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Fall Writing Frenzy is here!

1/10/2020

33 Comments

 
Picture
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.

PictureImage #5
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
Rosanna Montanaro link
2/10/2020 12:13:34 am

I really enjoyed this! So magical and full of fun. Good luck :)

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Kerry Gittins
2/10/2020 12:35:33 pm

Thank you so much Rosanna.

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Gennie Gorback
2/10/2020 01:02:08 am

Wow! This is great! I would love to know what happens next!

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Kerry Gittins
2/10/2020 12:46:32 pm

Thanks Gennie! Am thinking of a short story for this one . . .

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Colleen O Murphy link
2/10/2020 01:57:05 am

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.

Good luck in the contest!

Reply
Kerry Gittins
2/10/2020 12:48:09 pm

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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Kathi link
2/10/2020 03:57:14 am

Nice piece. I want to jump in right behind Sasha!

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Kerry Gittins
2/10/2020 12:48:31 pm

Haha thanks Kathi!

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Kelly Conroy link
2/10/2020 04:34:17 am

Magical! Very nice!

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Kerry Gittins
2/10/2020 12:48:53 pm

Thankyou Kelly!

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Janie Reinart link
2/10/2020 07:10:23 am

OOOH! Love the surprise ending.

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Kerry Gittins
2/10/2020 12:49:17 pm

Thanks so much Janie!

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Charlotte Dixon
2/10/2020 08:54:45 am

LOVE--a little magic and a mystery. Well done. Good luck!

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Kerry Gittins
2/10/2020 12:50:11 pm

Thanks so much Charlotte.

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Melissa Rutigliano link
2/10/2020 09:31:21 am

OH! this one surprised me! fun ending :)

Reply
Kerry Gittins
2/10/2020 12:50:57 pm

Glad you liked the ending Melissa!

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Alicia Curley link
2/10/2020 10:59:27 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
2/10/2020 12:51:59 pm

Thanks so much Alicia. Hopefully it will hook readers into wanting to read more.

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Jolene Gutiérrez link
2/10/2020 12:57:34 pm

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
2/10/2020 01:29:36 pm

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
2/10/2020 05:17:48 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
4/10/2020 03:09:45 am

Thank you so much for your kind words Anne.

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Melissa Miles link
3/10/2020 01:01:35 am

I love the magical take on this maple leaf image!

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Kerry Gittins
4/10/2020 03:10:19 am

Thanks so much Melissa.

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Meghan link
3/10/2020 02:14:32 am

I loved how whimsical this piece was. And the ending was delightful!

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Kerry Gittins
4/10/2020 03:10:42 am

Thanks Meghan!

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Candice Conner
4/10/2020 11:18:56 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
5/10/2020 03:02:50 am

So, they ARE real! Nice mix oof reality and make-believe.

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Kaitlyn link
5/10/2020 09:35:46 am

Kerry, Thanks for sharing this take on fairies! (Sorry about the question of the cover I got the names mixed it?

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Karen Pickrell link
5/10/2020 03:38:32 pm

Magical! Love it!

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Tonnye Fletcher link
12/10/2020 12:39:55 pm

Oooh, intriguing! I wonder if they’ll have more encounters...

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Annie Lynn link
18/10/2020 12:53:41 pm

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.✌🏼💙🎶🎨📚😊

Reply
Kerry Gittins
21/10/2020 11:56:53 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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