Dogs howl, as is their wont.
The cold moon rises, her blank face pierced by branches turned naked and brittle. All trees are leafless at this time of year, bark rimed with frost.
My breath hangs, shimmering in the freezing air, and the iridescent image swims through a mirror that flows like liquid silk. I frown at such misplaced fancy. It is only a river reflecting evidence of my vitality.
A river… A chance.
The bloodhounds remain far distant yet. I brace myself against the cold and step into the freezing depths, gritting my teeth.
I wade agains the current, skin, muscles, bones aching in protest, my greatcoat sagging, dragging heavy with water.
Until the wretched creatures lose my scent, here I must remain. I plead, to any great benefactor who might hear my prayers, for clouds, mist, a dense fog.
For my freedom.
Over at dVerse Poets Pub, it’s time for a bit of Prosery, courtesy of Dora. She has asked us to create a piece of prose, fiction or non-fiction, to include the following line from Stanley Kunitz’s most famous poem, King of the River:
“. . . and the iridescent image swims
through a mirror that flows.”
I haven’t written a Prosery for some time, so this is a fun diversion from my usual poetic adventures. it must consist of maximum 144 words, and while the line can include different punctuation, it cannot be otherwise changed. I truly enjoyed incorporating this line into my fiction piece, and I hope it fits well into my narrator’s thoughts.
If you want to join us in this poetry adjacent journey, head on over to dVerse and dive in!
(Image courtesy of Muhammed Zeya on Pexels).
Nice one, Freya
Much love
Thank you, Gillena 🙂
This is a fabulously spooky story, Freya. Now, I want more! Great imagery!
Thank you, Colleen! All the gothic novels I have read, and the cold, dark wet heaths, moorlands and mountains I have walked helped me write this! Since I have survived so far (albeit not being chased by hounds), I am hoping our narrator did too!
Freya, your prose is incredibly vivid … I could literally feel fear, the overwhelming need to escape, no matter how much pain it would inflict. Brava!!!!
Thank you so much, Helen! I truly enjoyed responding to this prompt.
Nicely done! A great story, Freya!
Thank you!
You are welcome.
A spectacularly vivid, thrilling read, Freya, that sent shivers of cold over my skin and of pure enjoyment at a well-turned scene mid-story. I love this character’s musings as she strains every nerve for survival, for escape. Love too your creative use of Kunitz’s line!
Thank you so much, Dora. I had real fun with this one!
i hope they escape!
I hope so too, after wading through that ice cold river!
It’s never only a river, Freya! I love the immediacy of ‘Dogs howl’ – made me sit up – and the scene-setting gave me a welcome chill – I’m still feeling the heat. You wove the prompt line into your Prosery seamlessly and made me root for the guy in the greatcoat.
No, it never is only a river, I agree. They are so much more than we comprehend. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, and that you were on the side of our narrator. I was too!
Oh wow, what a way to pull one into the story. Very well written… I 🥶🥶🥶 when she stepped into the water…
This sent shivers down my spine in more ways than one… the story of getting out from the bloodhounds is such a wellknown one, yet the terror in being the hunted was immediately understood.