October 31, 2023, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story using the word or idea, flakes. What or who is a flake? Is there tension or phenomenon that is creating flakes? Can flakes be massive or minute? Go to your flakiest memories for living images to play with. Go where the prompt leads!
Flakes Of Life – by Hugh W. Roberts
Flakes of frosty dread drifted through the old, abandoned house I’d taken shelter in. They weren’t ordinary flakes but echoes of lost souls.
I heard tales whispered by those who’d glimpsed the spectral dance, telling me the flakes carried memories of those who perished here, trapped between two worlds.
Icy fingers brushed my skin as the flakes swirled. The past and present merged in an eerie waltz, unveiling secrets and sorrows long ago buried.
I closed my eyes and joined them.
For those who entered after me, the house held chilling promises of both revelation and haunting, forever entwined.
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
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Glimpses
28 short stories and pieces of flash fiction take the reader on a rollercoaster of twists and turns.
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Flakes of frosty dread… cool. From beginning to end. I like too the “chilling promises of both revelation and haunting”
Thanks, D.
I enjoyed that, you packed a lot into so few words. Have you changed you WordPress status? I wanted to read your latest post – Have You Discovered These Two New Excellent WordPress Features? And Where Have Reusable Blocks Gone? – but I can’t as it says “You’re currently a free subscriber. Upgrade your subscription to get access to the rest of this post and other paid-subscriber only content.” Is this now a default on your blog? If so, I’m afraid I won’t be reading any further posts. Sorry.
Thanks for telling me about that, Eileen. I checked the settings of the post and noticed that I had selected ‘Subscribers only’ instead of ‘Everyone.’ I’ve changed it now. Can you check that you have access to it now?
Hi Hugh, yes I can read it now. Thanks
You’re welcome. And thank you for alerting me to the error.
The past and present merged in an eerie waltz! Great imagery!
Thank you. That’s how I have always referred to snowflakes.
Lovely piece of writing, Hugh. You got so much into 99 words.
Thank you, Janis. I’m glad you think so. I do love writing flash fiction.
Great take! Made me think!
Thank you. When somebody tells me a piece of my flash fiction made them think, that tells me I did the job.
I do like this Hugh 💜💜💜
Thanks, Willow.
I love the haunting tone of this piece.
Thank you, Nicole.
Wow Hugh! This was an incredible read! I love how you metaphorically used the flakes as souls! Very creative !
Thank you so much. My mind went deep when drafting this piece of flash. I pictured myself in the old, abandoned house with strips of daylight coming in that reflected flakes of dust dancing around.
That’s where it begins! I do this as well when I write then it is just a matter of putting the words down on the paper that describes it. However, the eloquence of this piece is so well done I could close my eyes and see what you wrote and I don’t always get that from reading!
That’s lovely, thank you so much. Sometimes, you’ll find yourself in exactly the right place at the right time to write.
Beautiful