Thursday, June 18, 2009

Flash Fiction: A Garden's Restoration

I've written a very short story in response to this post on the Sunflower Ranch Blog. It was supposed to be no more than 50 words, but I couldn't make it that short. I ended up with 169 words.

Here it is:

A Garden's Restoration
by Lois Eighmy


From dawn to dusk, he toiled in the little garden beside the cottage. The aches and pains in his limbs, his back and his neck did nothing to diminish the love he put into his work. His beloved wife could no longer tend her garden, tears flowing daily as sorrow overtook her at the sight of the overgrown area.

Finally realizing what the little garden meant to her, he planned a whole day to restore the overgrown sanctuary to what it had been before his wife grew ill. He worked long and hard to make it the most beautiful garden ever to have existed.

At the end of the long day, when he stood back and looked upon the growing things now free of brambles and weeds and restored to their former beauty, he sighed happily. He looked toward the window where he knew his wife would be watching. Tears filled her eyes and a smile curved her quivering lips.

It was then he knew he had done well.



Let me know what you think! :-D
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6 comments:

  1. Milli ThorntonJune 19, 2009 at 11:06 AM

    Wonderful! You put so much feeling into this!

    I read it first and then went to look at the visual prompt. When I saw the picture, I was so touched at the slant you came up with!

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  2. LMEighmyJune 19, 2009 at 11:21 AM

    Thank you! :-)

    With prompts like this, I can't help but put a romantic slant on it. I guess romance is in my blood. I have to add it into most of my stories in some way.

    I think it still needs a little polishing, but I like it. Glad you did, too! :-D

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  3. Sunflower RanchJune 19, 2009 at 12:41 PM

    LM!! Very very sweet!! It fits the picture perfectly!! Good luck with this piece -- I can see you publishing it as flash or developing it into a longer story -- but not much beyond say 1000 words. It's perfectly satisfying at this length. It just depends on how much backstory you wish to add. And that I suppose depends on your market or your targeted publication. Keep us posted on any developments with the story's future. And Good Luck!! :D

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  4. LMEighmyJune 20, 2009 at 9:59 AM

    Sunflower Ranch,

    Thanks! :-D I guess I should start looking into flash fiction publications. ;-)

    I'll definitely keep you posted. :-)

    Lois

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  5. I am PJune 22, 2009 at 1:30 PM

    I love your romantic slant, I was totally embraced!

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  6. LMEighmyJune 22, 2009 at 3:14 PM

    Oooh! I'm so glad to hear it! I've been writing material that's a bit darker than that, but I can't help writing some good ol' romance once in a while. This photo just begged for that story! :-D

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