What are the trees talking about? The willows, all turned out in bright new green, are trading gossip. The maples, still in the crinkled, unfolding-butterfly-wing stage of leafing out, are asking questions, all a-wonder. The hickories are popping their leaves out of giant buds like fireworks, and they're that excited. But the #pines, the evergreen pines, they're murmuring about winter. "This is just a warm spell. Wait a bit, a short six months, and it'll be cool again." #wss366#microfiction
"Do you think 'taste buds' is short for 'taste buddies,' like, little flavor friends in your mouth?" Sean asked.
"Nope. I absolutely do not think so," I said, cutting a #thick slice of bread & slathering it with honey.
"I wonder if you have tons of sweet taste buddies in your mouth," Sean said, watching. "Or hey--what if you have just one lonely sweet taste buddie trying to process all that honey? ... I wonder how they #measure how much sweetness each taste bud gets?"
On #roast days, when the surface temperature soars to 57 C, we stay underground. Dad wants to move to someplace that's livable aboveground all year round, but Mom doesn't want to leave. "My family's lived here for generations," she says. "Since before there even were roast days."
"So long as the water holds," Dad grumbles. It's the stock answer to "How you doing?"
"Well, water's holding and not too saline." (All right, I guess)
Solaria, Luna, & Estelle, freshman roommates at Arcturus Academy of Magic Arts, each brought a magical dorm-warming item. Solaria's family were laborers: they gave her a little cookpot that always had food in it.
Luna's father had done well as an accountant with the East Lanka Chamomile Company, & she brought a Sack of Holding out of which she pulled bedding & a wardrobe.
Estelle, however, took the prize with a Grandmother's #Trunk. It contained a whole alphabet of goods. #wss366#microfiction
Six-year-old Ami's idea of putting numbers in #order was unusual. She wrote
0 6 9 3 8 2 5 4 7 1.
and explained it like this:
"It's an order from soft & curved to sharp and straight. Zero is a whole soft oval. 6 & 9 try to make curls, & 3 makes double curls. 8 connects the doubles! Then 2 starts to uncurl & makes a sharp point. 5 has that, plus more straight parts. With 4, the curve is gone, & then it gets simpler for 7 & then down to just 1." #wss366#microfiction#numbers
Accused of rotting the fibers of society, the southern poet An Mei was #exiled to the northern steppes to contemplate her life choices.
"How will you continue in this barren land?" she was asked on her first night on the windy plains. A good question for one whose words of dissent came clothed in the wet heat and ten thousand colors of her tropical district.
"I'll remake myself and my work," she replied, eyes on the vast horizon, the mercilessly bright stars.
A tiny figure glinting in the sun rode a horse across the plains towards the dragon's mountain eyrie. "Sir Theobald." and the dragon rolled his eyes.
An hour later a clattering woke Emberbottom from their nap, "Why are you here, sir knight? I have no princesses, no treasures. Only death for you" then snorted a puff of fire. Emberbottom. watched as the knight helped a woman up behind him.
"#Fortify yourself, wyrm! I bring you the king's wife! You will wish I had slain you this day!" #wss366
Only two Wandering Shop Stories so far today for the word "temper," and yet it's SUCH A GOOD WORD. Feel like throwing a tale into the pot? Use temper, and tag your story with #wss366. #writing#WritersLife#prompt#microfiction
Totemo Isogashii & Lambda walked several kilometers from the country inn to the nearest town.
"Thank goodness they have a store where I can get a replacement cord!" she said. "Now you wait for me out here. Stay!"
Lambda barked & sat obediently on the sidewalk. As soon as Totemo entered, Lambda got up & loped to the back of the store.
After looking through the rather limited supplies available, Totemo finally found a suitable replacement, misplaced on a shelf. Chuffed, she picked it up.
1/2
Totemo brought the cord to the counter & the clerk was about to ring it up when the power in the store cut out.
"Sorry, Miss. You'll hafta come back."
"What? What's happened?" Totemo asked.
"Oh, this jus' happens out here in the country sometimes. Come back later this afternoon. Or t'morrow. We'll prolly have the power fixed by then 'n' I can check you out then."
Totemo, on the verge of losing her #temper, emerged from the store to find Lambda waiting patiently, tongue lolling.
2/2 #wss366
Come check out the #wss366 stories today--they're tagged with #shoulder. Join in, if you feel like it! ...No one's used "shoulder" as a verb yet! No one's been cold shouldered... possibilities abound for more #microfiction and #TinyTales using this #prompt!
Overnight, a wall of the Family Dollar had been bulldozed, goods taken, & topsoil spread where the wall had fallen.
"What's all this about?" asked a reporter for the Wristborough Reader.
"It's gotta be the Stamen #Syndicate," said the officer. "Fancy themselves real Robin Hoods--if they get wind of wage theft or other worker mistreatment, watch out. And we can't touch the crime scene, or they'll come after us. You wait: in 6 months, this'll be blooming with wildflowers." #wss366#microfiction
"I came for the treasure. Where's the treasure at? I'm on a schedule."
Everyone chatting by the fountain stopped & stared at the sweating, frowning newcomer.
"Why don't you #dunk your head in the fountain a moment? You'll feel much better."
Reluctantly, the treasure-seeker did as suggested. The water was cold & refreshing. He felt stresses, worries, gripes, and grudges slipping away with his memories as he lifted his head, dazed.
"Feel better now?"
"Y-yes... thank you!" #wss366#microfiction
8 y/o Natti sold Natti Friendship Bracelets on the playground until she ran out of yarn...At which point a fae w/a monocle & top hat appeared w/a basket of dry leaves & said, “These are #stock. Sell them for $1 each & add the buyers' names to your company name.” Soon NattiMattAhmedSashaMieLuisLynValHanne Friendship Bracelets had $$ for more yarn, & the sales of those bracelets earned enough for future yarn purchases. The fae steepled his thin hands. "Yesss, Another capitalist created!" #wss366
Momo sighed.
"Words are your #stock-in-trade," she said. "I engaged you for your political savvy." But then she glared at him. "But I really hate this. It's going to complicate to complicate everything I try to do with the nobility and, once again, put you in their sights."
"Pardon me again, Your Majesty," Revin said, with a grin. "Not me, but Common Temperance."
"Do you think they won't figure it out?"
"Oh, they'll suspect," he said. "But they won't be able to be sure."
Momo smiled.
"May I get you a cup of coffee, Your Majesty?" Revin inquired.
Momo, still steaming, waved a hand in acquiescence.
Revin nodded to Terrier who hastened off. Momo continued to peruse the book. Revin could see her hackles rise the more she read.
Revin met Terrier at the door and carried the tray over to the table.
"#Milk?" he asked. She waved again. Revin poured two cups, added milk, & then slid one over to her. She sipped at it absently, then looked at him.
"You wrote this, didn't you?"
"Can you help me with my #zipper, Susan?" pleaded Zsazsa.
The Butter Angels had won an award & were getting ready to attend the ceremony.
"Sure," said Suzan. Zsazsa turned & Susan carefully slid the zipper all the way up.
"Help me too!" demanded Booboo.
"Okay," said Susan.
Booboo lifted her skirt.
"What are you doing?" asked Susan.
"My zipper is on my panties!" she said.
"Ew," said Susan, jerking her hand back. "Where did you even get those?"
"Has anyone seen my undies?" asked Ruhrow.