Writing: Rimewhittling

Hello, Friends!

Today, I am sharing a short story I wrote with you. This story is flash fiction, which is a genre of short story that is 1000 words or under. I learned this from Rosalie Valentine, at Penprints. Penprints has a yearly challenge to write a flash fiction based on a prompt in three weeks. I decided to enter. :) In any case, here is the link to the picture prompt. (I didn't actually put the picture on my blog because I wasn't sure if it was public domain.)

*Note: My work is copyrighted, so please don't use it without asking my permission first, and please properly cite me. (If you want to ask my permission to use my work, my email is sprucehnogard@gmail.com) Thank you! 

By the way, sorry the font is small and black. I copied this from other places I had been working on it, and Blogger is being difficult.

Prompt

Rimewhittling

Mimi started. The words “We should talk” were written in snow on her windshield. Nothing like this had happened in a long, long, time. She furtively glanced around, then brushed the still-falling snow off her car. The frost stayed stubbornly attached to her windshield, as if sneering at her misfortune. What did it mean? Why now, of all times? She thought she had left all that behind long ago. How did he even find her? She groaned.

When she got home, a heavenly smell greeted her. Did someone make cookies? But the smell wasn't quite right. . . someone had made a whole dinner. Great. Mimi was hoping she would have at least a full twenty-four hours to recuperate from the shock of Jack finding her. But alas.

“What do you want?” Mimi crossed her arms. Jack looked the same as always, brown hair immaculately messy, and oddly pale blue eyes, which danced as if he held some hidden secret.

“Oh, I just had a conundrum I needed help with,” Jack replied.

“I left for a reason. Did you actually think I wanted to be involved in all your messes?”

“Dear. No, I did not, but that doesn't change the fact that I need help. You have a gift. I have not found such talent in three hundred years.”

Mimi sighed. “Why now? I just want to spend time with my family.” She circumvented Jack, surveyed the mushroom-goat cheese ravioli, and tugged on her braid. “This year, I'll actually get to be with my sisters for Christmas.”

Jack sighed. “I didn't have a choice. “We both know that. And the king will be in a towering rage if it's not completed on time. Remember what happened the last time we missed a deadline?”

“You missed a deadline? Yes, I remember,” Mimi looked up and closed her eyes as if she was in pain. Her heart twisted with guilt. “It can't happen again. Let me get my things.”

“Let's eat first.” Jack smiled. He had to awkwardly twist past the door frame to sit at the table.

Mimi sat across from Jack, and they began their dinner. Mimi's mind started to drift. Despite all the craziness of traveling to and from Byrne, she had missed Jack. The king might be mad, but Ella, Joseph, Lars, were all so caring. Come to think of it, all the people were kind. Unlike here. Everyone was always in a rush, wanting their own way. But the quiet magic of Byrne provided a breathtaking cocoon, as wondrous and stunning as any child's dream, if one could forget the king's shadow tainting the land. His power unfolded like a storm at sea, obliterating everything in its path. And he knew how to make people pay, too. Mimi shuddered. The last time he had been impatient. . . the last time, he had channeled his fury through the Gateway, into Mimi's hometown. Buildings had collapsed, earthquakes had wreaked havoc, and when that was done, fires had ravaged the rest, until what was left was a skeleton of what was before. Mimi struggled to shake the thoughts, but the roaring voice in her head wouldn't stop screaming, it's all your fault! It's all your fault!

“Hush. Hush. It's not your fault, Mimi. The king would have done something, to someone, eventually. Please come back.” Jack's eyes held a quiet sort of restless waiting.“The sculptures take me at least twice as long, sometimes longer, to get just right. The king is getting impatient; he wants something more magnificent than all his other sculptures. I'm scared, Mimi.”

Mimi took a few deep breaths. The sculptures she and Jack had created together were truly Mimi's favorite part of Byrne. Mimi had been blessed with the gift of Rimewhittling, or as Jack liked to call it, perfectionism. Many times, Mimi could somehow refine the statues in a way that didn't seem to alter the sculptures, but in reality caused a world of difference. Her work was much better than Jack's. Once Mimi's was done, Jack would breathe the spells to make the figurines come to life.

Jack grabbed the plates and put them in the sink while Mimi called her mom and left a message. She'd have to cancel tomorrow, but hopefully she would see them all on Christmas.

“It'll be faster if we fly,” Jack grinned, his wild eyes portraying the night sky.

Mimi's heart felt as if it had wings. “I had forgotten so much.” She opened the tiny window, and Jack squeezed out. She took Jack's hand. Mimi was the happiest she'd been in a long, long time, despite the cruel night air, despite the guilt locked away in her heart, despite even the sudden upending of her Christmas.

Mimi and Jack swiftly climbed through the Gateway. Neither stopped to enjoy the view, instead traveling straight to Jack's workshop. A giant wolf sculpture as tall as Mimi stood waiting for them.

“She's tricky for two reasons: One, she's a spirit wolf; two,” Jack dropped his voice to a whisper, “she can help us depose the king.”

Mimi sucked in her breath.

“The ice isn't pleased, but I can't figure out what's wrong.” Jack ran a hand over the wolf's back.

“More precision will help.” Without taking her eyes off the wolf, Mimi grabbed a carving knife. After an hour of cleaning up the statue, she stepped back. “There. She looks much better now.”

Jack shook his head. “I told you you were talented. I can't tell the difference.”

Mimi pursed her lips. Something was still wrong. “Her eyes!” Although the eyes were beautiful, they were not spirit eyes. Mimi started adjusting them. Mimi worked all day, and long into the night. By the time she was done, dawn was just waking the sky. She shook Jack. “Done.”

Jack's eyes fluttered open. He saw the wolf, and sat bolt upright. “Odin's ravens. She's beautiful.” Jack caressed the wolf's muzzle and whispered, “Breathe.”

The wolf shook itself awake.

Spruce Nogard