Liminal
Her sable brush roamed the canvas. Delicate strokes of umber and ochre for the barren branches. Burnt sienna for the dying autumn leaves.
She paused. Amused.
Had she painted autumn’s abandoned twigs? Or young buds, heralds of the coming green? She savored her newfound uncertainty. Fall or Spring? Snow a foretelling of what was to come or a last gust of cold breath before the skies turned blue?
Her lover leaned over her shoulder, adding bergamot to scents of oil and turpentine. “Why the gray skies?”
She angled a smile. “Because the liminal world is rarely black and white.”
~*~
I wrote (3) 99-word stories for the Sue Vincent Rodeo over at Carrot Ranch. Then, I read the fine print and discovered I could only submit (2). Uh oh. Decisions, decisions. Well, this is the one that I didn’t submit.
Remember that submissions can’t be previously published, even on your blog. If you want to try your hand at a 99-word story in honor of Sue, you can saddle up and read the rodeo rules at Carrot Ranch.
Myths of the Mirror 
Ooh! Love it! Can’t believe you told a whole story in 99 words but you did!!
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Ha ha. It was challenging, Sarah. I’m glad you enjoyed this. Yay! It started at about 200 words, and I had to skinny it down and down and down. 🙂 Good practice for tight writing. Have a happy day, my friend.
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Very nice. 🙂
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Thanks, Betsey. I’m glad you enjoyed the poem. Have a lovely day, my friend. ❤
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You too, Peach! 🙂
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Speechless! Your writing is beyond compare. ❤️
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Aaaah. Thanks for making me smile this morning. Your comment is such a treat. I do enjoy these short pieces. They pose a word-puzzle for the muse. I’m so glad you enjoyed this. Hugs ❤ ❤
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You are an incredibly gifted writer regardless the genre. Bottle some of that please! ❤️😊
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Maybe I won’t buckle down, after all…. Sheesh; the competition!
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Buckle down, Chel. You have 4 days and who cares about the competition. Go for the fun and creativity. And don’t sell yourself short either. You’re a talented writer and who knows what the judges are looking for. Thanks for visiting… now, get writing. 🙂
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❤ Thanks. ‘Twould be nice if I ever won, in the past….
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If this is the one you didn’t submit, then I can’t imagine how brilliant the one you did must be. This was gorgeous!
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Thanks, Suzanne. I hope I made the right choice! Lol. It’s so hard to evaluate our own work, especially when each piece is really different. I’m glad you enjoyed this. I love writing these and it’s for a great cause. 🙂 Happy Writing.
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