The March 11, 2021, Carrot Ranch flash fiction prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about deep wishes. Where is the deep — in the sky, the ground, or outer space? What kind of wishes reside there and for whom and why? Go where the prompt leads!
Respond by March 16, 2021.
Where the Deep Wishes Go
Sally gazed into the watery darkness of the well. As if reciting a prayer, she whispered with reverence, “This is where the deep wishes go.”
Her smaller sister Elizabeth asked, “Do we say it now?”
“Not yet. When we see the moon slip inside the well, then we say it.”
At dusk, the white sphere ascended into the sky. A hazy shape reflected in the inky depths of the well. Beyond the shadows from the trees, musket fire sparkled against the sky.
Sally and Elizabeth joined hands. “Please grant our wish and bring our father home safe to us.”
Colleen M. Chesebro is a Michigan Poet who loves crafting syllabic poetry, flash fiction, and creative fiction and nonfiction. Colleen sponsors a weekly syllabic poetry challenge, called Tanka Tuesday, on wordcraftpoetry.com where participants learn how to write traditional and current forms of haiku, senryu, haiga, tanka, gogyohka, tanka prose, renga, solo-renga, haibun, cinquain, Etheree, nonet, shadorma, Badger’s hexastich, Abhanga, and diatelle poetry.
Colleen's syllabic poetry has appeared in “Hedgerow, a journal of small poems,” and in various other online publications. She’s won many awards from participating in the Carrot Ranch Rodeo, a yearly 99-word flash fiction contest sponsored by carrotranch.com, an online writing community. Recently, she created the Double Ennead, a 99-syllable poetry form for Carrot Ranch.
Colleen has published a collection of poetry, flash fiction, and short stories called, “Fairies, Myths & Magic: A Summer Celebration,” dedicated to the Summer Solstice. She contributed a short story called “The Changeling,” in the “Ghostly Rites Anthology 2020” published by Plaisted Publishing House.
Colleen Chesebro’s poetry blog is called Word Craft – Prose & Poetry at https://wordcraftpoetry.com/
Her author blog is found at https://colleenchesebro.com where you will find her poetry and short stories.
View all posts by Colleen M. Chesebro
13 thoughts on ““Where the Deep Wishes Go,” flash fiction”
Makes you wonder where her father is. A lovely story of wishing well and the innocence of children. Like the description of the “hazy shape reflected in the inky depths of the well…”
Thi was sweet. I especially liked the older/younger sibling interactions. The young one is always so impatient and looks up to the older one. At least for a while…
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May their wish come true, Colleen:)
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Thanks so much, Denise. 🙏🏻❤️
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I like the haunting, somber tone of this piece, and the heartfelt wish of the two sisters.
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Thank you, Robert. The innocent children trying to save their father from war invokes emotions for sure. ❤️
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Makes you wonder where her father is. A lovely story of wishing well and the innocence of children. Like the description of the “hazy shape reflected in the inky depths of the well…”
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Thank you. That child-like innocence mixed in with the duties of trying to save their father from the perils of war… it’s a age old theme isn’t? ❤️
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The theme might have been used before, but you have presented the story very well. Your descriptions are unique and made a lovely read.
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What a nice thing to say. Thank you. I let the oracle (muse) guide me on this one. Those little girls really captured my imagination. ❤
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Great blog :))
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Thank you. 🥰
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Thi was sweet. I especially liked the older/younger sibling interactions. The young one is always so impatient and looks up to the older one. At least for a while…
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So true. It’s funny how those interactions make their way into our writing. Thanks so much, Goldie. ❤
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