This is my response to the Friday Fictioneers prompt for March 6. 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. The photo prompt this week comes from fellow blogger Erin Leary. My piece this week weighs in at exactly 100 words.
Copyright Erin Leary
First, an author’s note: This story is the continuation of a Friday Fictioneers response I wrote back in December. The two stories stand alone, but you can read the other by clicking here.
Fairy Ring
By the time the circle of mushrooms appeared in the forest beyond the cliffs where Trident, the first three-eyed human child, lived, local inhabitants had forgotten all the stories about elves and fairies. Bad luck had taken on new, less ephemeral forms, and the wrong kind of mushrooms could easily be one of those forms.
When Trident located the mushrooms, his mother, Sonora, hesitated. A wrong choice could be fatal. Trident popped one into his mouth. “Tastes good,” he shrugged. Sonora sighed and watched him closely for several hours before relenting. That ring of fungi would make a delicious stew.
Want to know more about fairy rings? Click HERE.
Being MG 
Dear Marie Gail,
I’m trying to picture Trident. I remember the story in December. While I’m not the biggest fan of the series, I think I could get into following this kid. 😉 Fascinating fairy ring information. I’ve learned something new. Thank you.
Good story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Thanks, Rochelle. This isn’t my favorite series either, but a couple of my readers really like the post apocalypse pieces. Occasionally I comply. I’m glad you enjoyed the link. That was new info to me as well.
Peace,
Marie Gail
Oh dear, that’s not what I meant. I mean I’m not a fan of Friday Fictioneers serial stories in general. This one is an exception. 😉
Oh . . . Thanks! 🙂 Yeah, I’m not always thrilled with serials in a flash fiction challenge either. Usually that’s because writers tend to get lazy, not requiring each flash to truly stand alone. I work hard to make sure my stories do all stand alone. One of my favorite things about writing a batch of connected stand-alone stories is that the reader response tends to be quite different for those new to the series versus those familiar with the bigger picture. In fact, many times my readers might be reading completely different stories, and I love that.
Peace,
MG
Fun. That Trident is a bit of a thrilltaker, isn’t he.
(No such thing as fairies!)
Yes, I imagine his “condition” makes him a bit more that way.
Trident seems to be quite an adventurous soul. Good job.
Thanks, Sandra. And thank you also for the December prompt that started this series.
Risky, but seems to have paid off…
Claire
Sometimes there’s very little to lose. Thanks for reading.
Don’t normally read multi-part stories but something about this drew me in. For me ‘Trident’ brings up thoughts of a pointless and expensive Nuclear Deterrent so it’s fun to see it have another more pleasant use.
Thanks so much, Paul. I’m glad I got you hooked.
I try to make sure my stories will stand alone even if they are connected to another story I’ve posted. That makes for unique reading experiences for all types of readers. Comments like yours are a good boost to my ego (Watch out, World!!!).
All my best,
Marie Gail
Wonderful take on the prompt and I love fairy rings. We have some in the woods near us, but I’d never be so bold as to pop anything growing straight into my mouth. Color me chicken.
Me too, Erin. 🙂 Thanks for reading!
Ha.. I had not heard them as fairy rings.. here they are called witch rings and are much more sinister…
I think the type of fairies generally considered responsible for fairy rings are dark fey of the sinister variety. In modern parlance, “witch rings” is a more readily understandable term. Thanks for reading.
Interesting fantasy.
Thanks, Dawn!
I think they should import some French pharmacists so they can have the mushrooms identified, rather than risking illness or death. Just my thought–and perhaps some wine and foie gras. 🙂
janet
Oh, but how do you know France even still exists at this point in human history? 😉
Thanks for reading!
All my best,
Marie Gail
My father spends a great deal of time trying to rid his yard of fairy rings. I like your take on them and was pleased you added the link to your previous story.
Thanks, Alicia. From what I’ve read, getting rid of them would be quite a chore as they seem to grow from something quite deep in the soil and keep on growing due to specific soil conditions. I’ve never seen any in person though. The only mushrooms growing around our house when I grew up were a smattering of toadstools.
Good story, Marie Gail. I went back, reread the 1st story, and followed the link about the “fairy ring.” I also learned something. It seemed to me I’d heard the term, “fairy ring” before, but never understood it. Well done. 🙂 — Suzanne
Cool! It makes me happy to hear that I’ve engaged a reader.
All my best,
Marie Gail
Crumbs, is Sonora using her son as a poison tester?
I like everything fae and whatnot 🙂
Dear Ali,
I think Trident volunteered and then acted before Momma could stop him. 🙂
I also enjoy many things fey–seems a shame to think a time may come when the stories and traditions have faded away.
All my best,
Marie Gail
Dear Marie,
I like the way he takes the fungi by the horns. We should all live that way…at least for a while. Good story.
Aloha,
Doug
Haha! Yes, well, he was lucky this time. And I guess Sonora is also lucky to have a willing risk taker around to try out potentially dangerous options. One does have to wonder how long this will last though.
All my best,
Marie Gail
Interesting story…liked the bit about fairy rings, doesn’t sound that sinus term but I guess that’s the point.
That autocorrect thing is killing me. Sinus term, seriously? 🙂 I meant sinister.
Darn autocorrect! I finally turned it off on my smart phone. Too many embarrassing errors that shouldn’t have happened. Since I own a company that provides proofreading services, I can’t have a handheld device undermining me–talk about a sinus problem. 🙂
As to the fey and the sinister nature of fairy rings, it seems to me that in previous centuries fairies weren’t always considered the frilly, innocuous magical folk that some consider them today. Dark fey have always been pretty sinister fellows, and even the good fairies have their dark sides that come through in stories like Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream or even Peter Pan. As with many myths, stories about fairies are multifaceted if the reader looks closely.
Thanks for weighing in this week.
All my best,
Marie Gail
It’s always good to have someone test wild mushrooms before eating them yourself, although I wouldn’t want one of my children to be the guinea pig.
Yeah, Sonora certainly has her work cut out trying to keep that three-eyed offspring of hers safe.
All my best,
MG
I love the idea of this fairy ring and enjoyed the way you put it into your story. As it mentioned in the article, it could be good fortune or bad, so it could be a waiting game. Mushrooms are wonderful in all their strangeness. I enjoyed your story!
Thanks, Amy!
I like how you’ve placed this in a post-fairy world, where bad luck omens are more visible, such as mushrooms. That’s a nice way to use the prompt. Good story.
Thanks, Margaret! I myself have found that the luck of mushrooms depends greatly on the variety that happens to be growing in one’s backyard.
All my best,
Marie Gail
Nice fanciful story. Love the names Sonora and Trident!
Thanks, Perry! I had a little fun with this one.
All my best,
MG
I like the blending of myth, fairytale, and clever story telling, here, Marie Gale. Wonderful use of the prompt!
Thanks, Dawn. I do wonder what twists the fairytales of today will take on by the time our great grandchildren run the world.
All my best,
MG