Earth In Mind, D. Avery
“Sofie! Marlie! There must be 100 candles on that cake!”
“There are Mommy! That’s how Sofie does it, for when she gets to be 100 years old. But we’ll only light nine of them today.”
Marlie held her Destiny doll up so she could see Sofie’s birthday cake shouldering its phalanxes of candles. “What do you think, Destiny?”
When the doll responded it was in the deep round voice of Madame Destiny, the prophetess. “Light all the candles.”
Liz’s eyes sought help from her husband and Sofie’s mother who walked in just as the decree was issued.
“Brilliant idea!”
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“Bill! That’s absolutely dangerous!”
“Not on the patio.”
“Toni, are you sure you want this man homeschooling your daughter along with my wild child?”
“You should have seen the math your girls did today with those hundred candles. It’s all play to them. Guided play.”
“Guided play… sounds like a good way to learn, Bill. And, honestly, I’d like to learn what Madame Destiny has in mind. Let’s light a hundred candles!”
With each candle they lit the two girls wished another hundred birthdays for Mother Earth.
“10,00 more! She’ll be old, Mommy, but we’ll take care of her.”
The May 21, 2020, Carrot Ranch prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about 100 candles. What do they light, and why? Think about contrast or symbolism. Are the candles large, small, or stars in the night? Go where the prompt leads!
With a slight nod to last week’s ‘absolute danger’ prompt, this week I was led again by Marlie and her friend Sofie. With all five working at home now, the two families are QEFs (quarantined exclusive friends) so can safely celebrate Sofie’s birthday together as well as continuing the homeschooling arrangement.
I like the idea you’ve captured here 🙂
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Thank you. I wasn’t sure where this one was going to land. So I left it to the girls.
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Ah, the muse and her girls….
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What a great idea. Unfortunately, I think Covid-19 might knock the candles off the cake, but I do love the thought of having 100 candles as the age to aim for. I like even more the candles for Mother Earth’s birthday. 🙂
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That’s all I had to go with, Sofie’s hundred candle tradition. Almost didn’t write it, seemed it had nowhere to go. (actually I got distracted by the math the girls did with those candles) But I let it go and here’s where it went. I like Marlie’s optimism and faith combined with innocence.
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I like where it went. 🙂
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Am I the only one who read this as a possessed doll trying to burn the house down?
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YES! (I hope so, anyway, but you made me laugh)
The doll has had recurring roles but yeah, maybe creepy in a standalone such as this.
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That’s what one hopes every child is saying. (K)
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If only the adults had too all along.
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I know. It’s depressing (that’s US)
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I like Marlie! Light ’em all, lol
Hey, missed you at the Six!!
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I missed me at the Six! It’s been a hectic week. My pen fell and I couldn’t pick it up. I eternally kick myself for missing out. You need to do the blog bluster and leave your link at the Saddle Up Saloon. (See my most recent post) Hey, a six sentence response to you!
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lol I hear you on hectic. What a challenge! Nine words??
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If you go through the entire process, 99, 59, 9- you will get more than the sum of those words, though the word count be 9.
Stay tuned, I just finished a Six! With last week’s word… oh shift, I wonder if this week’s word is in it…
Seriously those nine are a great exercise.
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I’ll give it a shot. Trimming to an extreme. Sounds and looks like very good practice.
Wonderful! But I’ve go to wait at least until Wednesday to read your Six 😀
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Marlie and Sophie, lead well.
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