Story Pic No. 16 - 20

I take a lot of walks in my spare time. Thankfully, I live in a beautiful neighborhood of a fascinating city (Seattle), which I love to explore; so, whether it's to stretch my legs, gather my thoughts or simply just to get some fresh air, I spend a lot of time walking. I started writing these ‘Story Pic’ flash fiction pieces when—after some self-reflection—I realized that most of my new ideas for current WIPs manifested while I was on one of my walks. So, like any good American, I turned something natural that I did to relax into work. Below are the fruits of my endeavor, each story inspired by something that I came across while exploring and took a picture of (as one might infer from the series title). The stories were originally released weekly on my social media—where they are still available (@willowsfield)—spanning over four months of my rambling thoughts. Please enjoy, if you so choose.

—Willow J. Fields

“Wild Restrictions” Story Pic No. 16 — 5/12/2022

“The forest is closed today,” says the clerk standing in the rhododendron.

“Excuse me?” asks a confused hiker.

“You can’t close a forest,” protests another.

“Please don’t cause trouble,” the clerk sighs.

“Whatever guy,” says the first hiker and pushes past the clerk.

“Security!” bellows the clerk into the forest’s dark depths.

A shambling figure stomps from the underbrush, looming over the indignant duo.

“My god,” gasps the second hiker. “It’s Bigfoot.”

The clerk smiles. “Sick ‘em, Sassy.”

“Bargain Fantasies” Story Pic No. 17 — 6/2/2022

“What’s your fantasy? A slimmer body? A fatter bank account? Power?” The voice from the dark was silky, enticing an answer.

“Yes,” I said, dazed.

“And what would you give for your fantasy?” asked the voice.

“Anything,” I moaned. “Everything.”

“Exactly what I like to hear,” said the voice from the dark, a smile coloring its words.

“Come on down to the crossroads, I open at midnight. Let’s see if we can strike a bargain.”

“Deserted Youth” Story Pic No. 18 — 6/9/2022

“Rain, rain go away, come again another day!” sings the child, splashing in the puddles.

The rain ceases, the skies clear. Years pass by, the earth hardens, the ground cracks; deserts encompass the globe.

“Come again. Come again…” rasps a withered figure, clawing at a dune’s sandy slope. “Another day…”

“Hellish Fetish” Story Pic No. 19 — 6/16/2022

The man at the crossroads tapped his watch impatiently. “You’re late,” he said as the Devil appeared in a puff of brimstone.

“Yeah, yeah,” the Devil said tiredly. “I’m balancing a lot of plates here. Now, what do you want?”

The man’s eyes glinted. “Revenge.”

The Devil nodded. “Classic. I can do that, but you know the deal.”

“Yeah. You want my soul, right?”

“SOLES,” corrected the Devil. He grinned at the confused man, flashing his pointed teeth. “I got a thing for feet.”

“Trolling for Treasure” Story Pic No. 20 — 6/23/22

The troll was fast asleep on the bridge, bathing in the late-afternoon sun.

“Er, excuse me,” said The Adventurer, propping their sword on their shoulder.

The troll cracked one craggy eye open. “What do you want?” it growled.

“Well, um, your treasure, I suppose,” stammered The Adventurer.

“No.”

“No?”

“No,” repeated the bridge troll. “It’s the end of my shift. Come back later and take Anthony’s treasure, he’s the overnight troll.”

“Damnit, late again…” mumbled The Adventurer and walked dejectedly away, leaving the troll to bask in the golden sunlight.

If you've read this far, thank you. You did it, you read them all! Well, okay, maybe you didn't read all 15 Story Pics in the three other collected documents, but you did read this one at least, so thank you! Please leave your thoughts---which did you like the most? The least? (Was it the devil foot fetish one?) Once again, thank you for your time Dear Reader, and have a nice day!