The Mayans were wrong. Let’s write.
WELCOME TO FRIDAY FICTIONEERS!
We are a growing community of blogging writers who come together each week from all parts of the globe to share individual flash fictions from a single photo prompt. The prompt goes up early Wednesday morning to give each writer time to compose a story by Friday. Some use the photo as a mere inspiration while others use it as an illustration. There’s no right or wrong way.
THE CHALLENGE:
Write a one hundred word story that has a beginning, middle and end.
THE KEY:
Make every word count.
THE RULES:
- Please copy your URL to the Linkz collection. You’ll find the tab following the photo prompt. It’s the little white box to the left with the blue froggy guy. Click on it and follow directions. This is the best way to get the most reads and comments.
- Please make sure your link works. If you find that you’ve made an error you can delete by clicking the little red ‘x’ that should appear under your icon. Then re-enter your URL. (If there’s no red x email me at Runtshell@aol.com. I can delete the wrong link for you).
- If your blog requires multiple steps for visitors to leave comments, see if you can simplify it. Please, for the sake or our writerly nerves, disable CAPTCHA –that wavy line of unreadable letters and numbers. This mainly applies to Blogspot. It’s frustrating to have to leave a DNA sample, your blood type and your shoe size just to make a comment. (So I exaggerate. But hopefully you get the picture).
- Try to keep stories to 100 words. (No one walks the plank for going over or under).
- Make note in your blog if you’d prefer not to have constructive criticism.
- Be kind in your comments to others. Please, exercise discretion.
- My story will follow the photo prompt for those who would rather write before reading other stories. I appreciate your comments and critiques. 😉
- *NOTE-If your link is to an advertisement or any type of platform (be it religious or political) it will be deleted.
This week’s photo is from my longtime friend Jean Hays, a gifted artist. The stained glass is an example of her work.
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ILLUMINATION
With her crimson hair and freckles she could’ve been my own reflection. Although we’d never met, I knew she was my birth mother.
“Didn’t you want me?”
“With all my heart.”
Sunlight streaming through the café windows glinted off her tears. “Mother said I couldn’t care for a baby…said I’d hurt you. She never even let me hold you.”
I wrapped my arms around her waist.
“Hold me now…Mama.”
Her fingers caressed my forehead, then moved as lightly as moth wings down my nose and over my lips. Her sightless eyes glistened. “It’s good to finally see you.”
This is very emotional. Wonder why they were not allowed to meet.
A greedy granny? Or was there some other reason?
Very nicely written piece.
I have a thought for the prompt. I hope I can execute is as well.
Thanks (like every week). Hope you had a great Christmas! 🙂
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Hi Parul,
Thanks for the kind comments. I don’t think it was so much a matter of their being prevented from meeting as much as the controlling, overprotective grandmother not allowing her daughter to keep the baby.
I guess I’m a “tad” obsessive about the prompts and stories. And I appreciate the faithfulness of others such as yourself.
It was a very good Christmas, thank you. I’m looking forward to your story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What a sweet, touching scene. I can imagine it happening in a place like this. What a bittersweet moment!
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I love the descriptions here… Very poetic..”moved as lightly as moth wings” just beautiful. Moving story
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A moving story, and beautifully told as ever Rochelle. Great imagery.
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Beautifully written…emotional!!
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Oh Rochelle, this brought tears to my eyes. I am an adoptee that wants to find her birth mother. The story hit me right in the heart. I am in awe of your words. Thank you.
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Dear Renee,
I guess you can call us even. Your comment brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for your kind comment and sharing a piece of your true story with me.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Honey that’s what I do. I share my story. I’m glad it brought tears to your eyes. Not every story is happy. Some stories are fraught with sadness. Fortunately I’m lucky enough to have happiness laced within mine.
Shalom my love,
Renee
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what a beautiful story.. so perfectly written..
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Touching Rochelle.
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Beautifully crafted, Rochelle. I especially liked “she could have been my own reflection,” when I realized that the photo appears to be a reflection.
Thank you, too, for keeping up with this! It wouldn’t be Christmas without a good story! 🙂
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Thank you for the compliment. And you’re welcome. Friday Fictioneers is my pleasure and my passion.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Quite nice stained glass your friend created. Effective advertising too, I’ll bet… Just speaks of coziness and good coffee. I’ll have to wait to read your story later, Rochelle, as I can not risk the power of your writing influencing mine.
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p.s. what… no animals this week?
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The only animals are some of our writers. 😉
And the rest I’ll take as a compliment.
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Hey, I resemble that remark.
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Rochelle,
A touching story. Well told as always. Love this image… “Her fingers caressed my forehead, then moved as lightly as moth wings down my nose and over my lips.”
Tom
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Their meeting made for a very happy, touching way to reunite. Very touching story. Hope you and your family had a good Christmas.
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Rochelle, I can’t begin to comprehend why a mother would keep a child separated from the womb which it came. As I was reading this, it hit more on a deeper spiritual level for me. I thought about how we are suppose to be a reflection of Christ in our character. But, sometimes we go astray, or perhaps never knew Him. How, He must long to embrace us. For we are all His children!
I love the happy ending of the light breaking through, and reflecting a touchable love! I enjoyed this. I hope your Christmas was filled with the light of the Lord.
Shenine
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I loved the story of them reconnecting .. I bet that lady thought of her child every day of her life !! For the daughter, Im guessing it was good to finally find out why she was given up for adoption .. Some times we have to give up what we love if its the best for both parties… Im guessING this girl had very loving Adopted Parents.
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Well said, Rick,
I am a huge proponent of adoption. There are so many good parents aching for children but can’t have their own physical offspring. Giving a child up often has more to do with love than keeping it.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle, sometimes we must give up what we love for what is best for us. I strive continually to distant from sin and more towards God because He is what is best for me. So in conclusion your story has plentiful lessons on Love, even if it hurts. Sometimes the hardest tasks in life are the right decisions at that particular time. I enjoyed your story. I’m glad she had closure.
Shenine
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Rochelle, as you often do, you moved my heart. I love how you said she finally saw her child, with the eyes of her heart and hands.
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What a sweet story, Rochelle. And let me join in thanking you for keeping the Fictioneers going!!
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Dear Sharon,
Faithful, talented writers such as yourself encourage me! You are one of the reasons I want to keep it going.
See you here next year,
Rochelle
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Rochelle having problems with post disappearing on word press and linking the phantom posts. Catch up later I hope.
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Beautiful, just beautiful. The ending really reaches into the reader’s heart.
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The ending…on so many levels!!! Pure, unfiltered emotion!
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Your story hit an emotional nerve but on a different level. Over 30 years ago, we attempted an open adoption. We put ads in papers and met with one young woman who was giving up her unborn baby for adoption. The problem (for us) was, she was deaf. And she wanted us to pay her health care. This brought that memory back. Beautiful job, on your end.
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Dear Paul,
It never ceases to amaze me when a piece of fiction I’ve written rings true with another. Thank you for sharing your story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I wondered, as I read your story, how many times this scene has taken place. You added a different wrinkle at the end. Wonderfully touching for both… good one, Rochelle.
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Her sightless eyes glistened! Wow. Powerful words here. Great job.
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Hi Rochelle,
Interesting that you used the word relflection in your opening sentence because after studying this photo, I believe it is some kind of reflection. But, reflecting on your story, I loved the moth wings reference and the mother and child reunion. Ron
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Dear Ron,
Thanks for your reflective comments. Glad you liked it.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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This is very touching. Well-written, too.
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too sweet. well done.
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That was a very touching and well-written Rochelle. That her mother was blind made it realistic, and clinched the whole little story.
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I love how the past was left behind as the girl only wanted the “now” moment to consume their new interaction. Beautiful.
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Great job, Rochelle, and one of your best! Had me fooled to the end while also being sad and affecting at once. Really enjoy stories in this vein although doubt I’ll ever write one. Happy New Year!
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And as I said on your post, Perry. I love humor and I’m usually the class clown in my social circles I seldom write humor. Although a semi-famous person once told me the most depressed people in Hollywood are the comedians.
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Dear Rapunzel,
You never cease to amaze. Such a sweet and beautiful tale told in so few words and with such complete ease. Descriptive and full of emotion barely held in check, Illumination is what flash fiction is all about. I love how your stories are never run of the mill and always way outside of the box. It is a pleasure reading your work.
Aloha,
Doug
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Dear Aloha Doug,
Is it any wonder I look forward to your comments each week? You humble and encourage me.
Shalom,
Rapunzel
(sans the long golden hair)
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Love the ‘moth wings’ (like many other commenters), and the ‘sightless eyes’ was such a clever twist, making me read it all again – the fact that she recognises her mother through sight but her mother can’t rely on the same sense. You squeezed a lot in to your 100 words!
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Very nice Rochelle! Full of passion, disappointment and vindication.
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Dear Joe,
I hadn’t really thought of it in terms of vindication, but you’re right. It’s there. Thank you.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Very stark and emotional.
Here’s mine: http://unexpectedpaths.com/friday-fictioneers/habits-and-hearts-are-made-to-be-broken/
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What a beautiful and moving story. Well done, Rochelle
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Here’s my story. All criticisms and kudos are welcome. 🙂
http://rendezvouswithrenee.com/2012/12/28/friday-fictioneers-a-passing-fancy/
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Gorgeous description and an emotional scene, Rochelle. I hope they can start building their relationship at last.
Happy New Year!
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A beautiful story from a beautiful prompt. Love the description: ‘as lightly as moth wings’. Very evocative.
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great touching story.
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Hello Rochelle — that was very intense and touching. How can we measure a mother’s love?
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Hi Bill,
We certainly don’t measure her love by what’s seen with the eyes, do we?
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Hi Rochelle! Enjoyed reading your post- a mother is a mother no matter the distance. I’m glad they were united.
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A very emotional reunion. Nice one.
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Hi, this looks like fun and I’d like to post the prompt, your link, and photo on my blog, just not sure how to go about doing that. Any help you could provide would be much appreciated. I did figure out how to set up my link to the blog, Thanks.
loved your example with this one.
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Many thanks for your help Rochelle. I got it posted! http://www.trainswhistle.wordpress.com
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That’s it! Make me go and tear up.
Scott
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I just have a question. How do you get just the week’s story to show up in the link. I noticed my whole front blog page, with all my other post listing, showing up to the link. Gah!
Thanks.
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When you first post your link there a block of potential icons should show up. So you should have the option to choose from those or upload another pictured from your file. Hope this helps, Sunshine.
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Just a thought for new bloggers who may not know to copy their URL address up @ the top address bar while working on their actual post. That way, when they get to the link site they can paste their URL with the post title included. Maybe you could explain it in the “how to link” their post only and not the entitre front blog page. There was another blogger before me who was having problems linking her post…hope she found the solution.
Sorry for taking so much space explaining this….:(
Thank you!! 😉
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No problem, Sunshine. That’s what I’m here for. I tried in the page for this upcoming week to include more instructions after the link frog is clicked. Hope it’s clearer. I’m learning as I go.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I finally, duh, figured it out but hopefully someone else will find your instructions helpful and save lots of time as well. Thank you for the quick response!
Happy New Year! 🙂
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Lovely writing. I like how even though she’s blind she says that it’s lovely to finally see her daughter. Very touching.
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Awww, that is so….sweet and amazing and beautiful.
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So many levels to this. This is beautiful!
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Hi Rochelle, I notice that you’ve added a note about people using this site as a platform for political/religious purposes, which is welcome, even if it occasionally goes unheeded. Thanks for trying anyway.
Once or twice recently I’ve followed a link to find it’s simply being used to promote a writer’s website and doesn’t contain a FF submission. For those of us (like me when I’m cruising) who are on limited, expensive or slow connections, it’s really irritating to waste valuable time and resources simply to be used as stat-fodder for someone who can’t be bothered to participate in the normal way. And it’s also not fair on you to have to be policing the site when you’re giving up your valuable time to keep this going.
And on a happier note, Happy New Year to all Friday Fictioneers! 🙂
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Thanks for noticing and commenting, Sandra. I’ll keep posting. Maybe someone will read and heed. 😉
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I’ve only had that happen once. It went to a writing school blog or something on that order. The next time something like that happens, let’s put them on public display and throw things…
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ROCHELLE AND ALL MY FRI-FIC FRIENDS…
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There appears to be one up at the moment Ted, a latecomer; it goes to a long story which doesn’t seem to have any relevance to the prompt and there is no mention of Friday Fictioneers that I can detect.
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Dear Sandra,
On that one I’ve had some email exchange with him. There’s a little confusion, I think, as to what we’re about. Not sure if I confused him further with my instructions.
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Thanks for that info Rochelle. 🙂 Hopefully all will be sorted for next week. 🙂 Happy New Year!
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Ron… I see that… go read his story on Nov. 3rd… ‘The Camera Girl’… Lovely. Hope he joins us next week.
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I worked with a girl who had given up a baby at a young age. It was very tramatic for her every year when the child’s birthday rolled around, but she always believed she did what was best for the child – she did it out of love.
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Dear Russell,
I hope the girl was able to find closure and a family. That’s probably the most loving thing a mother could do for her child…admit that someone else could give him or her a better home. Perhaps one day her child will look for her to thank her.
Thanks for sharing.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Elegantly poignant and poetic, thanks for sharing this story. Be well!
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Beautiful story!
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I couldn’t imaging the pain of not holding my baby. Great post!
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Hello there! Is the Friday Fictioneers challenge closed?
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It is closed for this particular prompt. Join us at my 25 January 2013 posting.
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Will do! Thanks!
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I could see the well of tears in the mother’s eyes and feel the trembling of her fingers as she touched her child’s face. Very moving and well done
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Dear Sheila,
Thank you for such an affirming and lovely comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hi Rochelle! Happy New Year. This is a very beautiful and moving story. It brought tears to my eyes. For no reason I’m remembering my daughter. I want to touch her.
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Dear Indira.
I hope you are able to touch your daughter. Tears for such a story are always the highest of compliments.
Thank you, Happy New Year and Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thanks dear.
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What a touching story, Rochelle! You make us feel every movement of your characters just like your novel. Thank you for doing all that you do to inspire our writing. I’ve not had much time lately but will be around soon. Cheryl-Lynn aka Oliana
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