Friday 30 May 2014

Flash Fiction Friday By HL Carpenter

My Summer Vacation By HL Carpenter


Name: Tovi Taggert
Class: Honeysuckle Hollow High Freshman Honors English
Assignment: Essay—My Summer Vacation
Due Date: The first day of school
Mom and I are spending the summer in Honeysuckle Hollow because Gramma fell down and broke her hip. We’re moving back to the city as soon as she’s better.
 
That’s lame. I have no idea how to write this essay. I’d rather draw a picture. I’m better at drawing than writing, though it’s hard to do either while I’m sitting in Honeysuckle Hollow Park, where it’s darker than dark this time of night. I don’t like the dark. Do you? I mean, it’s all right when you’re in your house, and you know all the shadows, and the green glow from the nightlight in the hall lets you see nothing’s hiding in the corners, ready to pounce.
 
At least I have my phone—not that I can call anyone, because the phone doesn’t work in the park, which, as I already told you, is where I am. In the park, in the dark—Ha! That rhymes! I’m a poet and don’t know it. Sorry. I get silly when I’m sort-of-scared. I’m not really scared, despite all the creepy, crawly critters that are probably surrounding me this very moment, ready to take a nip out of my backside or gnaw off my arm. I’m just a little scared. All right. A lot scared. It’s so darn...dark.
 
I’ll be okay if I don’t think about how dark it is. I can do this. I will do this. I will sit in this stupid park in the stupid dirt under this stupid tree all night. By myself. Waiting to be chewed on by creepy crawlies and whatever else skittles through the dark. I will prove to Jen I’m not afraid. Then I’ll finally have a friend in Honeysuckle Hollow. Three friends, because if Jen’s my friend, then M.J. and Terri will be, too.
 
Hey! What’s that—oh, the wind is shaking the tree branches. They look like dancing skeletons. Sometimes I forget those spooky legends Gramma tells are only—wait! That sounds like footsteps! It...it could be Jen. She said she’d come by to make sure I followed through with my promise to spend the night in the park. I’m positive she will. She’ll be here any minute. Then I won’t be alone in the dark.
 
"Jen? Jen, is that you?"



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Welcome HL Carpenter - A mother/daughter combination! Thank you for participating in Flash Fiction Friday. This piece sets the scene so well. I was immediately drawn in and now I want to know - Who's there???


 
Tell us three things about yourselves.
 
1.  We write because...we love to read.
2.  If we were a character in a book, we would be...one feisty heroine!
3.  Our superhuman power would be...mindreading. No, flying. No, mindreading while flying. :)

 

Connect with this dynamic duo and learn more.
 
The Carpenters write from their studios in Carpenter Country, a magical place that, like their stories, is unreal but not untrue. The SkyHorse, featuring fourteen-year-old Tovi Taggert, was their first young adult e-novel. Keep up with what’s going on in Carpenter Country at HLCarpenter.com, or connect on Google+.
 

We encourage readers to comment on this Flash Fiction Friday piece. What are your thoughts? 

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the opportunity to participate, Melissa!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Helen and Lorri for participating. I enjoyed your story and conversational writing style. Good luck!

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  2. Nice! I like the style, as if the narrator is speaking directly to us. Pulls me right into the story.

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