Very Short Stories in March 2022
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On Twitter I sometimes saw posts tagged #vss365 that contained a micro short story and I wondered for a long time, what this is all about. At some point I discovered that it is a daily writing prompt for a very short story that fits into one tweet.
Albeit I enjoyed the occasional very short story that washed up in my timeline, I always considered the participation to be something for writers who know about story telling and all that stuff.
After I got so much encouragement throughout Bloganuary 2022 (and a couple of times even before that) I thought I would jump in and give it a go, myself, this past month. It was great and so I just kept going in March and got some additional inspiration from #vssnature.
As you can see, I have posted my very short stories in weekly blocks throughout the post – the ones on green background are the #vss365 posts and the ones on blue background are the #vssnature posts. Below each post you can see the date which links to the original post on Twitter.
. She saw the shift of values exude over people's minds like the fumes of the cities exuded over the planet, darkening the clear-blue sky. Resist the beginnings, a memory whispered. So, this is it, then, she thought to herself. This is the beginning of the end. (2022-03-01) ♥ She wondered if she should feel panic upon observing her heartbeat extrude blood out of her body, spilling it all over the floor. But she just felt calm and completely aware of her surroundings. Her last thought was compassion for the person who would clean this up. (2022-03-02) ♥ He looked around as they were advancing, marching towards the battle field as if people who face each other with arms would prompt peace. Now, he realised the insanity in this thought. What the hell were they all doing, here? For a moment, he lowered his gun... | Should they continue on this godforsaken path, they deserved it if the church would decide to excommunicate them, he thought. But he did not care about the church. He cared about his soul, the souls of his brothers and sisters in arms as well as the souls of the enemy. | (There was some confusion about today's prompt on the blog. Hence, two very short stories from me.) (2022-03-03) ♥ She felt estranged from a society that excludes people for individual choices, heritage and God knows what it would be next one needs to be to serve conformity - an illusion of safety which was the true danger. But where to expatriate to, if the world has gone crazy? (2022-03-04) ♥ Storm was raging as if it was not only to unleash oceans, shatter mountains and exhume woodlands but to unroot history itself of a world that had gone haywire, its cacophony an expression of the disconcert created by humanity. It was time to get Earth back into kilter. (2022-03-05) ♥ People applauded at the end of her speech. She probably should have held her tongue, but she couldn't, anymore. Yet, she felt uncomfortable upon the sudden, unalloyed approval for she had seen too often the shining example of today becoming the hunted witch of tomorrow. (2022-03-06) ♥ Perhaps her own standards were too exacting. Perhaps her expectations were too high. Perhaps she merely was an expatriate of society. Or maybe, just maybe, the world she knew had lowered its standards to an excruciatingly extend of vileness. (2022-03-07) .
. Somewhere in the Finnish woodlands, a memory from childhood days. Mossy boulders, magical shades of green, the sweetest raspberries ever tasted and fairies - seen, yet unseen and elusive to the adult mind. (2022-03-01) ♥ Is it not amazing how one tiny grain of sand can feel perturbing and painful when stepping on it inside a shoe while walking on a billion grains feels smooth and soft beneath bare feet? (2022-03-02) ♥ A memory of a walk. A glimpse of beauty when a branch of a tree stretched over the hedge of a garden, displaying its striking blossoms like divine artwork made of porcelain. Oh, this sweet fragrance when I walked by. I had never come across apricot blossoms, before. (2022-03-03) ♥ In the evenings, the sky was on fire under a setting sun. Shades of red and orange and pink and purple exploding above the dark silhouettes of trees. Distinctive shapes in front of distinctive shades. There's no place like home. (2022-03-04) ♥ The day had been filled with laughter reminiscent of the call of a hyena. The night was still. The laughter had faded. So had our chatter and songs. The fire crackled and the stars twinkled above when the nearby howl of a coyote cut through the pitch-black night. (2022-03-05) ♥ The meteorologist at the weather station observed a cirrus shaping up at the otherwise clear blue sky. Looking at the same sky, the shaman saw the angel she had called for slowly taking shape, spreading its wings, and guiding the way through the plains to safety. (2022-03-06) ♥ Beauty of a landscape. White bovine placidly grazing plains. Sound of hooves as black horses approach. Kindness of a people. Sky above, nothing below, they say, is Puszta. Standing there in the Hungarian steppe I saw: nothing is eternal, everything is now. (2022-03-07) .
I learnt a ton of new words this month and was able to refresh my knowledge about biological and geological phenomenons.
Exude, extrude, expatriate, exacting, exurb, extol, exacerbate and switcheroo were all new to me. It seems I have some catching-up to do on all the ex-words. I also was not aware of all the meanings of the word “mess”.
I had to look up “cirrus” and remind myself what kind of cloud it is. I also did some reading about which kind of landscape can actually be called a steppe, what exactly would be called a plateau and how upland is defined. Further I learned that a river delta does not only refer to the place where the river meets the sea. Also, I was reminded that argon is part of volcanic activity and that the baltic sea is a basing that was created through glacial erosion. I learned the english terms for water-hemlock, wolfsbane and haddock, tried to comprehend the concept of a biome and learned anew how a plant seed is structured upon findng out, what “endosperm” meant, again. Forther, garlic mustard intruduced itself to me as Jack.
. She had been attacked, not for anything she had done but for the mere fact that she did exist. Apathy of bystanders and people in helping positions had muted her into subsiding. Observing madness propagating led her to the verge of despair. She needed her voice back. (2022-03-08) ♥ He was not afraid of death and well aware of the fact that it was part of life. The thought even brought him peace. He would be ready when his time had come. But not here. Not now. Not for this cause. He looked around, desperate to find a chance to exit this nightmare. (2022-03-09) ♥ Mutism of common sense had hyped its devastating effect too far for too long. Mere observerance would not yield change. She was no expert by any means, but she knew the only way to break silence was to speak up. It was also the only way for her to reclaim her voice. (2022-03-10) ♥ He knew one day there would be an investigation. The question was, what he wanted to be interrogated for: participating in the atrocities of war or doing everything he could to not have such vileness induced Upon closer examination his choice became clear to him. (2022-03-11) ♥ Political correctness once grown from the fringes of society to initiate awareness for injustice had degenerated into deadweight arguments to appease the minds of the wealthy who were standing by at the exurb of the global community, watching cracks forming up in sanity. (2022-03-12) ♥ In light of reason's demise, those who still were in full possession of their faculties had to speak up and remind others, that it never is a solution to extol war. Such an endeavour only yields havoc. Nothing is glorious about that. She prayed it was not too late. (2022-03-13) ♥ Her stomach twisted upon observing media exacerbate the dynamic of extremes. Instead of pursuing information, they now purported to create absolutes. Yet, everyone in their sane mind must see through this illusion as nothing under the sky of divine creation is absolute. (2022-03-14) .
. Once, the river had an entire tidal marsh to live in. Now it's captivated by dikes, its bed hollowed, its water defiled by ever growing ships. Yet, its two arms encircle a whole city quarter, turning it into an inverted river delta, whispering: I love you, my pearl. (2022-03-08) ♥ When I once visited the Highlands, I never realised that I moved around on a plateau. I had breakfast at Riverdale, meandered along river Ness and inhaled the sweet scent of blooming gorse instead. A big table decorated with little treasures. Perspective is key. (2022-03-09) ♥ As I stood in the Alpine landscape, still white with snow despite the season, looking up at Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, I remembered people saying they felt small and insignificant in the face of Nature's grandeur. I, however, felt profoundly connected to it. (2022-03-10) ♥ The Elephant In The Room High pitched buzz keeping my nerves on edge, peckish proboscis craving blood. Knowing I will wake up eaten if I let it, I go on the hunt, armed with a jar to capture my prey. Once I do, I release Mosquito into the wild. Live and let live. (2022-03-11) ♥ Volcanoes venting vividly ominously oscillating oxygen needing nitrogen next argon asking alignment attempting atmospheric allowance benign breath born letting life leap homing humans hopefully. (2022-03-12) ♥ I heard dead man's fingers are incredibly beneficial for floodplains. But I am no floodplain, so instead of the lethal toxicity of hemlock water-dropwort, I prefer the nurturing wisdom of ground-elder, while happily leaving the former to the riverbank. Win-win. (2022-03-13) ♥ I remember often visiting the Baltic Sea during childhood. There was Auntie "Tute" - not a relative but the owner of the pension with the privy in the garden, soft ice by the beach, sitting in a Strandkorb and learning to swim in a basin formed by glacial erosion. (2022-03-14). .
During my journey throughout all the ex-words, a lose story emerged and I had the chance to explore my apocalyptic side. I have a document where I changed the order a bit and this draws a pretty strong picture.
Further I explored poerty with aliteration and discovered my funny bone which is a pleasant counterbalance for two weeks of apocalyptic fractals, every day.
With my post on 2022-03-19 I involuntarily hit a spot as by my standards the interaction on this post went through the ceiling with over 20 likes, several outspokenly kind comments and a reaching out by someone through a different channel. The story speaks of the past and it is making clear that I have found my path but I am amazed by the love and care people showed and it also saddens me to see how many people can relate. While it feels good to see that one is not alone, I find it also alarming to notice how many members of our so called Western society actually feel out of place.
. One year, we found a hurt wagtail in the garden. After some tedious research, this was before the internet, we found out how to help. We didn't know it had gotten better until one day when, after the usual feeding on our porch, it flew off without any limp. Switcheroo! (2022-03-15) ♥ A date in my early twens. A party at a club. Still on our way, the deluge set in. Hand in hand we jumped into puddles on the sidewalk. We never arrived at the club. When I came home, my white blouse was full of mud stains. The stains washed out. But the memory remains. (2022-03-16) ♥ On St. Patrick's Day☘️ I remember my time in Dublin. Pretty street lamps decorated with shamrocks. A constant whiff of sea air making me feel at home. Porridge made from jumbo oats. Bewley's on Grafton - also one of few places for good coffee... And most of all kindness. (2022-03-17) ♥ Sometimes in life I wish I could pull a joker. There are situations that just seem too challenging, challenges that seem too big and I simply feel too small. Most of the time, I do not have a joker. So, I have to deal. One step, one breath at a time. And then I grow. (2022-03-18) ♥ Once upon a time, I felt like there was no place for me in the world. First, I wanted to pack my things and leave. Then, I just wanted to leave. Life. I'm still here. I realised that I love life. Now, I'm my own place in the world. Not always perfect. But I'm learning. (2022-03-19) ♥ Where I live, Japanese cherry trees soon will be in bloom. Ten days of Sakura followed by a soft rain of petals. Hanami. Then leaves first green, turning orange, falling. Transience. Once, I read these trees can bear fruit. I have never seen any. How may they taste? (2022-03-20) ♥ Who left that mess in the mess? I'm sorry, I left a mess of potatoes on the table to make mess of them. Did you have to make a mess and spread the mess all over the place? That must have been the mess that came for having mess, earlier. ? This convo is messed up. (2022-03-21) .
. I never encountered a raccoon. Childhood was spent with hares nesting by the compost, pheasants visiting the garden and deer occupying the adjacent pasture in Autumn like shadows in the morning mists. One year we helped an injured wagtail. But there were no raccoons. (2022-03-15) ♥ When visiting the USA for the first time, our hosts made blueberry waffles with maple syrup. I had never tasted anything like this before and I was lucky because they served the kind made from the actual sap of maple-trees. What a precious gift of Mother Nature. (2022-03-16) ♥ We once grew a green bean variety on our balcony, that was said to do well in pots. They made little white blossoms and big green leaves. At some point I realised, that harvestmen had moved in beneath the latter. They cared well for the beans which were delicious. (2022-03-17) ♥ Trying to grasp the concept of a temperate biome with deciduous forests gave me a headache. But standing on dark soil in a beech wood, breathing in the spice of Autumn while the sun illuminates a colourful canopy gave me a holistic understanding of Mother Nature. (2022-03-18) ♥ As a child, I often collected beech nuts in Autumn. I removed the bran to receive the delicious endosperm. My mother didn't like me eating them because of the cyanide contained in it. Now, I roast the nuts before consumption which makes them even more exquisite. (2022-03-19) ♥ Opposite the apartment building I spent my youth in is a duck pond. In Spring, cars often waited in line on the street for a family with little ducklings to cross. Everyone was patient. Even bus drivers. Because that's how you treat your neighbours. Fond memories. (2022-03-20) ♥ It is easy to be the judge about good and evil. Wolfsbane is poisonous. It can kill mammals. An evil plant. But Aconitum is also food for a variety of caterpillars and many other insects. Without them, our world would lie waste. A good plant. What is the truth? (2022-03-21) .
As on their blog the #vss365 prompts are directly linked to their description in the online dictionary of Merriam Webster, I tend to look up each term even if I think I know the word and all its meanings.
Sometimes I end up being surprised, either because I find meanings I did not know of, before, or because I suddenly realise how many different meanings are being assigned to one and the same word.
On some prompts I began to play with this – for example on 2022-03-21, 2022-03-22 and 2022-03-30.
. A bumblebee climbs down the bark of a tree to find the entrance to its nest. A dog barks and I wonder how many people may bark up the wrong tree. On a bark the crew knows the captain's bark is worse than his bite. I embark on my musings and chew on my chocolate bark. (2022-03-22) ♥ Their love had been a glorious blaze of light and laughter and adventure. They were so happy, seeing things they never dreamt of seeing, sharing on a level they never thought possible. She could not believe that she was now watching it all go to the blazes. (2022-03-23) ♥ Thay war staundin oan the tap o the ben, watchin the cloods lunkin in aroond thaim. She kent gin thay wadnae git gaein, the wather wad owerhy thaim. Wad thay mak hit doon tae the wee muntain ludge timeously? (Sairy fer ma bauchelt Scots, A'm ay lairnin.) (2022-03-24) ♥ The security guard turned the corner. She puckered her lips to whistle, but no sound came out. The men inside the building probably wouldn't have heard her anyway, just as they wouldn't hear her when she told them they were planning for too much blasting agent. BOOM! (2022-03-25) ♥ When she read up on how to utilise the word irony she learnt about a new use of it which was similar to the meaning of coincidence. This occurred quite ironic to her. (Fun fact: the German word "Ironie" is not used in this context, according to the Duden.) (2022-03-26) ♥ For some, it is a dollop of cream in a cup of sweetened tea. For her it is a Wulkje in a cup stopping time after properly brewed East-Friesian blend was poured over crackling Kluntje. Do not stir. Just be. Have three before you put the spoon in. https://wp.me/p2kIdV-3Gz (2022-03-27) ♥ My mum used to make thin pancakes, one filling out the whole skillet, occasionally adding apple slices. We had them with cinnamon sugar. I have not had those in ages. I just cannot flip the pancakes over in the pan when I make them and always end up with Kaiserschmarrn. (2022-03-28) .
. A stormy night in Winter, standing at the edge of Heligoland's upland, wind in my face, high seas below. No boat going out or coming in. Only a hand full of people trapped on a tiny island. Me, scared - not of the storm but of an attack by a stranger. City-Paranoia. (2022-03-22) ♥ I do not know much about haddocks. There is a tiny pub near the harbour of my hometown, called At The Haddock Post. It is famous as a Lady known from TV is having a weekly show there with various guests and a Shanty choir. But I do not know much about that, either. (2022-03-23) ♥ In Spring, Jack by the hedge waits for me by the wayside. Like a hippie he wears tiny white blossoms and while some do not like him to hang out, they are unaware of him being amongst the oldest of his kind. Besides, I find garlic mustard to be a delicacy on noodles. (2022-03-24) ♥ In Taos City, we had a mysterious encounter. Upon a deep, loud whirr over our heads we looked up and saw something about the size of a hummingbird hovering in the air, eyeing us while we eyed back. Until this day, I do not know, what it was. Life's a mystery. (2022-03-25) ♥ I once found a tired bee sitting midway. It looked lost, so I took a leaf to offer the insect a ride to a nearby flowering bush. It gratefully accepted. After some rest and a snack, it took off, refreshed. An act of kindness doesn't take much but can mean the world. (2022-03-26) ♥ Delicious temptation right afore me. Feeling your firm body, I know you need time to mature. Patience is key. Eventually, your body softens. Holding you close, I can breathe your fruity scent. Time to taste your sweet juice and gorge your orange flesh, persimmon. (2022-03-27) ♥ In my family when somebody came over to visit, the first thing we'd do was to put on the kettle. Then we'd get the tea set and lay out the table. The aroma of the tea, the light of the candle in the teapot warmer, an occasional slurp - and words flow naturally. (2022-03-28) .
Reading the creative endavours of others with regard to the prompt “dollop” on 2022-03-27 made me realise that there are realms of the English language I do not know at all. So I turned o the Urban Dictionary. Unfortunately the author I asked did not choose to reply, so I am not sure what I actually saw, but I surely learned that there can be way more meanings to one word than Merriam Webster or the Oxford Learner’s will tell you.
The prompt “gin” on 2022-03-24, probably alluding to the beverage, inspired me to write a very short story in my best bauchelin (clumsy) Scots as my first thought was exactly that – “gin” is a Scots word for “if”.
. People used to think of her as unsportive. They did not know she was the one walking long distance to not take the bus, riding that old bike with the heavy frame, playing badminton with the old wooden racket of her gran and dancing the week away. Not sportive at all. (2022-03-29) ♥ "You can't stop here, we're on the motorway access," He mansplained. She couldn't help but snarl back at him: "Open your eyes, traffic on the motorway is snarled." "Well, at least my hair won't get all snarled when I open the window," a voice came from the backseat. (2022-03-30) ♥ Looking up the word "glasses" she adjusted her specs when she saw that "glass" is also used as a term for "a pure form of crystal meth". She wondered about the definitions of "Glas" in her own language she might not know about. Do we ever hear what we think we hear? (2022-03-31) .
. Walking down the street on Summer days, a scent of dry grass and mugwort in the air mixing with the exhaust of the city. Beneath trees little specs of Sweet Pea colour visible for those who care to look beyond the dog poop and see beauty by the wayside. (2022-03-29) ♥ I never saw a Mustang, but standing in the Hungarian puszta, first feeling the vibration on the ground, then hearing the pounding of hooves, followed by the scent of sweaty fur before the galloping herd of dark brown horses emerges from the dust ... a glorious moment. (2022-03-30) ♥ Taking up speed towards the valley, trying to let myself fall sideways I helplessly approached a natural jump, now heeling on my canted skis. My face pressing into the crotch of the teacher who had jumped to the rescue I came to a halt. That's when I gave up skiing. (2022-03-31) .
For this month, I can record that one can learn a lot not only from reading but also from writing.
It has been fun to play with different genres and find out that I can do it. Sure, there’s still a lot to learn, but I am also developing more and more something like my own style.
With the #vssnature prompts, I try to reflect predominantly on my own experiences. Upon this, I realise that I have already collected one or two of them. I also notice this more and more in relation to the #vss365 impulses, even when I play with fiction.
. Now, I am looking forward to discovering what April brings me in the way of very short stories. Below is a summary of all my #vss posts on Twitter and a little more as a Moment. .
What inspires you? Do you sometimes go out and dare something new? Have you ever been surprised by what came from it?
Are you ready to shine a bright light of awareness on the path of beingness, today?
Much Love, Steffi
You have been busy. So many stories and so many different ones. Memories, Life etc, it covers all. You are amazing! ( I can’t keep up with everything) 🙂
Thank you for stopping by and giving some of my stories a read, dear Ute.
Yes, I’ve been busy, I guess. 😁
Once I found a better balance with those every day life struggles I will catch up with your posts, too. I’m curious about all the photos and about what happened to the chimney!
What a wonderful collection, Stefanie! The first week or two, there was a definite darkness to the non-nature prompts–lots of real emotion 👍
I loved the visuals you created in the “fire” one with the silhouettes against the sky.
As a former meteorologist, I have to say I always saw both the cirrus and the natural beauty–still do 😄 (but I did enjoy reading that one!)
I hope the ones up the mountain managed to get back to the lodge quickly! (There was nothing clumsy about it 💖)
The skiing one made me laugh!
You’ve really honed in on your style! No matter the genre, it’s there, and it’s clear that you and only you could have written it! Well done, Stefanie and good luck with April’s prompts 🤩🎉
Thank you, Susan!
I can’t believe that you found the time to read through all of them as busy as you are with your own writing. 💗
Yes, the first two weeks had their own dynamics. It felt good to write it all out but I was also glad to turn to brighter topics, afterwards.
The nature prompts are, so far, all inspired by my own memory, so I described what I’ve seen in the “fire” vss and what I’ve experienced in the skiing one (glad that it makes a good funny story, now 😅😂). And I’m absolutely with you on how to view a cirrus, abeit I can only rely on an internship at the meteorological institute in Hamburg, years ago, for the scientific part.
Thank you for your feedback wrt. the fowks in the mountains. I suppose they’ve made it just in time to sit by a warm fire once the weather came in.
Thank you, also, for your feedback wrt to my style. It felt to me like I have found it, too.
The story with the security guard and the explosion (“whistle”) became the starting point for a little tale in the beginning of April, so there will be some things to discover.
Thank you so much for taking time and energy to read through all those stories, Susan! 💖
No problem, Stefanie! And yet another ‘weird’ connection (meteorology!).
Oh, yeah, I meant to say how much I liked the BOOM one. I can’t wait to see more of that story 🤩
Yes, I noticed the meteorology connection already when I read your interview. There where lots of things but I did not want to write a whole blog post as a reply… 😅
If you would like to take a peak at the BOOM story, you can check out my #7DayTale I wrote for April:
https://twitter.com/i/events/1513088668600311814?s=20
🤣 Yeah, we could probably do a whole post on it!
I just read your #7DayTale and I loved it! I was going to make a comment about a certain female in the story, but I don’t want to ruin it for anyone who’s not caught up yet. 💖
Or a series: The Brilliantly Weird Connections Of S & S. 💡😅
Great that you enjoyed the tale. It was really fun to write. I didn’t know I could do it. And yes, that certain female… I have been prompted to continue the story and an idea how it could end but no idea, yet, when I’ll be ready to pen it down. So much to discover! – Oh, and then there is everyday life, too. 😅
An excellent series!
Knowing how a story ends is key, so you’re halfway there. Life has a nasty habit of getting in the way of writing! 😜
Yes, life can put habits like that to the light of day. On the other hand are those often the moments that bring new inspiration. The cunundrum of being an artist. 🤭
A great body of work in the VSS arena! Love the Hungarian one.
Thanks, Kim.
The experience in Hungary was a special one. 🙂