HOL

Hello and welcome! After much deliberation (and many butterbeers), we have decided to switch things up a bit and bring back an old favorite:

*drumroll and pause for dramatic effect*

FLASH FICTION!

How it works:

Each week, we'll give you three random items. You create a tiny story of 30 to 50 words with them.

Time to get creative! Your story can be funny, serious, or completely random: from a simple 'this is how the day started' to finding out that the butler really did do it - in a galaxy far, far away! Write about anything you like -- but you need to include all 3 items and have a beginning, middle, and end in your story.

You must use the words (or a variant of the words, change of tense, make plural, etc.) provided for that week (no going back and using previous ones). Remember to keep the HOL rules in mind when creating your stories. Also, remember to put the number of words used after your story! (Make sure you have 30 - 50 words; you can do it! Please remember to write the number of words after your creation, as the sample shows.)

You’ll earn 15 beans per story!

Note: there are several word counters available online - The Word Counter, Word Counter, WORDCounter - so you can check out the number of words in your creation.

Have fun! We always look forward to reading your stories.

And here we go!!!

Our first set of words for February is

Fairy, Grove, Random

For example:

In a random act of defiance, I stalked down the forbidden path in the corner of the grove. I hoped to encounter a fairy or two; never mind that I was not wanted there.

"Stop, human!"

In my arrogance, I plowed forward. That was my first mistake. Stupid, girl! (49 words)

Monday has started again, and earlier when I went out, I happened to pass by a grove near my new neighborhood and a random thought crossed my mind, "Could there be fairy there?"

(33 words)

She sauntered along the path, taking random detours through the grove of trees. But then, what is this? Did she espy a fairy, aka one of the fair folk? Maybe so! Choices, choices. (33 words)

To avoid recent strange encounters in town, she retreated to the grove, walking the matted path beside unkempt grass and oaks. Suddenly, a fairy zipped up, yanked her hair, spun it like a jump rope, and left it tangled. Why do these random experiences keep happening to her? (48 words)

A random fairy wandered into the grove at noon and immediately tripped over a very judgmental mushroom. Determined to save her pride, she announced she was conducting important fairy business. Unfortunately, that business turned out to be chasing her own sparkle trail in circles for an hour. (47 words)

Beans have been sent!

The words for this week are:

Ugly, Ballerina, Flying

For example:

The ballerina was moving so fast that it seemed she was flying across the stage. For a little while, the ugly world was turned into a land of beauty and wonder.(31 words)

Ugly, Ballerina, Flying

A quiet day; it's good to lean against the tree and look up at the sky. The clouds flying by took on various shapes -- a dog, a tree, a ballerina, a dragon. All wonderous and nary an ugly one amongst them. (41 words)

Today was my first time joining the ballet club. I stood nervously at the door. Just as I decided to enter, a ballerina rushed past and bumped into me, sending my snack flying onto the floor. My mood turned ugly on my very first day. (41 words)

Tombé, pas de bourrée, glissade, saut de chat. The ballerina was exquisite! Some called her technique ugly. Yet anyone who truly witnessed her flying across the stage with fearless presence, such reckless joy, forgot those corrections and conventions. Only breathless wonder, and the sudden ache of wanting to leap too. (50 words)

The ballerina dreaded flying, but this production could make or break her career. As she watched the sky turn an ugly dark grey, hinting at a sudden storm, she feared her flight would be cancelled. With a stroke of luck, it was called for boarding. (45 words)

An ugly duckling wandered into a theater just as a ballerina was practicing her grand jeté. Startled by the sudden music, the duck began flying in frantic circles above the stage. The ballerina kept dancing calmly, pretending this was all part of the choreography. (44 words)

Beans have been sent!

The words for this week are:

Vampire, Gravy, Ice

For example:

It was the night of the Vampire's feast, and the table was laden with delicious-looking dishes. Scarlet-red bowls of rich blood gravy, a huge array of various meats, and even a platter of rare heart, kept cool in a bath of ice water. (43 words)

A tired vampire came home late and opened the freezer. A patch of ice on the floor made him slip, and the bowl of gravy he was carrying flew through the air and landed neatly on the table without spilling. (40 words)

Attending the vampire holiday felt like crashing an extravagant family reunion (with capes). A distinct lack of garlic, of course. Gravy shimmered crimson and metallic in warm chalices, and I found myself surprisingly tempted to try the blood ice cream. Clinking glasses carefully, pretending my pulse wasn’t the featured entertainment. (50 words)

Vampire, Gravy, Ice

The gravy was delicious; made with butter and ghee melted into flour making a roux, then seasoned. The potatoes were a surprise, though, having been mashed and then shaped (by means of an hot ice charm) into the small form of a vampire bat, one for each plate. (48 words)

Ice sculptures lined the elegant ballroom, where the vampire ball lasted for days and showcased centuries of dance. Beyond the doors shielding their opulence, a mob waited, determined to end the vampires’ gravy train by vanquishing them once and for all. (41 words)

Beans have been sent!

I know this is running late, but better late than never, right?! Blame mu hubby; we had to go visit his relatives so I didn't have much computer access.

At any rate;

The last words for February:
Silly, Water, Song

For example:

A group of children was splashing in the water, waving their arms and having a good time. I couldn't help but smile when they started singing a rather silly song about a unicorn with purple spots. I almost wished I could join them! (43 words)

The song blasted through my headphones as I grabbed another rock to skip across the water. Maybe it looked silly and childish, but after the day I’d had, I needed this simple, carefree routine. Skipping stones with a good playlist always helps me recharge. (44 words)

Relief made her silly, like she was floating on clouds. No, not clouds, exactly. Song. That was closer. Hard to explain. The sensation was intoxicating. Like inhaling frigid winter air on a blazing afternoon. She sipped a piping mug of lemon water, with nothing to do and nowhere to be. (50 words)