28 December 2012

Published December 26, 2012 by rochellewisoff

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. 

Copyright Jean L. Hays

Copyright Jean L. Hays




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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.”

88 comments on “28 December 2012

  • 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! 🙂

    Like

    • 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

      Like

      • 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

        Like

  • 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! 🙂

    Like

  • 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.

    Like

  • 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

    Like

    • 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.

      Like

      • 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

        Like

      • 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

        Like

  • 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.

    Like

  • 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

    Like

    • 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.

      Like

  • 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

    Like

  • 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!

    Like

  • 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.

    Like

  • 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.

    Like

      • 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!! 😉

        Like

        • 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

          Like

  • 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! 🙂

    Like

  • 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.

    Like

    • 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

      Like

  • 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

    Like

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