roina_arwen

On this sheltered ornamental pond
at the foot of the Ko’olau mountains,
you softly croon to your mate.
Side by side, red beaks dip down
to break the calm surface, then lift to preen
midnight black feathered flanks.

The large orange and white fish watch coyly,
avoiding the churning water
as faster and faster you dip and preen,
dip and preen,
pausing briefly to peruse your partner,
and appreciate his fine ebony plumage.

Finally you make contact, pressing
your breast against his - once, twice, thrice.
You raise and lower your graceful neck smoothly
as his dark, beady eyes watch your motions
with sideways glances, turning first
one way then the other.

It is time to intertwine.

His neck draped lovingly across yours,
He turns and paddles alongside, then mounts and
gently grasps your neck with his eager bill.
Wings spread for stability, slowly you swim forward
and raise your tail to facilitate the act.
Your body, submerged in the cool water, is filled.

Sated, he dismounts and paddles vigorously.
A duet of low-pitched rumbles celebrates the union.
You wash and preen again, shaking wings and tail,
a glint of white flight feathers underscores the black.
He is your mate for life, and you are his,
with a silvery cygnet ring the desired outcome.

“This week has been craaaaazy,” Ginny said, swirling her rum & coke before taking a sip. The gentle clinking of the ice reminded her of the wind chimes that used to hang in the tree outside her childhood bedroom window. “I’m so glad you were available - it’s been far too long since we last got together.”

“Right? I’ve hated having to go back to the office these last few weeks. I really enjoyed working from home with nobody but Tasha Yarn to keep me company,” Sarah replied with a grin.

Ginny smiled back, thinking about Sarah’s aging tabby. Tasha Yarn was a sweet and friendly cat, but much to their surprise, she was also an excellent judge of character.

It had been almost two years ago when Ginny brought her then-boyfriend Mason to Sarah’s apartment for dinner for the first time. She had been dating him for a little over a month. Shortly after they arrived at the apartment, Tasha Yarn stubbornly inserted herself on the couch between Ginny and Mason. The cat’s fur bristled and she kept hissing at Mason whenever he tried to touch either her or the cat. Ginny had been amused by the cat’s protectiveness, but after the fourth or fifth hiss, Mason got mad about it and brusquely shoved the cat off the couch.

Ginny knew right then that Mason was not the one for her, and immediately showed him the door.

Ever since then, all prospective suitors were eventually introduced to Tasha Yarn. Several had passed “The Tasha Test”, but they were few and far between, and none of them had yet proven to be that mythical “One”.
( Read more... )

This was my group’s assignment, with a maximum length of 600 words:
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Theme: Fulfillment
Emotion: Skeptical

As a FYI, 3100 people signed up for this! Below is my entry. I did the best I could. Enjoy!

( Read more... )

Alara and Ilayda surfaced from the cold, sapphire blue lake, their dark eyes shining brightly with youthful laughter. Swimming was not only their favorite pastime, but their life line. The twins relied on their innate aquatic skills to not only provide sustenance for their nomadic clan, but also to attend to the welfare of the silvery-grey Nerpa, the only freshwater seals in existence.

Ilayda tilted her bronzed face sunward, clasped her hands loosely over her torso, and let the water cradle her lithe body. Her long dark hair spilled across the surface, creating the appearance of ebony wings. She bobbed on the gentle waves and sighed happily.

They were finally out of sight of the imposing rocky cliffs of the western shore. The twins made their home on the sparsely populated eastern side of the rift lake. They enjoyed the solitude, communing with nature, and got along well with each other.
( Read more... )

Zarina tried very hard to moderate her pace down the long hallway, but she was so excited for her long-desired apprenticeship that she arrived at the huge Citadel kitchen extra early. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, but the chefs and their assistants had been hard at work for hours. The heady smell of freshly baked bread and sugary cinnamon buns tickled her nose and tantalized her taste buds.

“Greetings, Tantine Leona,” she said politely to the plump woman, adding a small curtsey of respect along with the honorary title of Auntie, often used with older women as a measure of respect.

Her stomach rumbled as a tray of warm almond pastries wafted by, bound for the dining hall breakfast rush. Zarina had broken her fast of course, but as with most adolescents, her appetite knew no bounds.

Leona was pleased with her new apprentice’s eagerness. She led Zarina back to the prep station and handed her a grey apron. “Put this on, wash your hands, and then we shall see what your knife skills look like,” she stated, motioning towards the sturdy cutting board and the overflowing crate of vegetables and purple tubers that awaited her.

( Read more... )

Well, my Flash Fiction round 1 challenge didn’t get into the top 15 for my grouping, but everyone still gets to participate in round 2. The new prompts will be posted later today (Friday at 11:59 pm) and scores from both rounds will be added together to see whom from each grouping makes it into round 3.

Feedback for my round one entry should be received at some point tomorrow, so contestants will have the info before round two. I always like to read and absorb the professional feedback; frankly, I think that alone is worth the cost of admission, so to speak.

Live and learn.

Sovann and Zarina were granted a seven-day to move from their home on the outskirts of the capital into their assigned apartment in the High Matriarch’s Citadel, at the center of Capital City.

It was a lovely apartment in the East Tower, comfortably furnished. Zarina was pleased to learn she would have her own bedroom, instead of an alcove off of her mother’s. She was also excited to attend school at the Citadel, and meet other children whose mothers were as special as her own.

Sovann looked at her reflection in the hallway mirror. She had been fitted for several bright blue dresses, each of which featured two small gold buttons below the throat, a thin blue and gold braided belt, and the required gauzy black veil to cover her head and face at all times when out in public. Inside the Citadel, away from public view, her face could remain uncovered. Sovann’s long hair was in a simple plait down her back, and several dark hair pins held the veil firmly in place.

As an Apprentice Matriarch - a position that she would hold for her first five years of service - these dresses would be her daily work wear.

Most of her days from now on would be spent in the study of national and international laws and important legal decisions, centuries of history, the variety of belief systems that might influence the Sovereignty, and much more. Sovann would sit in on all Council sessions, but would not have a voice in the Council itself - only within the cloistered privacy of the Chambers - until she had graduated to full Matriarch status. She was primarily to absorb information, to help her make rational decisions in the future.

Sovann knocked lightly on Zarina’s door before opening it. “Are you dressed and ready for school?”

Just like her mother, Zarina was admiring her reflection. The loose white shirt sleeves fluttered at her elbows, and the knee length blue jumper looked lovely on her - the color brought out her eyes and bright smile. “Yes, mama - I’m ready!”

“I made you jam toast. Eat quickly, then I’ll bring you down to your school room.”

=#=#=#=#= ( Read more... )

Mary entered her mistress’s study with a polite knock and a perfunctory curtsey.

“What is it, Mary?”

Mary approached her mistress’s writing desk. “A letter has arrived for you, madam.”

Martha took it, and waved Mary away with a warm smile. “Thank you, you may go.”

As soon as she was alone, Martha gazed at the folded parchment. She did not recognize the handwriting. It wasn’t her husband’s hasty script, at any rate.

She broke the wax seal and read the contents. As she did, a slow smile spread across her youthful face, and she brushed a wayward lock of auburn hair back behind her ear as she quickly rose, strode to the doorway, and glanced down the hall. “Mary, come to my quarters - we have a trip to pack for!”

=#=#=#=#=

The following morning, Martha and her maidservant boarded the estate’s private carriage. A footman rode at the back, and the driver sat stiffly up front on the box seat. Her oak traveling case - filled with a selection of her favorite gowns, petticoats, aprons, and shifts - was safely stored on the roof, along with a much smaller case with a change of clothes for Mary.

The horses nickered as they started out on their long journey from Virginia to Pennsylvania, one that Martha knew would take at least five days.

The steady clip-clop of the horses iron-shod hooves, along with the oppressive June humidity, soon put Mary into a light doze on the seat opposite hers, while Martha nimbly worked on decorating the border of a large kerchief with elaborate embroidery.

Martha hadn’t seen her husband in nearly six months, and had been pleasantly surprised at being sent for. She could hardly wait to throw herself into his arms and kiss his soft lips. He wasn’t much of a talker, but his smile melted her heart.

She sighed happily and cast her hazel gaze over the slowly moving landscape outside her carriage window for a few minutes, before turning her attention back to her needlework.

=#=#=#=#=
( Read more... )

Because I’m stubborn, even though it doesn’t matter any more, I took the judges feedback and re-edited my piece. It is now 99 words. I do agree that it’s much stronger. But at the time, we only had 24 hours to write the original piece, so there’s that.

At any rate, here is the edited version.


Surrender

Eva had finally exhausted herself.

She sprawled on the bathroom floor in her pajamas. Eyes red and puffy, she had cried herself dry. Crumpled tissues littered the tiles like fluffy dandelions, and the box was empty.

She was empty.

Every month, the wait was the hardest. Again and again, their results were negative.

They had failed.

The doctors had failed.

Her body had failed.

Eva’s bruised and bloated abdomen attested to their efforts. They had tried so many times. She couldn’t go through this heartbreak again. It was exhausting.

She took a shaky breath, and stood.

They were done.

Ellie lounged on the couch, her back bolstered by the padded armrest. She peeled back the Velcro bands from her AirCast and removed the confining brace from her foot with a happy sigh. Gingerly, she slowly wiggled her toes then dutifully propped her ankle on a small pile of pillows to keep it elevated.

Her ankle was finally enjoying a bit of freedom after almost a week wrapped in compression bandages.

Ellie had partially torn several ligaments in her ankle while she and her husband Jon were on their anniversary vacation in Vanuatu. Her injury had forced them to cut their Survivor-esque time on the island short. The tribe hadn’t spoken, and Jeff Probst was nowhere in sight, but the island had chosen to eliminate her anyway.

Jon had been amazingly brilliant at fashioning a travois for her from available materials, and the addition of their sturdy fishing net made it almost comfortable to be dragged on for nearly three miles back to the small airstrip. Almost.

Ellie refocused her attention on her laptop, and was fashioning a reply to her co-worker’s email when she heard the low rumble of the garage door opening, then closing again a few minutes later. Jon was home.

Jon came upstairs from the garage level and draped his lab coat over the railing. His smile always brightened her day.

“What’s up, buttercup?”

She replied as expected. “What’s the gist, pharmacist?”

It was an old joke that they shared, partially stolen from one of their favorite geeky TV shows. She was a floral designer in a local florist shop, and he - obviously - was a pharmacist.

“How was work?” Ellie asked, as he gently sat on the far end of the couch, being careful not to bump her foot.

Jon shrugged and unknotted his tie. “Not too bad. I helped a customer avoid a potentially nasty drug interaction, so that was my big accomplishment of the day. Any updates from the doctor?”

She shook her head. “No, but my follow up appointment isn’t until next Thursday, so I guess I’ll be wearing the brace at least until then, and using the crutches as needed.”

“Don’t overdo it,” he advised, eying her foot carefully for any unexplained swelling or bruises. After a few sedentary minutes, he rose from the couch and stretched.

“How does a grilled ham & cheese sandwich sound for dinner?”

Ellie beamed. “Split a can of tomato soup with me, and it’s a deal.”

Jon bent over and planted a kiss on his favorite florist. “I love you.”

“You’d better, if you know what’s good for you,” Ellie replied with a wink.

Jon laughed, pushed his glasses back into place, and went to make dinner.

Love was the best medicine.