It’s time for Friday Fictioneers for May 23.
The challenge is to write a 100-word story inspired by the photo prompt.
Play along by writing your own, reading others and/or commenting on the flashes we fictioneers create.
My piece this week is a modern take on a story from Greek mythology and weighs in at 97 words.
Copyright Jennifer Pendergast
Beauty for Knowledge
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Hazel asked.
Daphne nodded.
The sisters’ other experiments with spells and witchcraft had gone according to plan. Eighteen months ago they were playing with the Ouija board and attempting levitation. Now they were about to use magic to effect permanent change. If everything went as planned, the two would soon be free of their unwelcome suitors.
***
The spring of knowledge turned out to be a small college. Daphne wished she knew how to get in touch with Hazel. The frat boys here certainly weren’t an improvement on Apollo.
The grass is always greener, isn’t it?
In general, yes. Too bad it didn’t work out for this Daphne quite as well as it appeared to for the original Daphne.
Thanks for reading.
All my best,
Marie Gail
That is funny! I don’t think frat boys are much of an improvement on anything. Thanks for a delightful story.
Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Cheers!
MG
This was fun – careful what you wish for!
So true. I fear Daphne may have jumped from the frying pan to the fire.
Thanks for reading.
Marie Gail
Dear Marie Gail,
My knowledge of Greek mythology is sadly lacking. I enjoyed your story nonetheless. Things don’t always go as planned, to they?
shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks, Rochelle. If you enjoyed it without knowing the back story, then I feel as though I’ve done my job as a writer.
For fun sometime, do an online search for Daphne and read the original legend. I think you’ll enjoy it. She takes some particularly radical steps to get away from a suitor.
Peace,
Marie Gail
Funny, but slightly confusing…
Thanks for reading, Grace. Yes, this one might speak more to fans of Greek mythology.
All my best,
Marie Gail
I’m a huge fan of Greek mythology! I guess I’ve just never heard of that before…
It’s a fun story. Imagine a suitor that is so bad that you’d rather be a tree than deal with him. 🙂
Cheers!
MG
Oh, I can totally see that…
The Diaphne story…
I renumber being that age and finding frat boys annoying. It didn’t stop from hanging out with them though.
Oh, Dawn! I couldn’t get far enough away from them!
Thanks for reading!
Marie Gail
Marie Gail, Poor Daphne. I hope she doesn’t get turned into a tree as in one version of the myth (I Googled it). I’d settle for a nice frat boy (some were nice where I went) rather than that. Good and humorous story. 🙂 —Susan
🙂 Thanks for reading, Susan.
MG
I don’t know the original story, I’m afraid, but I think I got the gist from this one. Daphne seems surprisingly unemotional about the failure – I think I’d be pretty devastated!
Jennifer,
Thanks for reading. I’m glad it translated for you.
Cheers!
MG
Ha.. yes but it might be better than turn into a laurel tree 🙂
You never know–depends on how drunk those frat boys get. 🙂
Thanks for reading!
Cheers!
MG
Great story Marie Gail. I don’t know that much Greek Mythology but I do respect it. You never know! Nan 🙂
Sometimes change is good. Sometimes change is just change.
Thanks for reading!
MG
Sounds like things didn’t go as planned for Daphne. I’m lacking the back story to really get this completely, but I really like the magical element.
Thanks!
Cheers!
MG