Don’t get your diapers in a bunch. I’m thinking….
I’m back with another submission for Rochelle’s Friday Fictioneers.
Okay. It’s not Friday. I’m already breaking the rules.
Didn’t take me long, huh?
Well, Rochelle posts the photo each Wednesday. How can a non-procrastinator like me wait until Friday to post my 100-word flashy fiction?
It’s unthinkable.
Say it’s not so. Take it back. Lorna was never a procrastinator. Why would she begin now? If it’s true, we’ll have to rethink the entire justice system and why men wear ties when it’s obviously so blippity hot.
This week’s photograph is courtesy of Dee Lovering.
For those of you who aren’t world travelers (like me) and had to look it up, this awesome photo was taken in Barcelona. Spain…not England or the Philippines. Have some class, People.
The genre of our flash fiction apparently should be historical fiction, which should be easy for me. I wrote a historical fiction novel which was over 130,000 words.
Come to think of it, this may not be so easy…
An Honor to Serve
“Ready yourselves, my girls. ‘Tis the Feast of Sant Joan. We have much to do.”
“Tell us again, Mother, what makes this day so special?”
Isabella lifted the tent flap, stopped and turned.
“’Tis the blessed Summer Solstice, the day when Father Sun is his strongest.”
“What does that have to do with us, Mother?” The youngest of the three asked.
Looking up, Isabella said, “You were chosen to honor Father Sun so he brings our village wealth and fertility.”
Near the water, the Council of Elders prepared sacred herbs and a wooden altar supported by kindling.
(98 words)
*****
NOTE TO READERS: The ancient Feast of Sant Joan is still celebrated in Barcelona. The festival celebrates the start of the summer and is held on the longest day of the year (the Summer Solstice). As legend has it, the sun is a symbol of fertility and wealth and so it must be given strength. Sant Joan is honored with three symbols: fire, water and herbs. Fire symbolizes purity, so bonfires and fireworks light up the city all night. Water symbolises healing. Many people bathe in the sea during this day of celebration. Herbs symbolise remedy or cures and some claim that for the night of Sant Joan their healing qualities are enhanced one hundred times over. (SOURCE: Barcelona Tourist Guide)
I made up the stuff about human sacrifice. Golly these challenges bring out my dark side, which is rare, because I’m totally a natural blonde.
I bet you didn’t know I could be so, well, dramatic and brunette.
Until next week…
I just got me one of these. Maybe this will help get my imagination jump-started. It should get something jump-started…
Lorna's Voice 
May 14, 2015 @ 14:54:39
I know what you mean. Perhaps it’s because we only have a hundred words to create tension there is little room for happy endings?
May 13, 2015 @ 15:57:45
Something about the flash format seems to lend itself to a dark twist. I have to force myself out of that way of thinking.
May 13, 2015 @ 15:55:22
I bet you would! Thanks, Olga!
May 13, 2015 @ 14:55:49
Great story. Barcelona was very cloudy that day but I’d recognise Christopher Columbus and his finger anywhere…:)
May 13, 2015 @ 14:04:13
Indeed. I am going grey myself but few want to hear stories of such things. 🙂
May 12, 2015 @ 12:55:42
Yeah, too dark for my tastes. I have to lighten up my next submission and be more of my natural blonde self!
May 12, 2015 @ 12:53:07
Thanks so much! You’re probably right about the virgins. Haha! I just can’t help myself and have to come up with something zany to preface my 100-word story. I should use the time to to think more creatively about the prompt so I can offer something more distinctive and funny next time. I’m scaring myself with all this death stuff! 😉
May 12, 2015 @ 12:49:38
I bet you did have fun! And what an honor it must have been to have your photo chosen! Thanks Dee! 🙂
May 12, 2015 @ 12:47:48
Thanks so much for the feedback. Come back anytime. I hope my next story is a bit less dark and twisted!
May 12, 2015 @ 12:45:19
So true. Best reason for not being a virgin that I can think of!
May 05, 2015 @ 09:26:56
Good dialogue. I can see why mother’s would want to get their daughters married off young in that culture. Well done. — Suzanne
May 04, 2015 @ 00:22:07
Ha, great stuff. Always love a Sacrifice to the Sun story 🙂
The gentle lead in belies the dark twist at the end of this story. Very well done.
KT
May 03, 2015 @ 12:57:40
Hi Lorna, loved what you did with my photo, a great job. Had a lot of fun reading all the comments on here too, great reading. Dee
May 03, 2015 @ 05:21:07
Dear Lorna,
It seems that all has been said. I enjoyed all the little asides and pictures.
They probably stopped sacrificing virgins in the ceremony because it’s so hard to find one anymore. 😉 Love the writing.
Just to set the record straight, while we’re called Friday Fictioneers, you can see that most of the posts go up on Wednesday. We are an eager bunch, eh? Originally the idea was to start thinking about your story on Wednesday, write, polish and then post on Friday. Somewhere along the line that changed. So you broke no rules.
Shalom,
Rochelle
May 02, 2015 @ 15:50:52
Weird brunette… I mean dark tale.
May 02, 2015 @ 15:15:57
Well, the times and the culture called for certain sacrifices to please the gods… Thanks for reading and commenting. And I’m so glad you enjoyed the scalp massager. I thought it was a hoot, too! 🙂
May 02, 2015 @ 03:05:17
Now that I’ve finished laughing about the scalp massager…
This was a great story…the mother’s a tad off the wall I’d say.
Ellespeth
May 01, 2015 @ 19:42:42
Yes it is indeed plausible.
May 01, 2015 @ 11:38:22
Thanks. I did make it up, but it’s plausible that in ancient times human sacrifice would have happened to please the gods. So who knows?
May 01, 2015 @ 10:19:39
It was just her youngest (bad enough) and ancient civilizations believed that satisfying the gods was both an honor and a necessity for the collective to survive. You know, the sacrifice of one for the good of the many…I couldn’t do it because I don’t believe in any deity so strongly, but I would sacrifice myself to protect my son.
May 01, 2015 @ 10:17:01
Thanks so much. I had fun researching for this story! 🙂
May 01, 2015 @ 10:13:59
Crap. That’s my life story–a day late and a dollar short.
May 01, 2015 @ 10:13:53
Yes, you don’t have to kill someone to take their life away.
May 01, 2015 @ 10:11:43
Thanks and thanks. Humor is my modus operandi. These flash fiction pieces bring out the serious side of me.
May 01, 2015 @ 10:09:55
I’m pretty sure it wasn’t. Then again, I got the info from a tourist brochure and human sacrifice isn’t the kind of thing that would likely be included in that kind of promo material! Maybe back in ancient times when people were trying to please the gods, this kind of thing did happen…it’s plausible.
May 01, 2015 @ 10:07:54
Explains so much, doesn’t it? 😉
May 01, 2015 @ 10:07:27
Oh my, never heard that story about the outhouse. I’ve used outhouses before and would never want to fall inside one of those holes from hell! YUCK!
As for the massager, sorry. I snapped up the last one. It was on back order FOREVER! 😉
May 01, 2015 @ 10:04:26
What can I say? I’m an enigma wrapped up in confusion! 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
May 01, 2015 @ 09:03:39
Chilling.. Good to know you made up the human sacrifice.. The contrast to your humorous picture make it even more shocking to read.
May 01, 2015 @ 07:06:50
Lorna,
You obviously did a great deal of research when building the foundation of your story. The child sacrifice reminds me of the father whose son fell in the whole in the outhouse. The old man whacked him in the head when he tried to crawl out then told a neighbor, “I figure it’s easier to make another one than to clean that one up.”
BTW – where can I get one of those brain massagers to stimulate my imagination?
May 01, 2015 @ 07:02:19
Interesting. I’m a scorpio too.
May 01, 2015 @ 04:13:47
Great historical piece which tells me more about Barcelona. The poor girls are done for but glad that this wasn’t/isn’t part of the actual ceremony of St Joan.
May 01, 2015 @ 03:49:11
AnElephant apologises for the lack of clarity in his previous comment.
Where he comes from th expression ‘barking mad’ does not indicate anger, but a sometimes charming craziness. He knows such a delightful lady will never allow herself to be irritated by life’s little challenges.
May 01, 2015 @ 01:18:00
Enjoyed your notes as much as the story–thanks for the history!
Lots of humor on your site–like that very much!
Apr 30, 2015 @ 22:00:31
Yikes! Where did that come from? You have many sides Ms. Lorna.
Apr 30, 2015 @ 19:53:25
I may have a dirty mind, but that human sacrifice in the name of fertility brings up thoughts of a less bloody sacrifice than the slitting of throats or stabbing of bosoms. I’m glad you made this up. 🙂
Apr 30, 2015 @ 18:19:59
A well done historical story. Great job!!!
Apr 30, 2015 @ 18:12:08
Sorry to disappoint, Sir, but I never get mad–bad for the body and soul. Sorry if I came off sounding that way. I am one gentle voice, please rest assured!
Apr 30, 2015 @ 17:58:09
yikes! what would she allow all her daughters to be sacrificed? she must be deranged. then again, i don’t understand the culture.
Apr 30, 2015 @ 16:57:50
AnElephantCant help thinking that Lorna (or her voice) is barking mad.
He likes that in a lady, finds it an excellent and often endearing fault.
Apr 30, 2015 @ 13:29:12
Even though the sacrifice part is made up the idea gives me chills. Great take on the prompt.
Apr 30, 2015 @ 12:51:22
Thanks! Pleasing the gods was serious business. Do you know how demanding gods can be? And it’s always the sweet, innocent virgins they want. Not fair!
Apr 30, 2015 @ 12:21:48
Hey, I like to keep my readers guessing. Part of my mystique is confusion. Is it working?
Apr 30, 2015 @ 12:20:16
I doubt they did, but who knows? It’s plausible. Anything to keep the gods happy, right? 😐
Apr 30, 2015 @ 12:16:57
Thanks, Randy! 🙂
Apr 30, 2015 @ 12:15:51
Always happy to know I bring a smile to your beautiful face!
Apr 30, 2015 @ 12:13:12
Gotta love those ancient rituals!
Apr 30, 2015 @ 12:12:53
Poor little kids. Nothing says “celebrate the power of nature/the gods” like killing someone :-). I’m glad you added in the footnote that you made that bit up!
Great story.
Apr 30, 2015 @ 12:12:16
It’s surprisingly easy. Maybe I’ll write shorter books now!
Apr 30, 2015 @ 12:10:23
Thanks, Al. Must be my Scorpio Vibe coming out, eh?
Apr 30, 2015 @ 08:19:32
I’ve actually been to Barcelona in the summer. Glad I wasn’t a young virgin at the time. And if remember correctly, I wasn’t even a girl.
Kinda like this dark side of you. It adds to the Lorna mystique.
BTW, you’re good at this. No surprise there.
Apr 30, 2015 @ 04:21:41
Love it, you non-procrastinator, you! You get so much into 90 plus words.
Apr 30, 2015 @ 04:02:14
Nice one ‘Cyril’ as we in the UK would say.. (compliment) we have the Druids dancing all night at Stonehenge, ancient monuments…
Apr 29, 2015 @ 21:11:56
A good scalp massage? Yes, I read your comment replies, lol. Smiling once again from stopping by your place. ❤
Apr 29, 2015 @ 21:02:30
I want to write that the mother is “hot stuff”, but
I’m afraid it’s the daughter that’s going to be…
Fun stuff for a blonde who is all-natural…
Randy
Apr 29, 2015 @ 19:49:53
Yikesl Great one, Lorna, but I’m not sure St. Joan would approve.
Apr 29, 2015 @ 18:13:03
Very well written story with an interesting historical reference. I was surprised at the end that they would offer people, as sacrifices until I read the attached information!
Apr 29, 2015 @ 18:07:22
Human sacrifice, eh? My, what a cheery topic.
Interesting as always, Lorna!
Apr 29, 2015 @ 17:50:34
Well, I’m going to try to be funny next time…even if it kills me! 😉
Apr 29, 2015 @ 17:47:13
But I could always use a good scalp massage. You never know what ideas might pop loose! 😉
Apr 29, 2015 @ 17:01:07
Well done! You don’t need anything to jump start your imagination. You have enough for an army! 🙂
Apr 29, 2015 @ 16:33:31
It must be do with the 100 word limit that makes us all serious 🙂
Apr 29, 2015 @ 16:29:31
It’s kind of odd because my blog is known for being funny, but these flash fiction pieces are coming out so serious. What’s up with that? 😐
Apr 29, 2015 @ 15:51:11
Your sense of humor is refreshing. Good one !