The Feather #flashfiction

55 Replies

This week at the Carrot Ranch, Charli Mills challenged writers to In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that features feathers. It can be a single feather or more. Where did the feather come from? Does it hold meaning to the character or story? Go where the prompt leads!

I don’t know if you ever did this when you were young, but I and my siblings and/or friends used to. We would attach meaning or significance to otherwise insignificant events or occurrences, such as seeing images in the clouds or finding a coin or ‘special’ shell or rock in the sand or on the path. Anything could intrigue and we would create stories to explain why we were the chosen ones for the particular find or revelation. I guess it was a way of giving rein to our imaginations and, perhaps, an attempt to make our ordinary lives seem extraordinary. I guess most children do this in the land of dress-ups and make-believe.

This is where Charli’s prompt took me this time. I hope you enjoy it.

The Feather

‘It’s not just a feather. It’s the feather.’

‘Which feather?’

‘The one from the beach that day.’

‘Which day?’

‘Remember when we went to the beach and there was a flock of birds that looked like they were having a conference but when they saw us they flew away and one dropped a feather that landed on top of our castle. We knew it was a sign, they were telling us something.’

‘That’s just silly childish stuff.’

‘It was a sign. The birds need our help. The bulldozers have arrived. They will destroy the habitat. We must stop them!’

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Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.

55 thoughts on “The Feather #flashfiction”

  2. Jules

    I think there needs to be more listening between interspecies. I hope the animal habitat gets saved!! In our area too much of the land seems to be being plowed under. Though our Farm preservationists are working very hard to save some of the local farms. We have some small forested areas and wetlands, but not really enough to meet all the needs of all the animals.

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  3. Patricia Tilton

    That is really a great piece of flash fiction. Don’t think I made up stories about things I picked up as a kid — even more of a reason to appreciate your creativity. Could see this as a start for a PB.

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  4. Pingback: Feathers « Carrot Ranch Literary Community

  5. Hugh W. Roberts

    I remember those stories as a child, too. It seemed to be about finding a coin back then. Those coins always ended up in my moneybox, whereas my friends often spent their find straight away.

    When I read your piece of flash, I couldn’t help but think of the movie and book Watership Down when I reached the end, Norah. I liked the location of your story and especially the line about the birds having a conference.

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    1. Norah Post author

      I found some coins too. It was actually a coin that I was thinking about as I wrote my story.
      I have to admit that I haven’t read Watership Down, Hugh. I just couldn’t get into it, but I appreciate your kind words, nonetheless.

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  8. Susan Scott

    A lovely story Norah thank you. I still collect feathers and imagine them as a sign of ‘something’. Besides, they’re usually very pretty. A friend of mine who’s father died many years ago, kept on finding feathers in abundance very soon after his death. More than at any other time.

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    1. Norah Post author

      Thank you for your kind words, Susan.
      I’ve heard many stories of people finding feathers after a loved one has passed. It must be very comforting to feel that connection.

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    1. Norah Post author

      Thank you for your support, D. Both are important, and we need our imaginations to find ways of preserving the environment. We didn’t use much imagination in destroying it.

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  17. Rebecca Glaessner Author

    I can almost remember this conversation from my own past, word for word. I used to love feathers. My children seem to have inherited that without my conscious influence. They have ziplock bags full of the ones they’ve collected. The storytelling component, however, we’re working on. This was wonderfully nostalgic Norah, you portray the minds of kids vividly. I do hope the seagulls return and drop many presents on the bulldozers too.

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    1. Norah Post author

      We do need to keep those imaginations working, don’t we, Charli? Too many bird habitats (and others) are being destroyed to make way for construction. I was quite happy to let the feather be prophetic, though I don’t think any of our childhood revelations ever came to fruition.

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      1. petespringerauthor

        I was lucky to grow up in a neighborhood with lots of kids, so there was always someone to play with. It was a time when parents didn’t have to worry so much about if their kids were safe or not. Mom used to call us in with a dinner bell.

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