Flash! Friday Fiction: O, Dragoness! Our Dragoness!

“Her Story Written in Disappearing Ink.” CC2.0 photo by Michael Shaheen.
“Her Story Written in Disappearing Ink.” CC2.0 photo by Michael Shaheen.

O Dragoness! Our Dragoness! – 144 words

A beautiful girl lived here, reads the chalk outside the door.

Truer words could not be spoken. She was magnificent, her wings of teal, her eyes of orange, her generosity of spirit beyond color, beyond measure.

She was no typical dragon, guarding her hoard with an eye for self. No, this dragon gave more than she took, encouraged rather than criticized, lauded each and every fair knight or maiden who came to her lair, giving us wings on which to soar.

It is this beautiful girl’s turn now, this gorgeous dragon’s chance to fly, to share her own treasure with the world. Watch her as she unfurls her majesty, her gifts, her stories.

A beautiful girl lived here, and lives here still. The Dragoness, for whom we hold the greatest tenderness, and to whom we owe eternal gratitude.

We love you, Rebekah. Thank you.


This is the last regular week for Flash! Friday. Our fearless Dragoness leader, Rebekah, has decided to end the beloved weekly contest, to allow us to move on, and to give herself the chance – and the time – to craft her own marvelous novels. She, and Flash! Friday, will be sorely missed.

It was Flash! that gave me the first public recognition, first public praise of any fiction I’d ever written. I cannot tell you how much that meant and means to me, how coming to this contest week after week sharpened and honed my writing and editing skills, and slowly built my confidence as people responded to my words.

I know I am far from alone in this. Flash! Friday and by extension its leader Rebekah has touched, encouraged, driven, kept alive the writerly dreams of so many of us, and we are forever in her debt.

So I wrote this story today in homage to her, and the people like her, who choose to build people up, to give them wings, instead of trying to slay them and poke holes in their dreams. We need more in the world like her.

 

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