Monday, April 2, 2012

Blackden Barrens #atozchallenge

 

For the A to Z Challenge, I'm having twenty-six flash fiction pieces from my Foxwick Kingdom and its surrounding neighbors. Soon A to Z Flashes of Foxwick will be available in e-book format. You can add this to your Goodreads list here.


B

Blackden Barrens


Sparse grasses swayed like a metronome. Stunted trees, blackened from fire’s fury, poked from the ground. A lizard crept over rocks and scurried into a crevasse as the phoenix glided over Blackden Barrens. Men did not belong to this wild place, and yet they marched in a quest for one item: a feather. But it was not an ordinary feather from any bird. The phoenix feather was a granter of dreams, of fortunes, of magic.
The brilliant bird’s shadow crossed over its territory. Its song poured into these men’s souls, tempting, lilting, loving. The creature begged them to forget it, for being the bearer of the phoenix feather was an arduous task. One filled with immortality mixed with painful endings and beginnings.
In a flash of flames, the phoenix plummeted to the cliff’s edge. Ashes mingled with the dry dirt. The sea’s spray could not reach the Barrens.
How long had it been since the rain?
A breeze scattered the ash and uncovered a single flower, a daisy with its snow white petals and sunburst center. Beside it, a downy-coated baby phoenix chirped.




Now if you want to learn more about authors, I’m featuring up to three per day on my blog Surrounded by Books Reviews. To find the other participants, click here.

19 comments:

Christine Rains said...

Great imagery. Love the picture of the phoenix falling from the cliff and the baby popping up in the ash.

Rekha said...

Loved the imagery and the touch of sadness that lingers in this piece.

Peggy Eddleman said...

Fabulous scene setting! Very nice!

Jaycee DeLorenzo said...

Wonderful imagery! I saw metronome and my head started moving side to side while I continued reading. Yeah, I'm weird like that!

Great B!

Happy Monday!
Jaycee's A-Z

~Sia McKye~ said...

I've always admired those who can write flash fiction. You say so much in so few words. I love the ending, Cherie. It appealed to my optimistic soul--always some new is born from tragedy. If we look.


Sia McKye OVER COFFEE

Unknown said...

Lovely, Cherie. You're doing a great job. Your prose is so descriptive evoking the most wonderful images.

M Pax said...

Loved this birth of a baby phoenix. Nice work, Cherie.

Claire Hennessy said...

What a great theme for this challenge. Nice piece and loved the ending.

Fairview said...

wonderful! I love your writing style! Back tomorrow for sure!

Unknown said...

Love it! The Phoenix isn't used enough in fiction - I want to see it make a come back (as befits its nature)


Jamie Gibbs
Fellow A-Z Buddy
Mithril Wisdom

Unknown said...

My mouth ran dry at your imagery. When was the last rain? The dirt. Very good writing.

Alleged Author said...

Ooooh...you really know how to set a scene!

Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...

Lovely writing, as calming a the sea ... or perhaps the touch of a downy-coated baby phoenix!
Nice to meet you!
Happy A to Z!

Sarah Tokeley said...

I love this. Melancholy yet ending with optimism.

Unknown said...

Gorgeous writing! The first two lines especially.

J.C. Martin said...

Love it! The ending is so sweet and hopeful. I'm looking forward to your A to Z book.

J.C. Martin
A to Z Blogger

Steven Chapman said...

Wonderful flash piece, Cherie. Looking forward to some more adventures in Foxwick.

Julie Flanders said...

The imagery is amazing and I love just the name Blackden Barrens. I always love melancholy pieces, and this is perfect.

Now on to C! :)

Unknown said...

Beautifully written. I love stories about phoenixes.