“I hate Christmas, Stefani. I’m not helping you put lights on this icy tree.”
“You’re such a Scrooge, Austin. Christmas lights bring miracles. Don’t you believe that?”
“I don’t believe anything. Let’s go inside, I’m cold.”
“Brendan will help me.” Flirting always worked with Austin.
“Oh, alright.” The two university students trudged back to the dorm.
“Lights again, Felman?” Arvid complained. “Don’t they know the more they change the world with technology, the greater the curse upon them?” She and her fellow elf were sitting invisibly on the tree’s branches.
“You know humans, Arvid,” rolling his eyes.
I wrote this for the Rochelle Wisoff-Fields flash fiction writing challenge. The idea is to use the image above as the inspiration to craft a small story no more than 100 words long. My word count is 97.
I actually re-wrote my story which originally was more along the lines of environmentalism and global warming, but everyone writes about that, so I was pretty disgusted with my lack of imagination. I changed it, but alas, the theme is largely the same. The more we humans try to “beautify” the world around us, the more we miss out on the natural beauty it already possesses. Forget the lights. Enjoy the ice.
To read other stories based on the prompt, go to InLinkz.com.
Dear James,
Felman and Arvid the elves. Imaginative and cute story with an evocative message.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Indeed, Rochelle. Thanks. Oh, I Googled “Norse first names” to come up with “designations” for my elves.
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It’s a message worth constantly reminding people of.
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Thanks, Iain.
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‘The more we humans try to “beautify” the world around us, the more we miss out on the natural beauty it already possesses.’
You said it!
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Thank you, Jaya.
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I can’t agree more.
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It’s time we learned how to leave well alone.
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Agreed. Thanks.
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🙂
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Nice imaginative story, James.
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Thanks.
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I hope Felman and Arvid don’t object to tinsel though. We unofficially ‘adopted’ a tree in the New Forest, it gave comfort and peace when we wanted to escape the manic rush of humanity. Every Christmas we put a small wreath of coloured tinsel in the higher branches we could reach, and removed it after New Year. It was an old Elm, and we said that as long as it stayed standing we would be together.
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A story with a moral – like it. Technology is certainly harming the natural world – you only have to look at the plastic washed up on beaches the world over to understand that.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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True enough, Susan. It’s not that tools (technology) is inherently bad, but when we choose to live out of harmony with our environment, we reap the consequences.
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Too bad the humans couldn’t hear the elves 🙂
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Yes, but would they have listened? Austin didn’t want to put lights on the tree anyway. Stefani manipulated him into doing it.
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Technology is both a blessing and a curse it seems. But there is nothing we can do about the future! 😉
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The future is dependent on what we do in the present, Courtney.
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Ignorance is bliss to some, isn’t it? But it really is so pretty…. 🙂
I have stopped decorating the outside of my house. Does that give me a few points?
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I’m sure it saves on your electric bill, Dale. 😉
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That it does! I spend waaaaaay more than I like already!
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That was with a strong message Keith
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Thanks, Akshata.
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You’ve contributed one of your very best stories today, James. I loved the manipulative Stefani, and the elves, and the strong and timely message. And it’s all so fluently written. Kudos!
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Thank you, Penny. To Stefani’s defense, many girls in their late teens learn they can get their way with guys by a bit of flirting. It’s how she gets things done, though she’s somewhat misguided.
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I’m with you on enjoying the beauty of the ice! Although I’ll have to do so vicariously this year, as my family is meeting in a warm place rather than in Michigan for Christmas, again.
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Southwestern Idaho will likely have more snow than I want to shovel again this year.
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Michigan hasn’t been getting nearly as much snow in recent years as it did when I was growing up there, but I’ve also gotten lazy: *any* snow is too much to shovel!
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Last year, the Boise area, which traditionally doesn’t get that much snow, was absolutely pummeled by “snowmaggedon.” Fortunately, I had my son and grandson to help me shovel (and shovel and shovel), but if it happens again this year, I’ll be doing it alone. Good thing I started back up at the gym again.
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I hope you won’t have to deal snowmaggedon two years in a row, especially on your own! At a certain point it’s time to hire some young neighbor kid to do it for you. Pride comes before a fall — literally — and all that.
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My next door neighbor has a ride-able snow plow that he runs up and down the sidewalks, but most of the time, I still have to do the driveway.
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It’s nice to have nice neighbors. 🙂
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Great story. For once, I have to say I’m looking forward to Christmas in a way that I haven’t in over twenty years (since married). I’m going home to spend the holiday with one of my foster families from years ago. It will be so great to be with ‘family’. 🙂
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Cool. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas celebration, Jelli.
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“Forget the lights, enjoy the ice.” You could try putting it on a billboard, but I somehow doubt your campaign’s going to get far. In a lot of placed they salt the roads pretty heavy, pollution or not, to avoid the accidents caused by ice.
But for all that, I do like your story and you have a valid point. We want it all — and we usually want it made overseas so our own corner of the world doesn’t get polluted.
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I know, Christine. Lights are pretty. I don’t celebrate Christmas (my wife and kids are Jewish), so our house is the only one on our block that is dark at night, but I think it’s fine and dandy that others do. Besides where I said above, I find not having to run around and drive myself nuts at this time of year very liberating. No shopping, no extra cooking, and none of the other headaches so many others (religious or secular) take upon themselves in December.
Yes, we do celebrate Channukah, but it’s a pretty low-key holiday compared to Christmas.
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I think everyone realizes “the festive season” has gone way overboard, but no one knows how to reverse gears. Though we exchange gifts and gather to feast, we (in our church circle) don’t put up lights or trees, either. In that sense we keep it as a “birth of Christ” celebration.
Thinking of energy consumption, Christmas lights are a small part of our general extravagance, for all that. If you’ve ever seen a sports field at night under dozens of giant floodlights, you know there’s a lot of power being consumed on fun & games.
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Oh, I think elves have it right.
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Lovely story, with a lovelier message. So agree with the lights/ice line.
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Or watch the ice sparkling in the lights, ensuring that you’re using a renewable energy source 🙂 Nicely spun tale James
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The story is cool (that was not suppose to be a pun) but the commentary better. Let’s enjoy the natural beauty of the world while we can.
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There’s always beauty in the world, Susan. We just have to know where to look.
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Gosh! Elves watching our every move and judging? Scary thought.
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Isn’t it though? Thanks for reading, Elizabeth.
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I understand what you’re saying. They should have strung popcorn for the birds. I like the touch of the elves. Good writing, James. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Thanks, Suzanne. Wouldn’t the popcorn be gone by the end of the day, though?
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Let dark be dark and let the elf handle the magic.
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That’s an interesting thought. What if elves handled the decorations magically from now on? Thanks.
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Fun story!
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Thanks, Dawn.
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technology has the power to build and to destroy. we should always handle it with care..
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Very true. Thanks.
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So, you pressed a theme home….no biggie…I just read a good story. Love elves.
Scott
Mine: https://kindredspirit23.wordpress.com/2017/12/11/fall-of-our-discontent/
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