Saturday, April 09, 2016

A-Z Challenge Day 8

Posted Saturday April 9

Today’s neglected words are somewhat easier to pronounce than yesterday's
Holm n. River island
Holt n. Woody hill or grove
Herbose adj. Abounding with herbs

A couple of words I liked  but couldn't use:-
Huggermugger n. One who acts in a secretive manner. Origin: 1530s 
Hornswoggle vTo deceive.




Our parents didn’t know. We didn’t dare tell them. But doing foolish things is part of growing up isn't it?

A fast flowing river ran past our village.  About a mile downstream was a little holm. It was our holm, our special place. Often we would hold hands, leap into the water and battle with the current as we swam over to it. 

Verity made us a flag. We planted it near the top of a holt and claimed  the island for ourselves. On balmy summer afternoons, we would lay on our backs hand in hand in a sweet smelling herbose clearing, and hear nothing but our breath and the songs of birds.

*
I didn’t want to do it that day.  The river was a rushing torrent. I allowed her to persuade me. Come on she said. The last thing she ever said.
*
It was years before I returned. The flag was still there so I surrounded it with a heart of stones. My eye was caught by something hanging in a tree, blowing in the breeze. A shirt. Verity's shirt. I plucked it from the branch and pressed it to my face. It smelled of herbs, the herbs on which we used to lay.

I have not been back again.



As we get a day off tomorrow, I have written a piece for The Sunday Whirl which I will post here at midnight tonight. 


To  read previous stories, click on the letter!
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U W X Y Z


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57 comments:

  1. Wow! That was unexpected and extremely well written. I love your use of unfamiliar words and look forward to reading more.

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind words Drusilla

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  2. Very nice cadence/flow! I like this little story. Good emotional bite.

    If you'd like, you can visit me over at intotheravenousmaw.blogspot.com.

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  3. Evocative and lovely. You used the words well. I have a character named Verity in one of my unfinished novels.

    Boldly Going Through the Alphabet!
    @shanjeniah
    Part-Time Minion for Holton's Heroes
    shanjeniah's Lovely Chaos

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    1. It's a name I don't hear very often, but I had to go to the surgery the other day and the nurse that poked a needle in my arm was called Verity and the name stuck. The injection hurt but that's not why I killed Verity off!

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  4. Such a sad one today; even with the unusual words.

    betty

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  5. Hello from A to Z, Keith. That was a nicely written piece of flash fiction. I felt both suspense and sadness while reading about what happened.

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  6. impressed by your subtle way of telling a thing, i think i need to learn this from you

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    1. Praise indeed from I writer whose work I really admire!

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  7. This was touching....It's written so wonderfully I could imagine things happening ....

    Thoughts...Sushree

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  8. Nice little share, thank you for Having us over...

    Very Nice Post... but you know that, that's why you posted it! Right!

    Welcome in the letter "H"... thank you!
    Jeremy [Retro]
    AtoZ Challenge Co-Host [2016]

    Stop over and find a free "SIX STRINGS: BLOGGING AtoZ CHALLENGE" Here: http://www.jmhdigital.com/

    HOLLYWOOD NUTS!
    You know you want to know if me or Hollywood... is Nuts?

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    1. I was hoping people would like it but you can never be sure, can you? I'm on my way to your links right now.

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  9. Oh dear. This reminds me of Bridge to Terabithia--so sad. I'd like to hang out on a holm.

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  10. you write such compelling stories....

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    1. Praise indeed! You say the nicest things Kathe

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  11. Hi Keith - now I wish I was doing the A-Z .. still it's not to be - next year ...

    I'm going to look and see if you've done Crowlink ... and Toft - to come ... and there was another phrase or word that we thought about ... it was a freezing visit to see how the Chalk cliffs at Birling Gap were disintegrating .. rather a lot ...

    Great story ... I can visualise that ... and Verity - a good name .. cheers Hilary

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    1. Hi Hilary. It is so sad to watch the white cliffs at Birling Gap drop to the shore. I've often wondered how Crowlink got it's name do you know? Looking forward to you playing along next year.

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    2. PS: Verity is the name of the nurse at Old Town Surgery who tortured me last week. I say no more!

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  12. Oh, I was so enjoying the bucolic setting. How sadly beautiful. Well done.
    Awakening Dreams and Conquering Nightmares with a Pen
    Best wishes!

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    1. I find beauty in sadness. Is that wrong? Thanks once again Darla

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  13. Oh! This one is a poignant one! Great piece of writing, Keith!

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    1. This is my favourite type of story and the kind I find most satisfying to write. Quite what that says about me I'm not sure!

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  14. I had a feeling that one wasn't going to end happy.

    ~Ninja Minion Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
    Story Dam
    Patricia Lynne, Indie Author

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    1. A sad ending is far more satisfying - provided it's fiction of course!

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  15. Great story, Keith. Shame you could't include huggermugger, but there you go.

    Susan A Eames from
    Travel, Fiction and Photos

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  16. Great!
    @CazsBooks
    Thanks for visiting me at http://cazgreenham.blogspot.com

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    1. I am really glad I did! Thanks for dropping by Caz

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  17. Love the theme. You might like the flash fiction site, Mash Stories (http://www.mashstories.com). They use random words as a writing prompt. You did so well with this story, I thought you might like to check it out. Nice job. @sheilamgood at Cow Pasture Chronicles

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  18. That was a sad story but a good one. I live close to place called Holt which as it happens is on a hill and there is also lots of forest. Learned something tonight :-)

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    1. I grew up in a street called The Holt and I always wondered where the name came from. I've now found out! Thanks Bee

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  19. What a sad (but good) little story!

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  20. What in intriguing little story. On a related note, I'm fairly certain my grandmother used to use the word hornswoggle. I think she is the only live human being I can remember to ever use it. Have a good one!

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    1. That's interesting. I think it's a lovely word and I fully intend using it whenever I can

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  21. Romantic tragedy, so very well done. If left us a bit broken-hearted too!
    Josie
    from Josie's Journal

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  22. What a beautiful piece, I didn't see the ending coming at all. I love the way you are incorporating weird and wonderful words into the stories
    Debbie

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    1. I'm glad you like it. Thanks so much for dropping by RM.

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  23. It is good to relate back to old times with nostalgic tales. Fascinated with the rarely used words. Thanks for sharing Keith

    Hank

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    1. I'm enjoying searching them out Hank. Thanks so much.

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  24. Rather sad piece, well crafted. Like the way you are using archaic words, makes the nostalgia hit even better. Herbose is a good rhyme for verbose :)

    Nilanjana
    Madly-in-Verse

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  25. Such a beautifully told story, Keith. The ending is endearing and heartbreaking.
    Many Blessings,
    Lori

    My A2Zs @ As the Fates Would Have It & Promptly Written
    Follow Me (Ravyne) Twitter|Facebook

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    1. Thank you for your generous words Ravyne. I'll be visiting your posts very soon.

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  26. Lots of huggermuggers lurking on the blogosphere, never commenting, always lurking... As for your story - hornswoggle!
    Okay, I just had to try the weird words ;-)

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