PHOTO PROMPT © Ted Strutz
If you like my work, buy me a virtual cup of coffee at Ko-Fi.
Griffith hated “blipping” into random places, especially late at night, but that was how the quest worked. This yarn shop wasn’t an unanticipated destination. The next clue was here. In fact (he quickly counted the words he already had) this should be the last one. Then he could assemble The Name.
This had been centuries in coming. Once he puzzled out The Name and said it out loud, He would come and the world would be safe. But where was it hidden?
“Please don’t hurt me.” The woman crouching in the corner was a beautiful last word for The Name.
It’s Wednesday and once again time to participate in Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ 6 October 2023 edition of Friday Fictioneers.
The idea is to use the image above to craft a poem or short story no more than 100 words long. My word count is exactly 100.
Actually, this is a sort of adaptation of a short story I wrote which didn’t sell. I’ve submitted it to another publisher, so now we’ll see.
Imagine being an immortal person tasked with searching all the lands and peoples across history. You gather letters, syllables, and words in the ultimate pursuit of assembling “The Name.” The Name is that of the Almighty and Powerful, the Wonderful One who is the salvation of all humanity.
But you have to find all the clues, put them together in the correct order (you almost assuredly will collect them out of order), and then say The Name out loud (in my story, there are evil forces trying to prevent this, but 100 words isn’t long enough to describe all this).
As it turns out, the last word isn’t a what, it’s a who.
To read the other tales inspired by the photo prompt, visit inlinkz.
To read one of my published works of fiction, go see ICE.
At the end of time, the world is hot and men travel the vast oceans in merchant sailing ships. Captain Ki-Moon Yong of the Star of Jindo has discovered a new horror at the bottom of the world. Can he and the Star escape disaster long enough to warn a disbelieving world?Read the latest review of “Ice” HERE.
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Names do have power, don’t they?
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In this particular story and in many other viewpoints, they do.
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Interesting concept.
It reminds of a show that aired when I was a kid, “T-Bag”. The first season had the main girl hunt for missing letters.
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I’ll have to look it up. Thanks.
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I like the idea that Griffith’s dislikes ‘blipping into random places’. The down side of being a fantasy hero on a quest to save the world I guess. And now we know the conclusion is so near, fingers crossed that he’s able to assemble it all successfully. Very creative story. Good luck with the extended version.
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Thanks, Margaret.
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Being sent on a quest is one thing, but being randomly blipping into unexpected places makes life more difficult. Who controls the blip button.
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Probably the one who created the quest in the first place, the living embodiment of “The Name.”
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The Master.. we never know.
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That first line was a great hook 🙂 And I do believe there is power in names, whether human or inanimate. Names give meaning to all of us, including our pets!
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Thank you, Linda.
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An intriguing tale with an interesting footnote.
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Thanks, Keith.
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Interesting concept. I hope you find a publisher.
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Me too. Thanks.
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Interesting premise, James, I can see how this would make a much longer story. I’m intrigued by the woman being a part of the Name. I wonder if that bodes well for her though, or whether she’s right to be afraid.
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Given that our protagonist has enemies who don’t want the Name pronounced, that might cause her to become anxious. Thanks.
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Well done. Of course it would be a who.
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Thanks. More interesting that way.
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Intriguing and sinister!
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Thank you.
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By any other name…
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…would smell as sweet.
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