Geo-Writing Flash Fiction: Red Balloon

Geo-Writing's prompts were based on your location. My prompt (in Johannesburg, South Africa) was 'a photo of a red balloon on Facebook'. You can read all the stories over here.

Red Balloon

My parents told me that I was a soul they found floating above a stretch of grass next to the highway on their way to Johannesburg. My mom said I looked like a red balloon, and that she caught me before I could snag on a wiry tree or float down into the prickly winter-brown grass.

I never quite understood how I went from a balloon-shaped soul to human, but I knew I was different. In time the balloon became a silly bedtime story to grow out of. I acted like balloons didn't scare me. I carried balloons around because other children did. Balloons would slip from their fingers and disappear into the sky, but I could never let one go.

When I turned thirteen my parents told me that I was given up by my biological parents. Parents who, like so many others, had left the country. As if leaving me wasn't enough. As if I wasn't enough reason to stay.

It took a lot of time to find her name. On Facebook was a story of her new coffee table book set in Brighton - a far-away world of strangers. Snapshots of her, a red balloon and two toddlers. A photo of a lone red balloon above Brighton.

I choked as my soul spilled onto the floor with my tears. Mom caught me and snapped the laptop shut.

If only I were a balloon. Then I could float away. Then I could disappear.

#182122396 / gettyimages.com

Mythology as Writing Inspiration: The Mythical Creatures Bible

The Mythical Creatures Bible: a Definitive Guide to Legendary Beings by Brenda Rosen

Although The Mythical Creatures Bible is a small volume (only in size, it has nearly 400 pages), it contains a huge variety of mythological and folklore figures and almost all of them are illustrated.

The volume consists of five parts:

• An introduction
• Fabulous Animals
• Creatures from the Shadow World
• Nature Spirits
• Sacred Creatures

The 250 beings are grouped together by similarity, not by mythology, which makes it very easy to see how different cultures and religions react to similar occurrences or types of beings. This is quite similar to the way in which The Golden Bough and parts of Wilkinson’s Myths & Legends: An Illustrated Guide to Their Origins and Meanings are structured.

Folktales, myths, cultural epics

A short description of the differences between folktales, legends, and myths are given, as well as references to “cultural epics” like the Ramayana (Which is still on my to-read list). The meaning and a description of the popular heraldic animals are given (though this is only two pages long and other sources should be consulted for an in-depth look).

Astrology, films, books, and cryptozoology

Both astrological creatures, like the Capricorn, and the Chinese zodiac is covered in a few pages. This gives the reader the basic knowledge, but, again, this isn’t the book for you if you only want information on these subjects.

The use of mythological creatures and monsters are given a few pages, covering only the most popular beings like Frankenstein’s monster. Cryptozoology is covered with short explanations and a short discussion of Bigfoot, Yeti, and Loch Ness monster.

The beings themselves

What delights me about this book is that it contains such a wide variety of creatures. While it contains some human figures, it focuses mostly on animals, hybrid creatures, and the supernatural. It contains creatures from the fairies of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to the array of dragons found all over the world and from Quetzalcoatl to the Buraq.

The text is kept simple, letting the illustrations do most of the talking, and this contributes to the way which makes this book a good starting point for these beings. This volume can be used extremely well as inspiration for art and writing, or simply if you want to know more about the creatures found in your favourite speculative fiction.

Rosen,Brenda. (2009). The Mythical CreaturesBible: The Definitive Guide to Legendary Beings. New York: Sterling Publishing Company.

Geo-Writing Flash Fiction: Red Balloon

Geo-Writing's prompts were based on your location. My prompt (in Johannesburg, South Africa) was 'a photo of a red balloon on Facebook'. You can read all the stories over here.

Red Balloon

My parents told me that I was a soul they found floating above a stretch of grass next to the highway on their way to Johannesburg. My mom said I looked like a red balloon, and that she caught me before I could snag on a wiry tree or float down into the prickly winter-brown grass.

I never quite understood how I went from a balloon-shaped soul to human, but I knew I was different. In time the balloon became a silly bedtime story to grow out of. I acted like balloons didn't scare me. I carried balloons around because other children did. Balloons would slip from their fingers and disappear into the sky, but I could never let one go.

When I turned thirteen my parents told me that I was given up by my biological parents. Parents who, like so many others, had left the country. As if leaving me wasn't enough. As if I wasn't enough reason to stay.

It took a lot of time to find her name. On Facebook was a story of her new coffee table book set in Brighton - a far-away world of strangers. Snapshots of her, a red balloon and two toddlers. A photo of a lone red balloon above Brighton.

I choked as my soul spilled onto the floor with my tears. Mom caught me and snapped the laptop shut.

If only I were a balloon. Then I could float away. Then I could disappear.

#182122396 / gettyimages.com

Flash Fiction: Lullaby

This flash piece was written for the 10 October2014 Flash! Friday competition and received third runner up.  The photo and “a surgery” was the prompt. 

The story “Shells”also received third runner up.

Lullaby

I crept from beneath the bed when the clowns left. Some of the children laughed at their antics, but Anton refused. He said they looked like painted nightmares, but I envied them. I couldn’t hide my disfigured face.

“Will you go with me into surgery?” His eyes were huge in his pale face.

I nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed I took his hand and sang him his lullaby. I wanted to tell him I was sorry that the doctors were going to change his mind.

We cried in the theatre. The doctors thought he was scared of needles. But we both knew what the surgery meant.

I held his hand and sang his lullaby as he fell asleep on the table. And I held it through the whole surgery. He was my human and I his bogeyman. He was my best friend. And he would never be able to see me again.

Circus clowns visit sick boy. CC photo Boston Public Library.

And now a new journey starts

Nou begin 'n nuwe reis