The Misty Path

At midday, the canopy thickened

And the air grew dense and cool;

A balm upon her fevered skin.

She knew not when, but a resolve

Had commenced to quicken

Her steps toward an end,

That was at once

Enticing yet unknowable.

If she listened intently,

A lone bee commiserated,

But she knew nothing but bliss

As she disappeared into mist.

~*~

The Daily Echo

Aflame [flash 225]

As the rest of the team began gathering up their belongings, Lori couldn’t resist toasting one last marshmallow over the dwindling bonfire.

“Hey, Lori.” Dave, her supervisor, touched her shoulder. “Having fun on your first company retreat?”

Lori nodded as she prepared her s’more, layering the gooey marshmallow over half a chocolate bar between two graham crackers. She offered half of it to Dave.

“It’s been a great experience,” she said.

“Thanks, looks delicious!” Dave bit into the s’more. “Mhrhtsfrfrst like that flmnshnt.”

“I’m sorry?” Lori laughed.

Dave swallowed and smiled. “Sorry. I said, my heart’s on fire for you just like that flaming sunset.”

Lori dropped her treat. “What? I mean, no. You can’t say that!”

“Why? It’s a line from a song that was just on.” He grinned. “Now you’ll have to make another s’more.”

Lori didn’t believe him about the song. “I think everyone is leaving now, so I should help clean up.”

Dave tried to grab Lori’s arm as she walked past, but she was agile and avoided him. When she found her backpack, he said, “It’s not that complicated to do well here and get a raise, if you know what I mean.”

“I know what you mean,” said Sylvia, the CEO, who had come up behind them. “Dave, you’re fired. I’m tired of your shenanigans. Also, I’m divorcing you.”

~*~

The Daily Echo

The Quiet Life [fiction 325]

“There she is!”

“Oh, my God! She’s really alive.”

“Can you believe it? After all these years!”

The Countess waved gracefully to the crowd gathered on the lawn. She had agreed to answer a few questions and pointed to a reporter near the edge of the stone steps. Two armed guards stood at the bottom of each side of the steps, ostensibly to deter anyone from coming too close.

“Countess Greta,” the reporter said. “It’s so good to see you again. What inspired you to emerge from your solitude?”

Greta smiled and indicated the perfectly maintained grounds. “I wanted a fresh lemon for my afternoon tea.”

Everyone laughed politely. It wasn’t a real answer, for they all knew the Countess could summon a servant to fetch a lemon.

Another reporter asked, “We were used to seeing you dressed in mourning black. Does your more colorful attire signal a change in your lifestyle as well? Will you be entering society again?”

The crowd murmured. It was a bold question, to indirectly refer to the death of the Count. No one really knew what had happened, though of course there were many stories and rumors, some of them bordering on the scandalous and vile.

But Greta appeared unfazed. She touched the lace of her heather pink dress and said, “Oh, thank you for noticing my gown. It is springtime after all. But I do prefer the quiet life of reading poetry and painting watercolors in my studio.”

A few more questions followed regarding her taste in poets and such. One of the guards subtly shifted position, at which point, the Countess said, “It’s been lovely chatting with you all. We shall do it again soon.” With that, she disappeared back into the cavernous castle.

“She has so much class.”

“So ephemeral.”

“Such a great beauty, even now.”

“How old is she? Does anyone know?”

“The guards seemed more concerned with keeping her in than keeping us out.”

~*~

Written for The Daily Echo

The Right Door [flash 217]

It was supposed to be my vacation. A long overdue break from demands, deadlines, and stress. But I couldn’t relax. During the mornings, I sat on the sand, watching the waves, my stomach a knot of anxiety. In the afternoons, I wandered through the quaint shops, where tourists tried to scramble over each other for bargains, but I walked away, uninterested. Why couldn’t I enjoy myself?

And at night came the dreams, each one more disturbing than the last. The dark corridor, the semi-open doors with a faint glow of light emanating from inside. But I couldn’t see what was happening. A vague sickly sweet odor. Fabric rustling. Moans… of pleasure or pain? I could not tell. I knew I had to choose a room, and once I made my choice, all others would disappear. But each night I awoke drenched in fear just as I stepped over the threshold of the one I’d chosen.

Except this night, the last one of my stay. I walked resolutely down the shadowed hall, the decaying fragrance stronger than ever. I heard fabric tearing, as if someone were ripping a bedsheet with their bare hands. And then in the deepest, most recessed alcove I found the right door. All my worry melted away as I glided into the light.

~*~

The Daily Echo

Small Choices

Dawn kisses the edge

Of my dreams;

Already they’re fading,

Lost to the day.

The sky brightens

With a scheme of small choices,

Each seemingly insignificant,

But any one could create

A surprise new pathway.

Was there something

I should have remembered?

I chase the last molecules

Of the night’s revels,

But they’re wisps on the wind,

Dancing out to the stars,

Perfect gone ghosts,

Too insubstantial to matter.

I get up.

I wash my face.

I make toast.

~*~

Prompt provided from the Daily Echo

Transition

Neither here nor there,

She waits

To regenerate,

Like a starfish

Missing a limb,

Only this is her heart.

She stays in the doorway,

A sanctuary,

Between the light too bright

And the darkness

So frightening.

In transition,

Away from the known,

Toward the unknown,

She floats,

Hollow, vague,

With nothing to follow,

Nowhere to go.

~*~

The Daily Echo

Thursday Inspiration

Beyond

After days of rain
Morning sunshine glows again
Noisy birds approve

Grass soft as frosting
Leaves drizzling sugar dew
Restful world awaits

Curious cat roams
Beyond the manicured lawn
Into shadowed woods

Ancient wings unfold
As warm fresh blood approaches
Magic spell is cast

Cat comes home with eyes aflame
Different somehow still the same

~*~

Genre Challenge: Haiku Sonnet
Opposites Attract: April 18
Sue Vincent’s Photo Prompt

An Unexpected Guest [fanfic 168]

The temperature had climbed steadily and was well over 90 degrees by the time the women arrived at the meeting place.

“So pretty and tranquil here,” Brienne said. “You’d never know it had been the scene of such savagery.”

“Personally, I have no empathy for them,” Sansa commented as she gazed out as the still water. “They chose their destiny.”

Brienne unsheathed her broadsword. “That they did, milady.”

“What are you doing?” Sansa frowned at her. “Surely you won’t have need of your weapon at this meeting. I’m so looking forward to seeing cousin Edmure again!”

“You know it could be a trap. We’ve traveled a long way, and we are hot and weary. We must not drop our defenses, even here.”

Sansa nodded. “Wise counsel. The passion against my family runs deep. We– oh!”

“Dearest Cousin,” Edmure stepped out into the clearing. “How beautiful you are!”

“He’s brought a guest,” Brienne said, raising her sword. “Look.”

Sansa gasped as the other man emerged from the trees. “You!”

~*~

Thursday Photo Prompt

Clouds [flash 208]

“I see a big dragon flying in the sky,” Billy said. “And soon he’s gonna come down here and gobble someone up!”

The children laughed. “I see a sweet fluffy bunny,” Melissa said. “What do you see in the clouds, Jana?”

“I don’t know,” the little girl whispered. “A soft pillow? Like the ones we used to have at–”

The back door banged open, startling the children into silence. Miz Anderson stomped into the backyard and glared at them.

“You lazy brats!” she yelled. “I told you to clean the kitchen before the Thomases arrive. Maybe you can make a good impression for once and I can get you off my hands. Too many mouths to feed around here. Go!”

Edging past her to avoid a swat, the children rushed into the house to finish their chores. “She hasn’t fed us in two days,” Billy grumbled.

“Shhhh,” Melissa said, hugging Jana who had begun to cry. Prospective parents hated tears, they had been told. Clean faces! Happy smiles!

Miz Anderson stayed in the yard a minute longer and gazed at the clouds. They sure did look interesting today. Right then a big dragon swooped out of the sky and gobbled her up.

The End.

~*~

Sue Vincent’s Photo Prompt