The Unicorn Challenge.
A magical new weekly writing opportunity from her – Jenne Gray – and me.
Visit her blog every Friday to see the photo prompt, and post your amazing story in her comments section.
Or on your own blog, and stick the link down in her comments.
The rules are:
Maximum of 250 words.
Based on photo prompt.
That’s it.
To hear me read my story, just click here:
Harbour Lights
What fascinates me most about the port is that, although it is small, it has so many different faces.
In summer sunshine, it’s all a-bustle, boats shuffling in and out, horns (or are they klaxons?) blowing, sailors, trippers and meandering holiday-makers thronging the quaysides.
Then, after dark, the restaurants and bars are the attraction, packed inside and out, with different, competing music blaring cheerfully out across the water.
In winter things are different.
Daytime activity is minimal, restricted to a few fishing and diving charters, and a handful of hardy souls performing maintenance chores on their expensive hobbies.
Many boats are already in hibernation, encased in plastic pyjamas in the boatyard until springtime.
At night the port is dark and almost silent until, inevitably, the arrival of the Christmas tourists.
Now, masts and lines, as they call ropes on boats, and perhaps even lanyards, whatever they might be, are bedizened with festive lights.
You might gather from my tone that, as the song says, that don’t impress me none.
No, I find this festooning somewhat garish, and it doesn’t help my mood tonight.
Usually when I walk around the harbour, I’m relaxed, at peace.
But right now I’m tense, prepared for conflict.
Regardless, I stride forward, scowling at each boat I pass, looking to see who, if anyone, is aboard.
Because I know she’s here, somewhere.
And, if I don’t find her, by tomorrow she’ll be gone.
The port has, as I mentioned, many different faces.
Sound Bite Fiction 
Ooo. Good. Your description of the shifting face and mood of the port is gorgeous to read. And then it’s not. That switch at the end pulled the rug from under me. Poor lady. I don’t think he means well. I hope she’s well hidden in one of those ‘bedizened’ 🙃 boats.
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I I was also lulled into the beauty of the scene (resentful tone notwithstanding). And then, near the end, the menace caught me by surprise. I too thought stalking…
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I see lots of people peering into boats as they walk around my local marina, I wonder if one of them is harbouring a secret!
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Nah, they’re just looking for girls in bikinis!
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A sensual beat pulsating throughout the luscious setup, leading to the obvious (to me, anyway) question: Exactly what does he plan to do with/to her when he finds her?
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Save her, maybe?
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Lots of intriguing thoughts. Good one, CE
(plus some fun – pj’s – and word of the week: ‘bedizened’)
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Thanks, Chris, that word certainly seems to have caught the attention!
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Having spent most of my life near the ocean and it’s flora and fauna, both decorative and functional I though I had a handle on the vocabulary… until today.
bedizened
arrgghh me fashion-enhanced sea dog!
(and like the the others… excellent turn of the tenor (emotional not singer lol)
my learn-by-dissecting part of my Reader-mind is thinking, ‘OK he starts in the last third… no, wait! earlier he gets it to be night first! hah!
sorry, is this keyboard on?
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Well, Clark, I enjoyed your comment as much as I usually do, and then, as is often the case, you lost me.
‘the last third’?
Explanation, please?
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The tale started out so simply and innocently that I felt I was part of a walking tour. When it turned dark – and magical(?) – I was thinking I needed to slink away to not be seen with the narrator lest he turn his eyes on me.
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Ah yes, Michael, I see the ambiguity in my words and I agree that he’s not a dude to mess with!
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The MC is prepared for conflict while searching for an elusive woman. Sounds a lot like stalking to me.
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Your description had me strolling along beside you, enjoying my surroundings, relaxed and at peace.
Then ‘No’.
‘Usually’.
‘But’…
And now I’m tense – and I don’t even know – or need to know – what the upcomng conflict might be.
A deftly crafted story containing what is indubitably the word of the week: bedizened. – I love it.
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It’s a cool word, isn’t it!
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Could you give me the link where I can buy some of those clear plastic pajamas?
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I have just washed my imagination in bleach and now I’m going to lie down for a week or three.
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I almost choked on my morning tea there! 🙃
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And, typical colonial, can’t even bliddy spell pyjamas!
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