Recluse

The light came again, shrinking my circle of sanctuary. I shut my sun-scorched eyes and pressed my limbs into the safety of roots and earth, their presence steadying me.

You knew it would come again, and you know it will go again too, I whispered to myself, letting the pain ease before I opened my eyes again.

The light was still there, dimmer than it had been when I was pulled from my dark and tossed among these roots.


“You won’t last,” I hissed. “Night will come. I’ll see without pain, find better shelter and good hunting then. I’ll wait.”


Clouds Above the Trees, photo by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

Song Choice: Boris the Spider by The Who

This bit of flash fiction was inspired by the photo prompt given at Friday Fictioneers. 

Posted by on
Labels: , , ,

46 comments:

  1. Iain KellyMarch 1, 2017 at 7:13 PM

    Interesting take on the prompt, some sort of vampire perhaps? Well written.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Magaly GuerreroMarch 1, 2017 at 9:21 PM

    I want to know who she is. And more than that, I want to know who the tossers are... Because I suspect that when night comes, they will be sorry... really, really sorry. She is so pissed off.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RommyMarch 9, 2017 at 10:22 AM

      Oh she has all day to condense her anger into something quite poisonous.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousMarch 1, 2017 at 9:22 PM

    Wow! Wonderful drift in imagination with hope

    ReplyDelete
  4. brudbergMarch 2, 2017 at 12:23 AM

    This sounds like someone looking for his precious... to be nocturnal can be both strength and weakness

    ReplyDelete
  5. grapelingMarch 2, 2017 at 12:27 AM

    vivid ~

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RommyMarch 9, 2017 at 10:23 AM

      Thanks! It's not easy to get there in 100 words.

      Delete
  6. Melancholy and MenaceMarch 2, 2017 at 2:50 AM

    Wonderful writing ☺

    ReplyDelete
  7. dralimanMarch 2, 2017 at 3:31 AM

    A creature of the night and a predator to boot. Nice story!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RommyMarch 9, 2017 at 10:29 AM

      I wanted to go in a slightly different direction with the prompt's imagery. :D

      Delete
  8. Debra She Who SeeksMarch 2, 2017 at 8:08 AM

    For whatever reason, this made me think of February 2nd's groundhog.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RommyMarch 9, 2017 at 10:30 AM

      I imagine the groundhog would be pretty irate at getting pulled out of its home for the amusement of human beings with access to perfectly good weather satellites.

      Delete
  9. RussellMarch 2, 2017 at 9:23 AM

    A nocturnal creature and hunter. I like that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RommyMarch 9, 2017 at 10:30 AM

      It was a different way to approach the prompt. I sometimes like being a bit odd.

      Delete
  10. Jane DoughertyMarch 2, 2017 at 3:08 PM

    Intriguing excerpt from a longer story. There's a lot of backstory here waiting to unfold.

    ReplyDelete
  11. plaridelMarch 2, 2017 at 11:56 PM

    a creature of the night ready to be unleashed. i shudder at the thought.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Gah LearnerMarch 3, 2017 at 11:14 AM

    Very intriguing. I guess someone destroyed the protagonist's nest/shelter and now s/he'll have her revenge. I also thought Vampire until I saw your choice of music. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RommyMarch 9, 2017 at 10:33 AM

      LOL...I wondered how many people would pick up on that! This was partially inspired by true events of finding a ginormous spider in my basement and hurrying to get her outside before my arachnophobia daughter saw her. When I realized I had tossed something that clearly preferred the dark out into bright sunlight, I felt bad for the spider. I should have at least been kind enough to put her under the shade of a porch.

      Delete
  13. Ima ErthwitchMarch 3, 2017 at 12:36 PM

    Loved this. Reminds me of Owl, caught off guard by sudden daylight.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RommyMarch 9, 2017 at 10:35 AM

      Once dark comes, she'll have the advantage again.

      Delete
  14. Lynn LoveMarch 4, 2017 at 12:24 PM

    Lovely, dark world she dwells in, a world she loves and is comfortable in. Not everyone is compfortable in the light. Great tale

    ReplyDelete
  15. Joy PixleyMarch 4, 2017 at 4:54 PM

    Hm, interesting and mysterious. Great sense of the creature waiting it out until the coast is clear and they are strong and in their element again.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Magic Love CrowMarch 4, 2017 at 7:47 PM

    Excellent writing!!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. DawnMarch 4, 2017 at 8:59 PM

    Wonderful crafting of words.

    ReplyDelete
  18. AnonymousMarch 5, 2017 at 12:30 AM

    Sun does not suit all. Nicely crafted.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Clare HempsteadMarch 5, 2017 at 4:32 AM

    These leaves me with so many questions! Nicely done.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Laura MorriganMarch 5, 2017 at 6:14 AM

    <3

    ReplyDelete
  21. Snow's Fissures and FracturesMarch 7, 2017 at 7:31 AM

    Loved the voice, I was imagining a mole. :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. AnonymousJune 21, 2017 at 4:27 AM

    Wonderful blog! I found it while searching on Yahoo News.
    Do you have any tips on how to get listed in Yahoo
    News? I've been trying for a while but I never seem to get there!
    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  23. AnonymousJune 5, 2018 at 1:05 AM

    Hi there! This article couldn't be written any better!
    Reading through this article reminds me of my previous roommate!
    He always kept preaching about this. I'll forward this
    post to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  24. AnonymousJune 13, 2018 at 5:16 PM

    I could not refrain from commenting. Well written!

    ReplyDelete
  25. AnonymousMarch 17, 2019 at 6:34 AM

    It is common for the foxes to exist in a group called a leash or a skulk, consisting of males, females and kits.
    The kits become independent by fall and generally have a life span of three to
    six years.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)