
The January 28, 2021, Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge prompt is special. This 99-word story prompt will be posted and presented to Sue Vincent on February 17. If you want to be included in this collection, respond through the form by February 11, 2021. Use the comment section at the Ranch to share, read, and be social. You may leave a link, pingback, or story in the comments. See the Rules & Guidelines.
The prompt is to, “in 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about life as a river of consciousness. Think about the possibilities of the prompt. Go where the prompt leads!” After struggling and worrying about my dried up well regarding this river prompt I went where the prompt led me, though that may be a foreign place for many readers.
The Hunter
The pale winter light was already waning when he began following the buck.
Only the frost sparkled moon witnessed his pursuit farther and farther into the snowy woods.
The buck loped across the snow covered river, looked back from the tree line. He followed. Midway he heard water chuckling under soft ice. Breaking through, he chuckled too, suddenly realizing the joke.
Letting go his rifle, he slogged through deep icy slush, pulled himself up to where the deer had disappeared. Soaked and freezing, he nestled into the snow, saw the river of stars overhead.
He chuckled again. Another river.
Thank you, D!
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You’re welcome…
Thank you for reading. Took me a while to get going with this prompt so I took to the woods.
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Sounds like a good plan!
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Glad the buck didn’t stop with the hunter. 😉 Nicely done.
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Thanks Doug.
I’m glad he was a good sport about how that hunt ended.
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I like your use of the multiple meanings of reflection. (K)
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Thank you. I hope it’s clear from the 99 words that he is going to freeze to death there under the Styx-like stars.
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There are worse endings.
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Beautiful, D. What a timeless story in a way, Man against Nature, and coming to recognize his place in the story. Somehow, I missed this prompt. What a beautiful collection for Sue. Carrot Ranch has been wonderful to recognize this marvelous human being.
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Thank you D.
If you have something for this prompt put it in the form at the Jan 28 Carrot Ranch post, I can snag it and get it into the collection if I see it before Tuesday evening. (I’m helping out again) You should be in this collection for Sue.
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I’ll try, D. I have a grant to write today for a non-blog project, but… well… I’ll pop on my writing hat and see what comes up this afternoon!
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I just popped something in there!! Thanks so much for holding the prompt open. I’m so glad that I can contribute. 🙂 I’ll share it on my blog soon, but I want to leave her book and poem up for a few more days. Thanks!
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Got it! You are in. It’s scheduled for Wednesday.
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Yay. Thank you so much!!!
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The buck stopped there and had the last laugh. I like the “chuckling water.” Great story, D. Kinda sad ending, but well-written.
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Thank you.
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Lovely use of words. ‘water chuckling under soft ice….’ Beautiful
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Thank you.
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This would have also been perfect for the “frozen” challenge.
Btw, what does CRLC stand for? Carrot Ranch… Literary challenge?
Sometimes all we look at is down below, missing everything going on around us. Other times we are just so focused on what we’re chasing that we forget to check our footing.
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Yeah. This freezing is what will get the hunter across the next river.
Carrot Ranch Literary Community, a favorite playground!
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(ohhh, I just looked at CR’s website and see that LC stands for ‘literary community.’ Mystery solved!)
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