Frozen Echoes
Echoes of laughter-laced music from last night’s party crept out from behind the tree line and moved across the field. The piney air carried the suggestion of alcohol-doused firewood and nearly frozen vomit, followed by something not quite appropriate to the occasion – the unmistakable scent of fresh blood.
“What do you think it is, Pa,” Robby asked, “a wolf kill?”
“More’n likely a human kill, son. Folks get mighty worked up when booze is involved, find it easy to let themselves go. But there’s lines you just don’t cross, and once you’ve gone over, there’s no getting yourself back.”
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Written in response to the May 3, 2018, flash fiction challenge at Carrot Ranch Communications.
In 99 words (no more, no less) use a line in your story. You can think of the variation of the word meaning, or you can think of visual references. Go where the prompt leads.
And because I love a good prompt mash-up, this week’s flash does double-duty for the Six Sentence Stories link-up. Each week writers are asked to tell a story in just six sentences. This week’s prompt was ECHO. Visit Girlie on the Edge‘s blog for this week’s stories. Check out the entries here or add your own!
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Sounds like a snippet from a great, longer story. Fantastic!
Thanks, Liz!
Yes, I want to know more…
I may just have to consider expanding this one. Thanks for visiting, Christine!
Lisa! You’re soooo good at this. 🙂
Tell the masses! 😀 And thanks. 😉
You always provide something graphically descriptive (frozen vomit) and real, with a dose of the macabre. Great use of both prompts.
Thanks, Val. These two just happened to work together. It was unintentional, really, but then there it was. Gotta love it.
Excellent!
Thanks, Paul. Love when I can incorporate more than one challenge – makes it interesting. These two worked well.
“…”alcohol-doused firewood and nearly frozen vomit”
I want to be able to come up with lines like that! lol damn what concise yet engaging Six! very cool
Thanks, Clark. You come up with some pretty amazing stuff yourself, and I often say to myself, “damn, I want to do words like Clark.” 😀
Concise is necessary with the Carrot Ranch prompts. Just 99 words – no more, no less. It’s been a great way to force myself to make efficient choices.
So true — you cross certain lines, you wonder who you have allowed yourself to become. Well done!
Oh, well said, Mimi. I think everyone experiences that at some point in life – not necessarily in a bad way. But for some, it takes a much more extreme direction.
That’s a grim scene and unseen in this six is someone with a foggy and aching head full of oh shit what happened, I’m thinking.
Haha – yes, definitely. And they’re not laughing about it, either.
Even as I was reading I wondered if this was a mash-up of the “line” and “echo” prompts. Outstanding! Spooky little story, and that photo is lovely.
Indeed it is, Deborah – they just happened to work well together. And thank you.
Nabbed the photo from Pixabay, my go-to for pics.
I love the picture.
Frozen vomit – ewww but excellent lol You crafted a very mysterious, if not ominous SSS.
Excellent job on the dueling hops 😀
Wasn’t that perfect? (The picture, not the vomit.) (OK, well the vomit fits pretty well, too. LOL)
Thanks!
Well done! So glad I was only reading this and not at such a scene. Alcohol has been the beginning of a sad ending for many people.
That is an unfortunate truth, Pat. Thanks!
Great flash, Lisa. It reminds me of the opening to a murder mystery.
Thanks, Charli!
Love it. Leaves me wanting more, and more, and more. Well crafted words.
Thanks, Kitt!
OMG so so good! More!
Thanks! Oh my gosh, I haven’t posted in FOREVER. So embarrassed. LOL
I’m intrigued—have you written more since this post went up? It’s really good!
Oh, Marcia – no, I haven’t! I should. I need to. I’ve been on a very long break the last few months. I’m working my way back, though. Thanks for reading!