FFfAW: Passing Storm

Posted on by Louise Bunting

This post is for the Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers (FFfAW) Challenge, run by Priceless Joy. This week’s photo prompt was provided by me! Thank you PJ for choosing it. The challenge is that you write a story of 75-175 words inspired by the photo prompt below. I hope you like my offering.

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Passing Storm

Eahlwyn stumbled to a halt, dropping to her knees on wet sand as the golden light slowly faded.

She could hardly believe it had worked.

The shouts and screams that had echoed in horrendous symphony were gone, banished like passing storm clouds into the past. She dragged in ragged breaths, battling against the sobs that shook her body as she glanced behind, half expecting to see the large figure barrelling after her still – but the expanse of beach was empty.

The attack had taken them all by surprise: their meagre defences overrun before many even realised the danger; blood soaking the ground. Only Eahlwyn’s arcane abilities had shielded the remaining villagers as they fled to safety. Unfortunately, she’d left her own escape too late. With her leering pursuer rapidly gaining ground, only a single option had remained

She’d opened a gateway to the future.

As Ealhwyn stared at the strange buildings that had replaced her familiar village, at the roaring monsters rushing past, her horror grew.

Had she simply replaced one nightmare with another?

Word Count: 175

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34 thoughts on “FFfAW: Passing Storm”

  1. The cars are roaring monsters?! 😄 Entering into the future is better than dead. With her ability, maybe, she can return to her village in no time. 😄 This is a wonderful story!

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  2. Wow! Great story Louise! Great build up of tension. When she changed the village to another village in the future, she got rid of the monsters but now she is facing a new type of monster – the unknown. Wonderful story!

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    1. Things might not be as bad as they first seem! I think she’ll be wanting to open a portal to her own time before too long, however. 🙂 Thanks for visiting, Mandi. I’m glad you enjoyed the read.

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    1. I’m glad you liked it. 🙂 Hopefully it won’t take her too long to adapt. Either that or find her way back to her own time! I’m glad you found the picture inspiring. 🙂

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  7. I wonder how long it would take someone from the past to become even somewhat comfortable in our world? Some of my favourite parts of “Sleepy Hollow” are Ichabod Crane’s attempts to use mobile phones, drive and so on.
    Great story and photo!

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    1. Thanks, Ali. 🙂 I’m glad you like them. I imagine it wouldn’t be easy to go from a technology free life to modern existence. They’re some of my favourite ‘Sleepy Hollow’ scenes as well – which reminds me that I still have season 2 of that to watch! I’d just finished watching series 1 when someone suggested I try out ‘Grimm’… 😀

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  10. Poor girl, she has a monster coming close behind her and has fear of the unknown future that is ahead of her ….it would be horrible to have to face that, but she might get lucky by going forward…she already knows what will happen with the other choice! Wonderful suspense.

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  15. What a wonderful story! I love the pace and the tension, and great job with the ending! Good luck to her 🙂

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  17. Oh! I love how you made the magical story just seem to happen on its own. Some of the passages are quite beautiful – looking upon the ‘expanse of beach’ is one image I particularly enjoyed.

    Ellespeth

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