The Queen of all Mermaids took the hand of her eldest daughter.

”I am weary.  Your time has come, time to take my place. Our people are waiting to crown you. Go, child’.

‘Are you not coming with me Mother?’ she asked.

‘I cannot Princess, this you must do alone to prove you are worthy.’

‘But where do I go?’ 

‘To the horizon’ her Mother said.

‘How will I know when I’m there?’ the Princess asked.

‘You will know little one. You will know’

And with that, her mother was gone.

She was alone. 

She swam with a kaleidoscope of fishes, through forests of coral and above deep dark places that made her shiver. But the horizon came no closer.

‘How far is the horizon?’ she asked a dolphin. ‘As far as you can see and farther still’ it said.

Which way is the horizon?’ she asked a starfish. ‘That way child’ it said pointing in five directions.

‘How long will it take?’ she asked an oyster. ‘How long is a string of pearls?’ it replied.

‘I’m tired, may I ride on your back?’ she asked a seahorse. ‘No Princess’ he said. ‘You have to go alone’.

Suddenly the ripples began to glow. Flowers floated around her. From the shimmering sea towered a rock of silver, gold and sparkling diamonds. At its peak, a jewel-encrusted throne and alongside it sat her Mother. Finally, she had reached the horizon.

She heard her Mother’s voice. ‘Your journey is over Princess. It’s time for you to lead your people’.

A hundred smiling mermaids swam to the surface and formed a circle around her. They splashed, they frolicked, they laughed with joy. They formed a nest of arms and gently lifted the Princess higher and higher. Songbirds of every colour fluttered and whistled, rainbow fish lept and dived. 

‘Place her upon the throne’ said her proud Mother. ‘Let us all welcome our new Queen of all Mermaids’ 

Tomorrow –

 

 

Previously A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

 

 

In 2018 – My Friend Rosey’s Mummy!

 

In 2017 – It was Amble Bay’s May Fayre

 

 

 

for Sunday Photo Fiction

I was not entirely sure what this weeks photo prompt was all about, but after a bit of Googling, I’ve concluded it’s probably a weather dome. I may be wrong of course!

 

The rain was beating on the window.  He poured the last drop of vodka from the bottle and downed it in one. Music blared from the radio; Buddy Holly, Raining in my Heart. He spun around, swept it from the table. It crashed to the floor and fell silent.

It was a week ago she left. A week on his own. All alone.

There was nothing of interest in the local paper. Until that was, he saw an article about the weather. It was the longest period of foul weather he could remember, yet the forecasters said ‘the current spell of unseasonably warm and sunny weather is set to continue’. Then he spotted the result of a football match which he thought wasn’t happening until Saturday.

The radio crackled back to life. ‘And it’s raining, raining in my heart’. He kicked it into the corner where it smashed to pieces.

On page thirteen were the obituaries.  He saw a photograph that stopped him dead; he was looking at a tribute to himself. The words started spinning and everything around him became a blur except for the date at the top of the page which came into sharp focus. 

He was reading next week’s paper.

 

 

Thanks to Susan Spaulding for hosting Sunday Photo Fiction and for providing this week’s intriguing picture!

Prod the frog to see what others have written!

 

 

It’s very very dark tonight

I can’t see very far.

Look, the moon is tilting back,

to catch a falling star!

.

Something’s swooping up above

A bat with spiky wings.

Wow, much too close for comfort

Not sure I like those things!

.

See those shooting stars up there

flying without a sound?

I wonder where they shot from

and where they hit the ground?

.

Can you see that moth there

fluttering by the light?

I wonder where he sleeps by day

He only flies at night.

.

You there, no use hiding,

‘Cos darkness holds no fear.

No use trying to scare me…

.

…yikes, I’m outta here!

 

Monday –

 

Previously A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

 

In 2018 – My FriendRosey made us Lunch

In2017 – We went to Amble Bay’s Lake

 

 

 

 

I’ve got a kite! Grandpa gave it to me. It ’s diamond shaped and nearly as big as me! It’s orange, red, and blue with a very long yellow tail. Yesterday Grandpa and I took it to the park. It was quite windy and I had a job carrying it. I blew over once and landed on my bottom, but I didn’t let go.

We went up a hill. Grandpa held it for me and I walked backwards unwinding the string. He shouted ‘stop’ so I stopped. ‘Hold the string tight,’ he shouted, ‘now run away as fast as you can’.

I started running and Grandpa let go of the kite. I looked over my shoulder and it was going up in the air. Grandpa shouted ‘Keep running’ so I did. I was out of breath!

‘Stand still’ shouted Grandpa. ‘and keep tugging on the string’. I pulled and pulled and my kite fluttered lots of miles above my head. It started going round and round in circles, it was so funny! I got giddy watching it and I nearly fell over!

Then suddenly it dived towards the ground. Grandpa ran in case it landed on his bald head!

‘Let’s try again’ he said. So we did. Up it went and suddenly the wind started blowing very hard, and the kite pulled and pulled. It nearly pulled me off my feet! Grandpa helped me hold on so I didn’t fly away!

Then it flew into a tree and got stuck. I was a bit upset but I was brave and didn’t cry. Grandpa and another man jiggled and wiggled the string until the kite came free and floated down to the ground.

We are going again on Saturday!

 

 

Tomorrow’s story is called –

Previously A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

 

In 2018 – My Friend Rosey hijacked my blog and wrote about me – Keefie!

 

In 2017 – In Amble Bay, it was Karaoke Night!

 

 

 

John was a little larger than his friends. It wasn’t because he ate too many sweets, he was born that way. The midwife said he was the biggest baby she’d ever seen!

John got teased quite a lot by his mates. They didn’t mean to hurt him, they really liked him. After all, he was one of their gang. They just thought they were being funny. John didn’t complain though. He was used to it. He knew one day he’d find a way to laugh at them!

One summer’s afternoon they were wandering along the bank of a stream. They watched as lots of little silver fish darted here there and everywhere. A mother duck paddled past followed by six ducklings, frantically flapping their little webbed feet trying to keep up.  A frog sat on a log watching everything that was going on. 

One of the lads suggested they try leaping across the water to the other side. It wasn’t too far. John knew he wouldn’t be able to do it, but he said he’d try. One by one the others jumped over successfully. Then it was John’s turn. He stood staring at the water for a moment or two. The fish stopped swimming, the mother duck turned around and the frog hopped closer to get a better view. This could be the chance John was waiting for!

‘Come on John, you can do it’ they shouted.

John jumped as high and far as he could and landed right in the middle of the stream sending a torrent of water all over his friends! They were all soaked to the skin. ‘My turn to laugh’ he shouted!

 

Tomorrow –

Previously A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

 

In 2018 – My Friend Rosey knitted a Jumper!

 

In 2017 – In Amble Bay, we set out on a Journey

 

 

 

 

It’s on the table

look, up there.

But I can’t reach it,

it’s not fair!

 

I could grab this leg

and shake and shake.

But when it falls

it might break.

 

Even up

on tippy-toes

how I’ll get it

goodness knows.

 

Suppose I climb

up on this chair?

 I don’t like heights,

 don’t think I dare.

 

I give up

I’ll let it be.

It’s not easy

being three.

 

Tomorrow –

Previously A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

 

In 2018 – My Friend Rosey received an Invitation!

In 2017 – In Amble Bay, we met Iris

 

Henrietta loved looking at the sky. She liked to lay on her back and watch everything that happened above her. Today the sky was the bluest blue she had ever seen. Mummy told her not to look at the sun because it would hurt her eyes.

A fluffy white cloud moved very slowly. It looked like cotton wool. It floated in front of the sun and everything went a little darker for a moment or two.

A beautiful butterfly with orange, black and white wings fluttered above her. It flew this way and that then settled on a flowery bush.

High in the sky, Henrietta saw some white birds flying up and down and round and round. Mummy called them seagulls. They squawked and sounded a bit cross with each other!

A busy bee buzzed past looking for pollen to make honey. It was big and yellow and stripey. She was a little scared of bees, but she was very brave and the bee buzzed on by!

A cloud of teeny weeny flies whizzed round and round, and hovering over the fish pond was a brightly coloured dragonfly with wings that flapped so fast that they were just a blur!

Miles above her was a silver aeroplane which sparkled in the sunlight and it had a long white tail.  It looked tiny but Henrietta knew it was big because she went on holiday in one last year. It made a quiet humming noise. It was probably going somewhere hot and sunny.

All this sky gazing made Henrietta tired, and her eyes got smaller and smaller until they closed and she fell fast asleep.

‘Wake up Henny!’ called Mummy. ‘It’s time for tea’.

 

Tomorrow –

Previously A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

In 2018 – My Friend Rosey had a Hole in her bucket!

In 2017 – We went along to Amble Bay’s Village Hall

 

 

 

 

When I grow up I want to drive a train and hoot the hooter very loud when I come into the station and make people jump. That’ll be fun.

Or I suppose I could fly an aeroplane like the one that took us to Spain last year where we stayed in a humongous hotel, and the waiter tripped on something  and spilt food all down a posh man at the next table who was very cross and went very very red and I thought he was going to explode. Do you think aeroplanes have hooters?

Or I could be a farmer. But my farm won’t have pigs and cows because they stink of poo. My farm will have dragons and I’ll grow potato chips on trees and chocolate buttons and marshmallows in the fields. I planted some chocolate buttons in the garden last week but nothing’s happened yet. I think I’ll water them again.

When I grow up I’ll be allowed to stay up ‘til midnight. I’ll sit with other grown-ups and talk about grown-up things and I’ll even pretend to like drinking that stinky beer like Dad does.

It’s Monday tomorrow.  School. Boo! I suppose I’d better go to sleep. Last night when I went to sleep I dreamt about…abou…ab…a…..zzzzzzzzzzzzz 

 

Tomorrow –

Previously A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

In 2018 – My Friend Rosey’s Grannie

In 2017  – Amble Bay’s Village Green

 

 

 

 

for Sunday Photo Fiction.

Those of us participating in the A-Z Challenge get a day off today, so as a change from writing one children’s story after another, I decided to do something completely different. As they say, a change is as good a rest!

 

 

She was never one to drink much, so when she left the bar late that night I thought perhaps I should follow her. But instead, I stood and watched as she walked towards the bridge. I knew what she was about to do but I felt this was one decision she should make for herself. I didn’t try to stop her. After all, her life had been one spell of misery after another; endless years of being told what and what not to do and I wasn’t going to add to it.

They never found her. They assumed she was swept down river and into the ocean.

 

 

At least, that’s what I tell people. Want the truth?

On that life-changing night, she did stand on the bridge. She waited until a bus approached so there’d be witnesses, then she jumped. I  sat below in a dinghy as close as I could to where she’d fall into the fast flowing water.

I’m not telling you where she is now. After all,  she was supposed to have taken her life. Suffice to say, she’s had a new start far away with a new identity.

But you didn’t hear it from me. Okay?

 

 

Thanks to Susan Spaulding for hosting Sunday Photo Fiction and C E Ayr for the picture.

 

 

Felicity is wearing a pretty pink dress of satin and lace. Wiggling from side to side she heaves up her sparkly white leggings then laces her silver ballet shoes. Her arms go this way and that as she struggles to put on her wings, then she straightens the garland of flowers in her golden hair.

She picks up her wand, adjusts the glittery star on the end, and she’s ready. There are spells to perform, happiness to hand out and wishes to fulfil!

Felicity the fairy tiptoes out into fairyland. Thomas the ginger tom sits unconcerned as she taps him gently on the head with her wand, then bends to stroke his sun-warmed back. Little brother Billy pulls a quizzical face as the fairy, who looks very much like his sister, wanders over to his playpen. She reaches into her pocket then shakes a handful of stardust over his head. Billy brushes the rice from his hair then he starts to cry!

Felicity wanders off in search of a more appreciative audience. She was certain that one day she would become a real fairy.

Twenty years have passed and Felicity is ‘something in the city’. She is successful. People come to her with their dreams and she grants their wishes. Her stardust is money, her fairyland the bank.

But in quiet moments, she’s still that little pink fairy. She drifts away and imagines herself flitting from flower to flower in a magic garden. In her dreams, she swings from rainbows and plays ring-a-ring-a-roses with butterflies.

But she knows it will never be. She tells herself she was stupid to have ever believed it. The kids that teased her were right.

Felicity watched as a dragonfly hovered outside her office window. She smiled and touched the tip of her nose and stardust began floating down from the sky.

 

Monday –

 

Previously A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

In 2018 – My Friend Rosey was growing Flowers

In 2017 – in Amble Bay, we visited The Fish Inn.