The hill cut the sky in half, a black shrug between the dappled water and slabs of slate grey cloud. Six pylons prickled the horizon, three groups of three, arm in arm.
Even here, the weight wouldn’t lift. The sky pressed down, hills pushed at his back, pylons watchful.
He tied another fishing fly, plucked the silken fluff from the shaft of a quail feather, twisted the cord, trapping more feathers. Once the fly was done, he added it to the others lined up on the pontoon.
They stirred in the wind, a twitch like the flex of dying muscles. He scuffed the bundles of feather and cord into the water.
“It’s time.” The aide was at his side, signalling towards the car. “They need your signature to go ahead.”
“Yes.” He watched the feathers float away.
***
Written for What Pegman Saw, the prompt that uses Google Street View as its jumping off point. This week we visit Newfoundland and Labrador. See here to join in.
Word Shamble 
Such incredible texture here, Lynn. You really are ace. 🙂
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Aw, Crispina. Thank you so much. Trying to improve. Glad you felt the textures there. Thanks very much for the kind words
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I know we all have different strengths, so I shouldn’t look at your writing and think, Oh I wish, but you make it look so effortless. I start like that, then delete it. Humm.
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As you say, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. I’ve often thought I’d quite like a writing mentor, someone objective to tell me where my strengths and weaknesses lie, especially so far as genre is concerned. Should I continue to plug away at contemporary fantasy or move to something else? I’m usually so muddle headed about the ‘big picture’, I don’t have a clue. 🙂
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Is there one genre above others that attract you, both to read and to write? In my later teens & twenties, I experimented with all the genres. I even submitted a family saga, would you believe. It was rejected. Not enough oomph to the climax. I tried historical, and sci-fi and… well, you name it. But in the end I returned to where I started, aged 9, with fantasy. That story written at 9 years old is the origin of the much-extended *Neve*, which I intend to publish on Kindle after *The Spinner’s Game*, although I’m going to rename it.
The other question to ask, is what topics are you drawn to. Things that you read which are non-fiction. Needless to say, mythology has me hooked. But so do certain periods of history.
Does that help?
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Hey Lynn! Are you posting natively within LinkedIn also, or using the publicize feature from WP to do so? Just curious. Surprised at the difference in views between the two platforms. Feels like I just woke to that.
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Hi Bill. I think you can use the publicize feature but not sure if it’s only for the full Linkedin, not the free one I use. Couldn’t find a way to join Linkedin with WP anyway. I cut and paste the lot manually – very old school! Not sure how useful Linkedin is for writers, but it seems harmless enough
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Hi, yes old a school still works…I use the publicize feature but haven’t posted within LinkedIn yet and not sure how much my themes “fit” there, but happy to see you using it. And out here posting again! Enjoy your evening and first night of fall.
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Yes, not sure how it’s useful for writers or how to use it properly to build a following – if that’s possible through LinkedIn. But that’s the way with me and social media – I’m on several platforms and use them all badly! Have a great evening yourself. The nights are drawing in here, mornings are darker and today the rain is pelting down, whisking the copper leaves off the trees – a true start to autumn 🙂
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I can relate, on the “using them badly.” At least we’ve got good grammar, there’s that.
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Well, I think I’m reasonably intelligible – on a good day 🙂
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That sounds like the blackest of black endings. A confirmatory ‘signature’ sent from a car. Who could the sender be, and what doom is he dealing out, I wonder?
Brrrrrr!
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Nothing good! I started wondering about all those politicians (Blair and Cameron come to mind most easily) who’ve led the nation into horrors – war, austerity, leaving the EU! – and how they cope with what they’ve done. the suffering they’ve inflicted on their own citizens and others. Do they rest easy? Thanks for reading, Penny
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This writing is, as per, absolutely wonderful.
And we are left with so many questions!
Well done!
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Thanks so much Dale. Glad you liked it and that it left you wondering 🙂
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It was a fabulous write – as I expect from you!
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Thank you so much – you’re very lovely 🙂
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Just an honest fan 😉
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🙂
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Excellent piece. The language underscores the sense of forboding.
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Thanks Josh. That’s something I’m working on, so that’s good to know.
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Such fresh and sparkling language. Dang, you brought this to life.
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Thanks so much, Karen
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I can’t quite tell what’s happening, but it’s clearly something ominous. Something that weighs him down and that I expect will only grow in weight once he signs that document, and allows something horrible to happen. Very atmospheric.
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Thank you, Joy. Yes, I’m not sure what’s happening either, but it’s not good. Thanks so much for reading
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