It’s been awhile since I’ve written on my blog, but the Fall Writing Frenzy competition has unleashed some much needed inspiration. The rules? Write a 200-word (max) story based on one of fourteen pre-selected photographs. Here’s the photo I chose:
Fall. Credit: Daniele Colucci for Unsplash.
RED
I crouch and examine the way the puddles mirror and break the light draining from the sky. I wonder if I can replicate it with my paints. The buildings are blue with twilight, as am I.
Where is Grandma?
The concrete, foreign beneath my feet, offers no clues or pine needles scenting my search. My hunt becomes as twisted as the braids hanging beneath my hood.
A soft growl from behind shoves me down the nearest alleyway.
My breath huffs out in too visible clouds. This is a terrible hiding spot.
I hold my breath and peek around the corner. My only company is the gurgle of the storm drain flush with rainwater and the howl of the wind down the empty streets. A paper napkin skitters by like a mouse.
I flinch when a red light turns on. Vivid and violent, staining the sidewalk purple.
It beckons me.
The doorframe is splintered by water and time. My fingers trace the intricate, roaming lines of the doorknob. A wolf’s head, edged in silver, is warm against my palm as I turn it.
My grandmother’s voice, gravelly and strange, echoes nearby, “Little Red Riding Hood! Where are you?”
The end.
Good luck to everyone else who’s entered, but especially to my critique partners: Hannah, Kristen, and Patti! Check out all the entries here. A big, huge heartfelt thank you to Lydia, Kaitlyn, and Alyssa for hosting + judging this competition!
Abigail Mumford 