Wednesday 18 April 2018

SPIRIT SPINNER - 100 word story

The photo prompt this week intrigued me and I could only guess what the contraption was - rather like the character in my story. 
I did some research and hope I've got it more right than my character!


PHOTO PROMPT © Douglas M. MacIlroy


SPIRIT SPINNER 


The first time I saw Jodie she was twirling on John's lawn.
'Don't be fooled.' said John. 'She's a fruitcake.'
But Jodie beguiled me.
'I made these.' Jodie showed me dream catchers. Delicate and ethereal. 'I love the idea of capturing dreams. Don't you?'
I nodded sagely and told her, 'yes.'
'That's my spirit spinner.' Jodie pointed at a contraption in the yard. 'It allows my spirit to dance freely on the astral plane. I bought it from a Wise Woman.'
A memory stirred.
'Um, Isn't it something to do with golf?' I said.
Jodie gave me a pitying look.




I hope you enjoyed reading this and I look forward to your comments. 

If you wish to read more Friday Fictioneers stories, you can find them listed HERE



If you'd like to join in the challenge, you'll find all the information posted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields 
- her blog is listed on 'My Blog List' on the right hand side of this page.

On a final note - I always try to visit the blogs of everyone who comments on mine. If I haven't commented on yours it's either because I haven't been able to find your blog when I've clicked on your name or because you have a wordpress account that requires me to sign in first. 



85 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. He he - well she believes it - and I'm all for harmless dreamers, Keith!

      Delete
  2. That evoked a wry smile

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good! That's a valid reaction. Thanks for commenting. :)

      Delete
  3. Dream catcher and Spirit spinner - truly mystical & intriguing!
    Well expressed, Susan!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Anita. Certainly an object to mystify!

      Delete
  4. Something captured my dreams last night. Weird zombie-like dream. My heroine won in the end, but it was a near thing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He he - I've never really understood how dream catchers are supposed to work! I'll have to ask Jodie. :)

      Delete
  5. LOL! I love the pitying look. So obtuse.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, Jodie clearly thought he didn't understand. Thanks for commenting.

      Delete
  6. Dear Susan,

    Sometimes I think I should adopt your last comment. I feel the same way. With the size of our group, reading and commenting on all of them is a labor even if it is of love. As I've said before, when someone consistently does not bother to comment on mine, I return the favor.

    Now that I've sounded off, I love your take on the prompt. I didn't know what that thing was until 6 years ago when I met Doug, the professional disc golf player. Jodie, might be a fruitcake, but an endearing one. Nicely done.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Rochelle. Yes, I'm afraid I'm now loosely keeping track of comments. Last week I commented on over 60 blogs and less than half returned the favour. Persistent non-commenters will be weeded out!

      Delete
    2. I do the same, Susan. I open up my "comments" section, type in the name if I feel it's been a long time or never and am usually greeted with a blank. And I, too, return the favour..

      Delete
    3. I find it sad and a little baffling when fellow writers fail to support each other, Dale.

      Delete
    4. Everyone lets one or two slip through the net from time to time, but systematically not returning a comment is pure bad manners, I think. And not thanking the commenter as well as not returning the courtesy... :(

      Delete
    5. I don't seem to be able to add another comment independently, so I'll just say here that I love the sound of Jodie. She's my kind of girl... :)

      Delete
    6. Thanks, Sandra. And- yes, of course I always give people the benefit of the doubt when it comes to returning comments, but I've decided on a 'three strikes and they're out' policy. I just don't see why I should waste my precious time on discourteous people.

      Delete
  7. Maybe it's both, a multi functional object :) Love the mix of down to earth and dreamy in your characters Susan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lynn. Sometimes stories write themselves, and that's what happened with this one. :)

      Delete
  8. It was a very wise woman that managed to sell her that!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Certainly made me smile. I like the dreamcatcher idea.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Ha.. I think it can find many uses... but it can capture things that spins.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it's just a case of where the imagination takes us. :)

      Delete
  11. Children can come up with all sorts of creative interpretations of words, objects, whatever... and then some idiot (usually an adult) has to inject a note of reality and mess it all up!

    It's like when a child receives a big toy, contained in a box, and after the toy is taken out of the box, the child climbs into the box and makes that box anything he or she desires!

    I used to take what I believe are called "lockseam curtain rods" and use one as a cane, a rifle, a submarine periscope, and more. And I would take an outdoor drink holder, the kind that has a top which is twisted into a shape like a spring, put my hand in the coiled part, and voila! I had a sword!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true! I'll never forget my toddler niece disappearing into a fantasy world with nothing more special than an empty cotton reel.

      Delete
  12. I love your take! Magical - and let's face it, there is a decided lack of magic in this world, lately...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Dale. Yes - let's use fictional stories to escape the real world!

      Delete
  13. I know what it is, but Jodie's explanation is so much more interesting. More power to her!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree, EagleAye - a little bit of mystique is more fun than the prosaic reality!

      Delete
  14. You show great imagination in turning the heavy artefact of the photoprompt into a spirit spinner, and excellent writing skills in making dippy Jodie so sympathetic.
    I'd love a device that allowed my spirit to dance freely on the astral plane. It sounds such a joyful thing to do!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your feedback, Penny. I'm not sure what part of my subconscious the idea of a spirit spinner came from!

      Delete
  15. Ha! Ha! Jodie's explanation is much more interesting and I loved that last line.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well it's more interesting to take something and look for a different twist - in my humble opinion - glad you enjoyed it.

      Delete
  16. Hey dude, don't be spoiling Jodie's calm :-) Love the "pitying look" she gives him.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the feedback, Alistair - glad to hear the last line worked for you.

      Delete
  17. Love your take on the prompt, Susan.��
    Such a fun story. Thank you for ‘ astral planes’. I admire Jodie’s absolute faith in those two objects. Great writing.
    Best wishes,
    Moon

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Moon. I don't share Jodie's naivety, but I do like her innocence.

      Delete
  18. Why did you have to pour cold water on Jodie's explanation!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Because he likes her and he knew she'd been bamboozled by the Wise Woman. :)

      Delete
  19. Cute spiritually spinning piece.
    Randy

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love the idea of a spirit spinner. Even if she really is a fruitcake, she seems happy and that what matters. Nice take on the prompt!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely, Shivam. Nothing wrong with a bit of harmless spinning!

      Delete
  21. I'm still none the wiser - I don't know much about golf - but a Spirit Spinner sounds like something we all need!
    (Haven't taken part in this challenge yet, but I like to see what others make of the prompts.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Linda, I'm learning to play golf, but I've never seen this thing! As for taking part - it took me months to decide to give it a try, but I'm so glad I did.

      Delete
  22. It looks like an instrument of torture to me! I think I would have gone down the grisly route, so well done for thinking of something a bit different.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha - I wouldn't have had you down for writing something gruesome, Helen!

      Delete
  23. For all I know of golf, both explanations might be correct.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm afraid the prosaic one is correct - but let's ignore that and follow Jodie's lead! :)

      Delete
  24. Haha sounds like he needs to use his imagination more! Great take on the prompt

    ReplyDelete
  25. Yes, maybe Jodie has got it right. Thanks for commenting - appreciate it.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I like her explanation. It's much better than a knight's underwear. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha - spirits flying free versus men's underwear? I know what I would choose. (And this is what I love about FF- the different interpretations on the photo prompt.)

      Delete
  27. I'll go with dream catcher and spirit spinner because until today I had no idea about disc golf.
    Nice take on the prompt Susan.
    Thanks,
    Norma.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me neither, Norma. And of course, nor did Jodie. Thanks for commenting. :)

      Delete
  28. Replies
    1. Thanks for commenting, Lisa - good to know you enjoyed it.

      Delete
  29. I love Jodie's innocence and clearly it is this side of her that John likes, which may suggest he is a dreamer too. Deep inside hidden beneath all that scepticism. That said, Jodie needs someone to help her watch her spending habits.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Wow. Wonderful take on the prompt. Spirit spinner is very interesting and enigmatic.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Thanks, Jaya. I don't know where the idea of a Spirit Spinner came from - it's funny what the subconscious conjures up!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Oh, I think his chances with her just dropped. Wonderful and imaginative take on the prompt.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He'll have to redeem himself sharpish, won't he? Thanks for commenting, Gah. :)

      Delete
  33. Yes, it is a spirit-spinner Jodie, don't listen to these practical-types party-poopers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha! Yes, let her keep her dreams, Anurag!

      Delete
  34. Great, I love the withering look at the end, some people are just too literal

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it would be a dry old world if we didn't have people who look at things differently, Michael. Thanks for commenting.

      Delete
  35. well, what do you know? great spin on this week's prompt.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Love the way you ended the story, with Jodie giving the narrator a pitying look. I'll bet life is never dull for her. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm glad you enjoyed the ending; it seemed appropriate. :)

      Delete
  37. Like the way you tell the story, most entertaining - mystical meets down to earth. Good one

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for commenting - yes, I think contrasting characters make stories more interesting.

      Delete
  38. Love the story, and Jodie's pitying look. I wonder what other wonders she has in her collection.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sarah - yes, I might have to revisit Jodie's world in more stories to find out. :)

      Delete
  39. I, for one, would love to hear more about Jodie's world!! Sounds like I could learn something from her :)

    Great story!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha - thanks, Rachel. The world might be a better place if we behaved like Jodie. :)

      Delete
  40. I never could figure out what it was, so a golf-thingy or dream-catcher works for me. Nicely done Susan.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Thank you! Appreciate your feedback. :)

    ReplyDelete
  42. Like the blend of mystical and down to earth, in the conversation. A satisfying story - well done.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Thank you - it's always so good to know when a story works for people! :)

    ReplyDelete
  44. I love her explanation and now I want one in my yard! Delightful take on the prompt.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Thanks, Alicia - it's a nice idea, isn't it? (Even though I don't believe it for one minute!)

    ReplyDelete

Many thanks for commenting. I appreciate your feedback.