Flash Fiction Friday! February 10th.

Happy Friday, everyone! It’s time for another installment of a Flash Fiction Friday, a prompt to throw something together in about five minutes or so inspired by whatever picture I find at the top of the Five Minute Getaway page. One day, I might start mixing it up and doing something other than Five Minute Getaway, but, dammit, the pictures are so gorgeous. There’s a problem if you don’t find a majority of them inspiring. I always just post the first one, but there are a lot of them that can be just as inspiring, if not more, so check it out and see what you come up with. (I’m particularly charmed by this one.

Feel inspired? Feel free to share your work here and on your own blog, and I’ll try to get to checking it out! Work has been weird for me lately, so I haven’t been doing as much blog visiting as usual, but it would be great to have the chance to break that unfortunate habit.

Here’s my contribution for the day:

*****

(Image courtesy of Five Minute Getaway)

The sky was darkening into the rich shades of evening, while the storefront glowed from the bright light streaming through their tall glass windows. Despite the weather, mild and warm and perfect, the streets were quiet, with the exception of a few, and it made the clomp of her heeled shoes echo more succinctly as she strolled down the street at the arm of her lover. It made her laugh ring especially clear when she threw back her head and let one go, feeling free and astounded by the beauty that surrounded them. She pulled herself closer, nuzzling against his arm, lifting her head and meeting his mouth with her for a kiss. There were so few people to see them, and even if they did, so be it. She was at the top of the world, unabashedly in love and not afraid to let the world know it.

They turned the corner, and she knew what waited for them there, but that still didn’t prepare her for the splendor that faced her when they turned into the courtyard and the temple rose up before them like an ornate mountain, all curves and details and decadence. It took the breath away from her, the gasp lifting up inside of her as she tried to comprehend the majesty, but couldn’t. “Oh, Henry,” she breathed, when she could find her words, though she still found them whispered and hushed, “it’s so beautiful.”

“Wait,” he said, giving her hand a small squeeze; he glanced her way and smiled, and she could only smile back, wondering what she was supposed to wait for. She tried to banish the thought that, right then and there, in the shadow of the temple, he would lower himself to one knee, attest to the happiness she brought into the world, and extract a small velvet box from his pocket to present her with the promise of eternity. If she thought about it happening, then it wouldn’t happen, so she tried to breathe, tried not to expect anything, and just looked with wonder at the building.

He was quiet for a long time, and she began to worry, but finally he asked, “Ready?” and she could only blink and ask, “Ready for what?” and he smiled back at precisely the moment that the explosion ripped through the air. The magnificent dome seemed to burst open, fire ripping through the ancient mortar and sending pieces of it flying. Another explosion. Another. She winced and cowered, realizing she was too shocked to even scream, and watched in horror as the temple started to crumble, the few people in the street rushing around. But she realized that they were not running away from the temple, but toward it, their arms raised and shouts lifting up from their open mouths. Shaking, she turned to Henry for answers, and he just smiled and tugged her arm, starting to run with them.

“Come on,” he said, and lifted up his voice. “It’s time for the Revolution!”

****

I’ll admit that took a lot longer than five minutes….they usually do! But there you have it! What will the picture inspire for you today? I’d love to see it! Happy writing, and have a fantastic Friday.