PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook
She cast a slim shadow on the glassy lock, wrists and ankles fragile as porcelain. Weaving between the sculptures, she tapped each in turn with her forefinger.
‘… tad-cu, modryb, cyfnither …’
It was the eighth time Idwal had caught her on the grounds. The perimeter wall was tall, impregnable, but still she kept getting in. He watched, enthralled.
She’d stopped by the two tallest stones, one lissom arm resting on each. ‘Mam. Tad.’
Wind rippled the water, hushed through the grass. Somewhere a wren sang.
After the song faded, nothing remained of her but footprints in the damp grass.
Written for Rochelle Wisoff-Field’s Friday Fictioneers. Write a tale, share, read and comment on others. See here to do all that.
Work stopped me from join the scribbling party last week. I am therefore, painfully late so if I don’t get round to reading your tale do forgive me.
On seeing the photo I was struck by the sculptures in the foreground and how they loosely resembled a group of standing stones. Most standing stones in the UK and elsewhere have legends attached and those legends often centre around fairy folk and the stones being cursed people. See here to read some interesting British legends surrounding standing stones.
Notes
The wren is called ‘the king of birds’ or ‘the little king’ in many languages. She’s also known as a trickster. Take a look here to learn more.
I found the following words on the Omniglot website. Beside them are their English equivalents.
Cymraeg (Welsh Celtic) English
Tad Father
Mam Mother
Tad-cu Grandfather
Cyfnither Female Cousin
… and finally, the Welsh boy’s name Idwal means Lord of the wall.
Word Shamble 