She talks to wolves...

Tales from the Wishing Well is on hiatus, effective immediately.

Installments will resume on January 1st, 2009, and will continue monthly until June 2009 when it will resume a weekly schedule.

I apologize to all my friends, supporters, and sponsors for the delay in installments, but this will guarantee both the quality of the pieces as well as my soundness of mind.

For those who would like a complete explanation of why this is necessary, step beneath the cut:

( Explanation of the necessity for a hiatus. )

Tales from the Wishing Well.

Sometimes, this project is difficult. This is most often the case when I have eleventy-billion things to do and yet refuse to drop any commitments, especially this one. Sometimes, this project is difficult because the ideas that occur don't want to be limited to such a short form. They entice me, whisper how much more they could be. That was the case with the main character in "In Extremis" and with the fellas from "The Brotherhood of Applied Sciences."

For today's prompt-- "desire," given by caudelac-- I came up with three long-form projects and one I couldn't write because of other people. Last night, in bed, another two occurred to me that I don't have a hope of gracefully pulling off in a short time frame.

One idea kept pushing at me: I want to show how much desire is responsible for repulsion as it is for attraction. Several of the above mentioned projects attempted to do that in different ways. What I settled on at last, however, is imagery I would say is charged for most people.

The work featured here today is not freshly written, so I don't feel right in putting up the donate button. If you appreciate the work and want to donate anyway, you can find the permanent banner at the Tales from the Wishing Well home page.

As always, if you have no idea what's going on here, click this link to read an explanation of the project.

Comments are welcome!

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Mortal Desires
A Poem from the Wishing Well

by Deborah J. Brannon

Rabbit tossed a coin into the well, and upon this coin was inscribed: Desire.

"I seek mercy! I seek absolution!"
I offer neither.
"I seek love... I seek peace..."
I can be both.
"I fear you! will run!"
I will follow.
"I am weary. I await you!"
I will embrace you.
"I seek passion; I seek... feeling."
I am cold.
"In darkness, there is peace? In coldness, there is love?"
I am here for you.
"What do you want from me?"
Only you.

Only


You.




Tales from the Wishing Well.

If you missed my latest free fiction offering, "The Brotherhood of Applied Sciences", because I posted it egregiously late last night (sorry about that), CLICK HERE!

Our next installment will be posted on Monday, August 4th. The prompt is crows (as provided by quadrivium) and it's asking to be a poem... and a necklace.

Today's installment of Tales from the Wishing Well will be posted either this afternoon or this evening. Watch out for it!

Here concludes the first installment of Tales from the Wishing Well. If you've missed what's happening here, see this post for an explanation. If you've missed Part I of "In Extremis", you can read it here.

Read, enjoy, tip if you're moved, and comments are welcome!

* * *

In Extremis
Part II
by Deborah J. Brannon

I have played the penitent before, mounted the ladder, wended the long way to Heaven on the heels of the Malakhim. Angels make climbing look effortless, but we earthbound demonkin grow fond of bodies with muscles that bunch and strain and skins that run with effort.

Thus limp and winded, I have thrown myself upon the mercies of my celestial counterparts, begging to be made new. Must I serve, only, and receive no surcease? Could not the tool of absolution be herself briefly absolved? The black eyes of my brothers and sisters have gazed at me, bowed and trembling with blood-stained hands and feet. Their gaze has swept over my taught skin, sallow by their own sacred glow. Their hands have twitched toward my ravaged wings, feathers tattered and torn through the passion of my calling and finally, with pitiless compassion, they have made me new.

Yet they would never let me speak: my words crowded behind my teeth, stymied by their holy hands that bid my words not profane such a sacred place. Though their hands were gentle and cleansed my skin, clearing away the sweat and blood; though their breath was refreshing, summoning new feathers from my beleaguered wings; though they clothed me in glorious raiment, they denied me further speech. So I learned that Abaddon's eyes could grow wet as rain-washed rust and still she-- I-- could not cry.

( Continue reading... )

Tales from the Wishing Well

Introduction
A couple of weeks ago, I invited all of you to give me writing prompts: one prompt per letter in the alphabet, in keeping with the Alphabet Meme going around Livejournal at the time. Originally, I planned to mix my responses to the meme, either writing a journal entry or a short essay or doing something more creative, however the mood struck me. My more creative responses could encompass flash fiction (up to 750 words), poetry, photography, or jewelry-crafting.

After pondering my current situation, however, I have decided that every reply to the Alphabet Meme-- or every installment in Tales from the Wishing Well, as the project is now called-- will be creative. Some installments may have a visual component (either photography or jewelry), but all installments will have a written component (mainly flash fiction and poetry, with forays into song-writing and essays possible).

My reasons for doing this are several. First, I'd like to encourage myself to start producing creatively to a schedule (no matter how busy I am otherwise). In addition to this, I'd also like to generate more interest in my writing. On the business side of things, I'd like to experiment with cyber-funded creativity. Finally, on a personal note, I am sadly in dire financial straits.

Schedule
As of 01/01/2009, the schedule is now once monthly to appear on the 15th of every month.

Topics, As Provided By You
( behind the cut )

Donations, or The Cyber-Funded Part
Each installment in Tales from the Wishing Well will have a Paypal Donate button located at the bottom of the post. This is a tip jar, an up-turned top hat, an open guitar case. It is not a bill, an invoice, or a demand.

I ask only that, if you enjoy the fruits of my labor, that you consider throwing a bill or two into the jar.

Those who do donate, however, will have first crack at purchasing any jewelry made for this project. Or window-box prints of my photographs, with the photo surmounting the text of the accompanying installment. There may be other incentives to come over the next couple of months!

Coming Up Soon
On Friday, you'll get a short flash fiction piece inspired by afterimage's prompt: Abaddon. Come back and read the story entitled "In Extremis" (or "Lady of Locusts" as it's been rattling around in my head). Brought to you by the phrases "place of destruction," "land of the dead" and "where the damned lay half in fire and half in ice." I hope to subvert your expectations.

My Plea
If you know some people who enjoy free short fiction and poetry, would you mind directing them here? They can check out the first installment of Tales from the Wishing Well this Friday (and read some other free fiction and poetry on my site) and decide if they'd like to hang around for the whole carnival.

Thank you!

(I would be remiss if I did not mention the local trailblazers in cyberfunded creativity: ysabetwordsmith, haikujaguar, and shadesong.)