Clamping her mouth tightly, Shabina massaged her twisted ankle; the elders had warned she’d get into a pickle. Countless numbers had aspired to recover the precious shamanic mask, only to have disappeared… like cousin Shabu.
Suddenly, in a flash of red and yellow, Shabu appeared shimmering above her, as though magically superimposed over the forest canvas.
This piece of flash fiction was written in response to:
- The Sunday Muse #230;
- Fandango’s One-Word Challenge: ‘pickle’;
- Ragtag Daily Prompt Saturday: ‘red & yellow’;
- Word of the Day Challenge: ‘numbers’;
- The Daily Spur: ‘mouth’;
- Your Daily Word Prompt: ‘aspire’;
- Sammi Cox’s Weekend Writing Prompt #279
The Skeptic's Kaddish 🇮🇱 
You did it again, David…❤️
💛🙏🏻 Punam 🙏🏻💛
A cleverly composed combination, David. 🙂
💖🙏🏻 thanks, Bill 🙏🏻💖
And then what happens?!? I’m already theorizing about the new visions that are going to come from a new mask that was required by the changes that resulted in the old mask being lost.
🤎 🤭 Wyndolynne 🤎 🤭
Shabu, there to watch over her. Brilliant, David.
💜🙏🏻 Keith 🙏🏻💜
That’s a really evocative short story, I was transported into the world, brilliantly done in so few words.
💛🙏🏻 Kristian 🙏🏻💛
Bravo. Very intriguing take on that image.
Happy Sunday
Much💛love
🤍🙏🏻 Gillena 🙏🏻🤍
This was great David. I too, want more.
💜🙏🏻 Lauren 🙏🏻💜
Love this, so atmospheric
❤️🙏🏻 Ange 🙏🏻❤️
Shabu the killer whale! (sorry!) Happy weekend, my friend.
–Shay
🤭🙏🏻 Shay 🙏🏻🤭
Compelling start to an unfinished story – I want to read more!!
🧡🙏🏻 Muri 🙏🏻🧡
What a stunning and unconventional image you chose for the prompt, superimposed
I hope Shabina gets out of this pickle and recover the mask. A twisted ankle in this situation is devastating.
Love the artist and the writer at work here.
A refreshing indirect collaboration.
🤍🙏🏻 Abi 🙏🏻🤍
So well written David, that I did not want it to end! A captivating story that makes me long for a sequel!!
🤎🙏🏻 Carrie 🙏🏻🤎 ~ that’s very kind