HELEN KAMPFNER

In the place and time I found myself, I had done something wrong.

My punishment? A chain of large metal links, secured around my throat, pressing against my flesh, reminding me of its presence every time I swallowed or turned my head.

A man, with whom I had a connection – were we related? Was he the reason for my wrongdoing? – received the sam…[Read more]

Most of my dreams are about me being chased, and my running away. Seems to be a recurring motif in my dreamscape. Sometimes it’s horrifying, other times a call to adventure, and most times, something in between the two 😊

The link works, @libby, and the news really warmed my heart along with my morning coffee. The fact that the river was declared dead in the 1950s also brought to mind The Great Stink in @kazg‘s Time Catchers, though the Stink and the declaration were almost a hundred years apart. So happy to hear about the baby seals, sunning on the banks, eating…[Read more]

What a beautiful bird and how evil to kill it. But then, I probably don’t understand “country ways”. Actually, my mother was born and bred in a tiny farming community in the heart of Somerset and my father was born into a tiger-murdering family in Kanpur (Cawnpore as was) Northern India. I’m quite familiar with country ways. Generally, country…[Read more]

😃😊 Yayyy! Nothing makes me happier than that which is weird and wonderful. I personally won’t mind teeth-dropping out ones. There’s beauty in nightmare as well ✨

Oh my days…I’m going to be spoilt for choice, the state of my dreams! I’ll avoid the teeth-dropping out ones and see what else weird and wonderful I recorded in my dream diary.

@richardb how cool is that!! Thank you for sharing your special day and moment 😃✨

@athelstone

We are not natural

I couldn’t have said it more aptly myself, nor could I agree more. How beautiful it is to re-introduce a species we made the unnatural choice (and for pleasure no less!) to hunt to near-extinction. And how hideous it is to have hunted…[Read more]

You were lucky. That sounds like a wonderful day. I know that some people oppose restorative activity, whether it’s re-wilding, re-introduction or even support for remaining wildlife poulations. We’re told it’s only nature. It’s natural for things to change and species to fail. My view is that it isn’t nature. We are not natural. We reason and…[Read more]

Thank you, @sandra 😊

Late to this, but well done indeed @Knicky, for a poetic tale. Also to @Athelstone – I too had a lane like that in the place where I was born, which decades later had its magic buried beneath tarmac.
Thanks @Seagreen for the challenge and the feedback – I did enjoy the opportunity to just play.

😃 Thank you, @seagreen, for the competition and for choosing my piece! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, it was most delicious to write. I took inspiration from what came to mind with the prompt, which was that scene in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast when Maurice (Belle’s dad) was on his way to the science fair with his invention, and Phillipe (the…[Read more]

WooHOO! Well done Knicky. Absolutely smoking story. And thanks for the comp, Seagreen.

Five glorious entries and oh, so difficult to choose! Many thanks for participating 😊

Anyway, down to business. You know what I’m like with feedback so I’ll keep it brief.

@sandradavies – Loved the voice, the descriptive language (gingerbread brown and the notion of a magical, travelling kaleidoscope – how perfect!) Then, just the hint of threa…[Read more]

Quick update to let you know I haven’t forgotten. Results will be posted later today.
Many thanks for your patience.

Congratulations on the acceptance @squidge! And some solid advice, with proof in hand 😊😊🥳