This week’s photo prompt from Madison Woods http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/photo-prompt-for-100-word-flash-fridayfictioneers-23/. This was a difficult one, apologies if my contribution this week is a bit soppy! 😦
The sun sets behind the hills as the purple cloak of night rises from the east. The forest becomes still, even the cicadas fall silent.
The ground begins to tremble, and then I hear branches stirring, twigs snapping under the rhythmic canter of mystic hooves.
A pale glow suffuses the bushes around me, and a breeze ruffles my hair.
I spin around.
The unicorns appear in bold relief on the rugged terrain of the hill behind me, pawing the ground, silver manes tossing against the skyline.
Watching me.
“You came,” I say.
“To bring you home,” they answer.
castelsarrasin 
Dear Sandra,
Nothing soppy about your well crafted and unique story. I was mesmerized, pleasantly surprised, and, I want to go with them.
Aloha,
Doug
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Thanks for commenting Doug. I was going to say ‘you’re the early bird’ but I guess you’re quite the opposite.’ 🙂 Glad you liked it.
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Yes Sandra,
I’m sitting here at 11:16PM, story in the queue, waiting for Ms. Madison to pull the trigger. Watching the e-mail feed closely and keeping an eye outside in the night for unicorns.
Aloha,
Doug
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Have a good rest of the evening, and sleep tight!
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Now we know what unicorns are for–nice piece.
Here’s mine: http://mymusings-maggie.blogspot.com/2012/03/early-morning-flash-fiction.html
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Thanks for commenting, glad you liked it.
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So much to see here. It’s well paced and structured too; no sloppiness!
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Thank you Charles. 🙂
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Everyone loves unicorns! I liked your intepretation. By the way, we both got the same impression from Madison’s post. I thought it was an amnesia patient too.
Here is my contribution:
Cheers!
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I found this week’s photo prompt quite difficult, but now I’m seeing all the different responses I wonder why. 😦 Thanks for commenting.
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At first I thought the trembling ground was a metaphor, but unicorns were a comin’! Fun interpretation!
Here is mine~
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Thanks for commenting. I had a giggle at your submission. 🙂
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I have to say WOW! That was beautifully written and not sloppy at all. I truly enjoyed “seeing” this image in my mind first thing this morning.
~Susan (Here’s mine: http://www.susanwenzel.com/)
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Thank you for commenting Susan. 🙂
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I thought it was beautiful imagery, especially the “purple cloak of night.”
thanks for the nice comment on mine – Russell
http://russellgayer.blogspot.com/
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Thank you Russell, glad you liked it.
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Soppy? No way! I loved its magical feel, and I wanted to go with the unicorns into the “purple cload of night.” Very nice, Sandra!
Here’s mine:
http://jansthoughtsovercoffee.blogspot.com/2012/03/reaching-fridayfictioneers-flashfiction.html
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Thanks Jan, must say I wasn’t comfortable writing like this, but hey! anything to broaden one’s scope. 🙂
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Yes, this is a departure for you – into the world of fantasy and the vision of Unicorns. Prettily told and interesting that the photo prompted this. I am betting that you have this well of fantasy safely squestered inside you from your childhood – but it snuck out today.
Lindaura
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Thanks for commenting Lindaura, yes, I try to keep my fanciful side under wraps, there’s no telling where it might land me! 🙂
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I agree with you – I found this picture prompt hard and now I’m reading all the interpretations and wondering why! Unicorns – who doesn’t love them?!
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Thanks for commenting. 🙂
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Plenty of wonderful imagery and not a bit of soppiness in sight! Just magical beings.
Excellent story, Sandra.
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‘purple cloak of night rises from the east’ Superb!
Really great, well structured and I like the fantasy element. I’m not usually a huge fan of fantasy but found that I could some how relate to the scenery and be placed there
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Thanks Emma. 🙂
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Awesome. I not a big fantasy fan either, but I did wonder how this would play out if written longer. Maybe you’ll convince me to become a fan after all. Good job.
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Thanks for commenting Shirley. I might take another look at this piece.
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I like this very much. It paints a very bold and descriptive picture in a very short space. I can really feel the story. Well done!
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Thank you Jeffrey. Appreciate your dropping by.
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I loved this! You convey a lot of emotion in such few words and of course I love Unicorns.
Here is mine: http://www.lisamccourthollar.com/2012/03/dead.html?spref=fb
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Thanks for commenting Lisa. I’m partial to a unicorn myself. 🙂
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I love unicorns, they’re not soppy. Well done.
Here’s mine: http://teschoenborn.com/2012/03/22/friday-fictioneer-3/
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Thanks for commenting. I like the idea of unicorns myself. 🙂
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I want to be there! Fun story. The question is, would the narrator go with them or resist? Fun story, Sandra.
Here’s mine:
http://siobhanmuir.blogspot.com/2012/03/new-world-100words-well-200-for.html
Siobhan
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Oh yes, I think she’ll go with them. Who could resist a unicorn. Thanks for commenting.
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A lovely story Sandra.
I loved the calmness at the end, as though the coming of the unicorns to take her home was something she had been wiring for.
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Thank you Mike. Yes, I think she was waiting for them.
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I love unicorns so I’m glad you went soppy 🙂 Enjoyed your story a lot!
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Thanks Madison, glad you liked it.
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Lovely story–images of the unicorns were poetic. Loved the “rythmic canter of mystic hooves.”
Nicely done.
Thanks for visitng my site.
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Glad you liked it 🙂
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I found the mystical imagery and unicorns to be such a fun slant and direction for this photo. When I read your work and looked at the photo…it was so cool to see the photo in a different light…thanks.
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Thanks for commenting Kris!
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I didn’t find it sloppy at all (but we are always our harshest critic). Here mine: http://postcardfiction.com/2012/03/23/trapped/
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Thanks for commenting Janet. 🙂
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Hi Sandra,
I often travel by unicorn myself. So much smoother than horses. Very fanciful, and I loved your vivid descriptions. A delightful story. Thanks for reading and commenting on my story.
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So if I decide to run with this theme, I know where I can come to for background research. 🙂 Thanks for commenting.
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Fantasy fiction, eh? Well, you nailed it. The end was particularly interesting.
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Thanks for commenting. Not my usual type of thing, but the experience was quite … interesting. Yours was beautiful, just been to comment.
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I quite enjoyed this! I want to go as well!
My link is here: http://quillshiv.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/single-shot/
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Thanks for commenting; I think I’ve visited yours but I’ll check. 🙂
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Soppy? What is soppy? I’m not one for fantasy either but I do love unicorns. Would I go with them? To a better world? Why not? Beautiful images here. Here’s mine:
http://www.triplemoonstar.blogspot.com
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Thanks for commenting Lora, yes, I’m quite a lover of unicorns too. Lora I’ve tried to comment on your story but I’m having a problem getting Blogspot to accept my internet connection. I’ll keep trying, but if I can’t, I’d just like to say I thought it was very good.
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This is beautiful, so smoothly written like a whisper of a breeze, bringing the magic with the words. I love this take on the prompt, magical and mystical. Lovely!
Mine:
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Thanks Judee, I’m glad you liked it. Sorry to be late visiting yours, just been there, and I thought it very good.
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This is so mystical, it’s mesmerizing. I could come back to this over and over again and read this with the same excitement as first time.
You should finish this story, it’s a great work in the making. Beautiful!
Thanks for sharing this.
Here’s my late entry for the week – http://faitaccompli.wordpress.com/2012/03/24/reflections/
Parul
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Thanks for commenting. Whilst I was uncomfortable writing this, it has given me something to think about – maybe a different direction to take for a while. I don’t know, but that’s one of the benefits of responding to prompts like these. Been to yours and commented just now, sorry to be late, been travelling for a couple of days.
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What a fun, surprising story. Loved the descriptions–esp the mystical hooves and silver manes. And you got to incorporate unicorns! I must find a way to do that some day. Never have.
Mine is at http://banterwithbeth.blogspot.com
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Thanks for commenting. I think this was the first time I’ve used unicorns too.
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Sandra, I love it. “in bold relief” worked so well for me and just seemed perfectly placed yet I can imagine myself misusing such a lovely phrase and so I was just a little jealous reading it. Unicorns, bring me home. MM.
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It’s funny, sometimes lines or phrases seem to stick in your head, and this is one, for me. Glad you enjoyed it.
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