Greetings! I hope all is well with you and trust our weekly snippets provide you with some moments of entertainment.
It’s time for Tuesday Tales, where authors write excerpts based on word or picture prompts. The word prompt this week is stoop. This snippet is from an early section of my current Highlander Time Travel story, before Lana makes her time switch. I still haven’t settled on a title but am leaning toward Faery Kisses for a Highlander. When done reading here, make sure to visit all the talented authors of Tuesday Tales.
Lana rubbed a knuckle over her forehead. “I don’t know where I went, Gran. Someplace far away.” Her voice sounded too quaky to suit her, and she sipped water.
“Here, sit down.” Gran pulled out a stool. “I won’t stoop to patronizing you by saying it could be a mere dream. By now you know the different types of dream experiences, from regular to soul dreams to spirit travel.”
“I can do without this type of hellacious experience, even if it came from spirit. It was more nightmare than anything else. At least the end.”
“Can you tell me about the end?”
“A hideous creature warned me to stay away from…wherever I was headed.” A shiver trickled up her spine at the image still creaking in her mind.
“Creature, not human?”
“No, or at least it seemed inhuman. It had a long gnarled mass of fur or hair all over its head and face. Blazing red eyes. Snarling teeth. Talons like a wild cat.”
“Did it stand on two legs?”
Lana bit her lip and stared into the distance. “It seemed to, or it could have been rearing up. Oh, and around its neck, jumbled in the middle of all the hair, was a type of iron-looking neck ring thingie. I got the oddest impression it would burn me if I touched it.” Frowning, she turned to look at her grandmother.
Gran had her hands clenched together. “Did the creature hurt you?”
“No, I woke up before it could. Why do you think it came after me?”
Gran took a meandering breath. “I’m stumped as to why. I’ll have to think on it, but my gut says you were warned off by a threshold guardian. It may be charged with protecting a person or place in the otherworld. Could be a creature. Could be someone disguised to appear more terrifying. Bottom line is it didn’t want you there.”
She sat up straighter. “That was clear to me, too. Your gut is usually right, Gran. Mine, on the other hand, goes in and out. I have enough trouble navigating earth. I don’t know anything about the otherworld.”
“Seems to me you’ve made a good start, if what you encountered was a threshold guardian. You were close to something important. What most folks know of the otherworld could sieve through a thimble.”
I hope you enjoyed the snippet based on the word prompt, stoop. Thanks for stopping by. Check out the other authors at Tuesday Tales.
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Spirited Stories
All rights reserved, copyright @ 2022 Flossie Benton Rogers
A threshold guardian. What a cool concept! And I love the line about the image “creaking” in her mind.
Excellent snippet as always, Flossie!
Thank you, Mae. I hope she gets over the shivers about the creature.
Excellent scene. Love this line, “What most folks know of the otherworld could sieve through a thimble.” It could apply to a lot of people these days. Great job.
Hahaha, thanks Susanne.
Scary creature for sure!! I kind of wish we had creatures like that here, to keep us away from danger and things we shouldn’t be messing with. Love how the Grandmother knew what was going on instantly. Sage woman. Great snippet. Now I need to know what wasn’t she supposed to see?
Good point– creatures like that would come in handy when we’re poking our nose in the wrong places. Yes, Gran is a sage woman. I hope she can help Lana out.
Awesome snippet!!
Thank you!
Great use of the prompt. This story gets more interesting every week. I adore your main character. JIllian
I’m glad you like her, Jillian. I am trying to convey how she appears to me. Thanks for that feedback!
Excellent scene! You are so good at conveying multiple worlds around us. Love your writing!
Oh, I appreciate that! Thanks so much, Trisha.
Ooh. Her memory of the threshold guardian scared me. Great job!
I’m glad it was scary. Thanks, Tricia.