© Douglas M. MacIlroy
“Cats, bats, and now this. Why can’t I leave my garage door open for two seconds without…”
“It only happens when I’m here, Grandpa.”
“The old man looked to see his five-year-old granddaughter walk out from the house.
“Hi, Danielle.”
“I told you Grandpa, my name is Zooey.”
“Sorry. Why do the critters invade my garage when you’re here?”
The little girl gently took the bird from his hand. It sat peacefully as she stroked its feathers.
Zooey walked outside and the bird suddenly took flight. “You just have to know how to talk to them.”
The old man chuckled.
I wrote this for the Rochelle Wisoff-Fields writing challenge. The idea is to use the image above as the inspiration for crafting a piece of flash fiction no more than 100 words long. After much editing, my word count is exactly 100.
Again, I’m leveraging characters from a storyline loosely involving five children who are mysteriously summoned into a world of dragons and other forces for unknown purposes. The youngest child is Danielle or “Zooey”. Two previous flash fiction entries involving an older child in the same universe are The Way Home and Where Did Our Home Go?. I can’t tell you where in the sequence of the events today’s tale takes place since, if I actually write this series of novels, I don’t want to give out “spoilers.”
To read other stories based on the prompt, go to InLinkz.com.
Addendum: I decided to expand this tale to reveal a few more details, more of a hint of what’s to come than anything else. Go to The Whisperer Expanded for the rest, plus a look into Zooey’s past in Mr. Covingham’s Secret.
poweredbyrobots.com 
Dear James,
Zooey sounds like a special girl. The world needs more like her. Sweet snippet.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes she is, Rochelle and for someone so young, she’s seen “stuff”.
LikeLike
I love her already. Lovely story!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you.
LikeLike
A wonderful ‘power’ to have, to be able to communicate with animals, or dragons for that matter.
LikeLike
In my fantasy tales, dragons aren’t hard to talk with since they’re sentient, and many of the animals, real and mythical, seem pretty interactive in my fictional world, but it takes a special person to make all that translate into the world we actually live in.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really enjoyed this, James! Lovely story
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Dale.
LikeLike
I love this. Great story with happy characters.
LikeLike
Yes they are, though there’s more to Zooey than one might see at first.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Will you develop her character? I would be fun to explore that.
LikeLike
If you’ve read the expanded version, I already did, Linda. However, Zooey’s full story is planned for a trilogy of novels. I’m roughing out the first few chapters of the first.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very cool 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sure you could find plenty of charming tales to tell about Zooey. Delightful James.
Click to read my FriFic!
LikeLike
Thanks, Keith. Don’t forget to read the expanded version. Only about 500 words not including the brief commentary afterward.
LikeLike
I decided to write an expanded version of this story to give you all a few more details: https://poweredbyrobots.com/2017/10/11/the-whisperer-expanded/
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’ve written a lovely, self-contained story, James. Zooey is a great character.
LikeLike
Thank you, Penny.
LikeLike
I think you should definitely write the series of novels!
LikeLike
Thank you, Rosemary. Can I mark you down as having “pre-ordered” the first one? 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nicely told – like the mystery surrounding Zooey and her abilities. Well told tale, James
LikeLike
Thanks, Lynn. I’ve also written an expanded version, plus part of a completely different chapter in Zooey’s life called “Mr. Covingham’s Secret.” Let me know what you think.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s an interesting world you’ve created there, James. I can’t quite imagine a dragon wearing a suit, but I’m sure you’ve fleshed all of that in the previous extract where he meets the children. It’s certainly original and fascinating. Good luck with it 🙂
LikeLike
Apparently neither can anyone else because I can’t find one in a quick Google image search. I’ll have to draw it at some point I guess. Think of Gerliliam as a kindly, old professor-grandfather, but as a dragon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a fascinating idea and as your search has proven – an original one too! Thanks for the pointer and I hope the write goes well 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too. I have full drafts of the first two chapters and partial drafts of the second two (Mr. Covingham’s Secret forms the first half of chapter 4).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Here’s a sketch of what Gerliliam looks like: https://poweredbyrobots.com/2017/10/12/gerliliam-sketch-1/
LikeLiked by 1 person
This left me with a sense of peace. Thank you.
LikeLike
Thank you. If you read the expanded version of this tale, and then the next story “Mr. Covingham’s Secret,” you’ll find out even more about Zooey and her family, Alicia.
LikeLike
Wow! What a lovely story!
LikeLike
Thank you, Moon. I’ve been telling everyone who has commented here that I also wrote an expanded version (~500 words) and then a related story about Zooey (~1100 words) called “Mr. Covington’s Secret.” Hope you enjoy those as well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would read them soon, James. Thanks for telling me.🙂
LikeLike
You’re welcome (this is my unabashed self-promotion moment).
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would call it dissemination of information.
Reading your stories is always a privilege.
LikeLike
That’s quite an honor. Thanks, Moon.
LikeLike
Awww, how darling! I used to be that way when I was young. Great story this week.
LikeLike
Thanks, Jelli. Read some of my other responses in this blog post to see where else you can find Zooey.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is so lovely… I think you have created a wonderful little character… something tells me that children with power could do great things in the world
LikeLike
You don’t know the half of it, Björn. Just read the expanded story plus my latest piece “Mr. Covington’s Secret” to learn more.
LikeLike
Ah, very nice. I like that it was the younger generation that was kinder and gentler.
LikeLike
Kids tend to be kinder and gentler. I say this having two grandchildren and yes, my two year old granddaughter can throw a heck of a fit. She can also be amazingly loving and tender.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Zooey seems like she knows something the others don’t. Will check the companion pieces to this one. You have certainly piqued my interest.
LikeLike
Varad, she knows quite a bit about things others don’t. Thanks.
LikeLike
Very nice. I will read the others also.
LikeLike
Thank you.
LikeLike
I swear I know someone like who you’ve portrayed in the character of Zooey. Well done!
LikeLike
Uh oh. Ask if she ever rode a dragon in the Dragonworld wars.
LikeLike
Lovely story. I like the way you built in the ability kids have to forgive us oldies for forgetting names.
LikeLike
Thanks. In this case, Grandpa remembered Zooey’s given name of Danielle, but she identifies more with her nickname.
LikeLike
Aah … in a way that shows even more tolerance on her part, being gentle when she corrects Grandpa for not using the name she’s chosen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Being a Grandpa myself, I’d like to think I’d be just as gentle.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Zooey may be Dr. Doolittle. Lovely story.
LikeLike
In her case, it’s a little more complicated. Thanks, Sascha.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A nice story to make my day
LikeLike
Thank you.
LikeLike
Wonderful snippet, James. The girl’s got talent, that’s for sure.
LikeLike
Thanks, Russell.
LikeLike
I smiled at the end – awe… beautiful mood imbued = thanks
LikeLike
You’re welcome.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a lovely girl and sweet story.
LikeLike
Yes she is, Clare. Thanks.
LikeLike
Beautiful story.
LikeLike
Thank you.
LikeLike