Flash Fiction / The ImmorTales

Flash Fiction: Fairy Ring

Posted by

PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson for Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers. Other stories featuring the prompt can be found here.

 

In all the places to put in a fairy ring… No wonder so many children cross to the other side – the realm of fantasy and dreams. Drawn by the beacon of light. A soft cosmic hum usually ignored by adults. A play set acted as bait. Dreams turned into nightmares. In the shadows hunters wait, salivating, spit hitting the snow.

For every creature of the dark, a creature of light counteracted. A cosmic balance. Time to destroy the portal. Let the shadows feast elsewhere.

Smash… The lamp blew. Without light, there is no shadow. The link between worlds severed.

51 comments

  15. I like the way you pick up the warmth of the lamp in the prompt, and invert it by making it a lethal trap. You’re right – it seems to contain the germ of something that wants to grow into a more substantial story.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  21. Pingback: Flash Fiction: The Lamp Post – Tannille

  22. I’m much more of a sci-fi nerd than fantasy. This made me think of the Force, the light side, the dark side. Nice little fantasy horror story.

    Where was I this week? I don’t even remember that picture.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Aliens took you away that week? Just guessing… 😀

      When I toy with concepts in my mind, I start to wonder if dark creatures (boogiemen, fairies, old hags etc) are aliens. Aliens are the old beings with a new coat of paint. Or they can all live side by side. All exsist out of this world (or do they? ha).

      Thanks N

      Like

      Reply

      3. “Ow! My ass!”

        I think you would like Lovecraft if you can ignore the racist undertones and sometimes overtones. I can separate the person from the art. (Not R. Kelly. His crimes are sexual in nature, and his songs are sexual in nature. His songs are just gross now.) Not everybody can do that. I would hate him, but I like some of his stories. There’s a new series called “Lovecraft Country” based on his stories with a black main cast, which kind of poetic justice. His stories are reminiscent of Poe with supernatural settings. His stories heavily influenced Stephen King. He invented the Necronomicon and Arkham, Massachusetts, which was the inspiration for Arkham Asylum in the Batman mythos. He mentored Robert Bloch who wrote “Psycho.” If you’re interested, start with “The Call Of Cthulhu.” It’s the best, and it’s short. I think he only did short stories.

        Liked by 1 person

      4. Haha Poor Cartman!

        Sounds like Lovecraft was a man from his time. I bet there is loads of sexism too. Lucky for me I can consume these stories, they inspire me to pull apart the elements, use the good stuff in my own writing and disregard the crap. I do that a lot with trashy tv and novels in general.

        I’ll track down ‘The Call of Cthulhu’. 😀

        I think I live under a rock, I don’t know who R. Kelly is… not sure I want to know. I’ll wiki him… We had a family sitcom, ‘Hey Dad’, and the actress who played the youngest daughter was fiddled with by the dad actor. Icky. Can never watch that show again cringing.

        Liked by 1 person

      5. It’s amazing how they made such a despicable character as Cartman likable.

        Is that what they mean by “Down Under?” R. Kelly was a singer who made a few really good, classic songs, and a whole lot of trash. The classic songs fooled people into thinking his bad songs were good. Then, he made a video of himself peeing on a 14-year-old girl. Your “Hey Dad” story is like the Bill Cosby situation. He’s a comedian/sitcom actor who raped a lot of women. At least they were adults. In some ways, I feel bad for these guys. There’s obviously something mentally wrong with them. They need help. On the other hand, their actions are so repulsive.

        Liked by 1 person

The Muse likes her ego stroked, leave a comment and she'll do the same... unless there is a glitch... or human error...