us in and set the scene so well. The vivid contrast of nature's rich bounty with the dark threat of a child falling from a tree adds extraordinary tension, causing us to hold our breath until you save Sasha from certain doom with your extraordinary storytelling powers.
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Kerry Gittins
10/3/2020 11:09:45 pm
Thank you so much for your kind words Anne.
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Kerry Gittins
10/3/2020 11:10:19 pm
Thanks so much Melissa.
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Kerry Gittins
10/3/2020 11:10:42 pm
Thanks Meghan!
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Candice Conner
10/4/2020 07:18:56 pm
I love the whimsy and appreciation of nature in this short story--though I really want to know how the story ends! You set it up perfectly with that narrator voice so I knew something had happened to Sasha from the beginning. As long as she doesn't eat anything, she'll be fine! ;)
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Kathy Halsey
10/4/2020 11:02:50 pm
So, they ARE real! Nice mix oof reality and make-believe.
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10/12/2020 08:39:55 am
Oooh, intriguing! I wonder if they’ll have more encounters...
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10/18/2020 08:53:41 am
I was surprised by the ending too. Great descriptions. If this were a book, I would be turning the page quickly to find out what happened to Sasha. I choose to believe her friend/you would find a way, using STEM and STEAM to get her out of there.....or you’d jump down in to find her, and this more adventures begin. Anything with twinkling gossamer has got to have good magic near it. Go find Sasha! Good luck. Stay well.✌🏼💙🎶🎨📚😊
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Kerry Gittins
10/21/2020 07:56:53 am
Thanks so much Annie Lynn. And you're right - anything with gossamer has to have good magic near it with some more to come!
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