Echoes
Everything in the city made me think of her.
The concertina-buses she loved to ride, the way they swung round corners. The nights out that ended staggering onto those buses, her jubilant face blushed with exhausted intoxication. The mischief that looked so beautiful on her, lighting her face as her hand drifted under my waistband, the bus rocking us home.
The pigeons strutting the pavement with their pitiful mangled feet, their half missing toes, others hobbling entirely on amputated stumps. I’d never noticed it until she pointing it out, then I saw them everywhere; the persevering pigeons. I thought I’d lost track of the endlessly ridiculous hypotheses she came up with to explain it, all too aware of the real reason. Seeing a mismatched toed pigeon strutting across the windowsill made me think of her giggling, murmuring to me so as not to be overheard.
I saw her face in every shop window, half distorted, but there, her, for a moment. I’d catch the curve of her cheek, the sheen of her hair, in my peripheral vision and my heart would leap before I had chance to stop it. Only for the realisation of the illusion to be slammed home by my sudden stop before another pedestrian.
I passed her on the street every morning, a sudden gesture, a distant laugh, instantly bringing her back to me. Until I looked again, to find a stranger hurrying by. The apartment was worse, everything about it had a shadow of her. The sofa I could never sit in the middle of, the bed I could only get in from one side. The bathroom, without her plethora of toiletries, seemed suddenly larger, filled with a smothering hollow space.
Even here, in the middle of nowhere, I see her in the hills.
The Giantess
Estra sat at the back of the tent, listening to her husband argue with the council. She didn’t have it in her to hear Gildred dismissed like this.
Every member of the tribe was crammed into the tent, caught up in the debate, her hand slipped behind her, fingering the gap in the woven fabric. Taking advantage of a roar of opposition, she eased under the flap, the cool night air welcoming her in embrace.
The voices carried through the thin material, but out here, under the stars she had always known, they couldn’t reach her.
The path to the valley, the lake before, called out, the wind whispering along between the trees, catching her hair with it’s invitation. Her heart rose, eager to answer, but the concern furrowed over her brow stayed her step. The warriors would set out to meet the advancing army in the morning, the lake, her lake, would run red with the blood of men.
The war had raged for too long, the tiny forces incomprehensible pushing her gentle people further into the hills. This was their last refuge, they would make their stand, and it would be slaughter she feared wouldn’t stop. Grief, pared down to anger, sharped to hatred and now enraged, once freed, would engulf the land of men.
Estra crossed the mountains, skirting the lake to the only pass through the mountains her enemy was able to take. Their tiny forms had to pick through the peaks, and in the only opening, Estra the giant, lay down.
Her body blocked the passage, her mind drifted in mediation, entering the slumber of ages. As time went by, grass grew over her limbs, and the world of man forgot of the giants beyond.
I had really wanted to write a mythical story, of a goddess or spirit of the mists, but it just didn't come for me and I wanted to get these out with as much time before the deadline as possible. I wrote the two here the other way round, but had the initial ideas at the same time. I really like Echoes and the idea of seeing the shape of someone you loved and one way or another lost. I was a bit torn on including the other story, not wanting to take away at all from the first, I feel like it would have more weight read alone, but then I do like the idea behind the giantess story. Let me know what you think <3
This is my entry to #foxtales hosted by the delightful @vermillionfox - there is still a day left to write up to three stories inspired by this beautiful image and enter, so check out the main post and give it a go, entries can be up to 300 words which is a great challenge.
Artwork provided by the highly talented @vermillionfox as part of this contest, give her a follow for more of this
Feel that in the wind? Adventure is a-calling in this play along story
Read the story, taking on the role of the main character and along the way, find the hints hidden in the episodes. Use the hints to find the secret episode, await the appearance of the mystery riddle, and solve it to win a grand prize, but that's not all the bounty to be won, there is a haul to be distributed between participants with the best comments along the way. So head over, follow the trail and leave your mark on the wall. I wonder how many of you will turn down any of the dark paths I had a hand in...