like mercury colliding…

About the challenge: Each Tuesday I will provide a photo prompt. Your mission, if you choose to accept the challenge, is to tell a story in 280 characters or less. When you write your tale, be sure to let me know in the comments with a link to your tale.

A final note: if you need help tracking the number of characters in your story, there is a nifty online tool that will count for you at charactercountonline.com.

I will do a roundup each Tuesday, along with providing a new prompt. And if for some reason I missed your entry in the Roundup, as I have occasionally done, please let me know. I want to be sure to include your tale.

Finally, have fun!

And REMEMBER…you have 280 characters (spaces and punctuation included), to tell your tale…and a week to do it. I can’t wait to see what you create this week.

Twittering Tales #112 – The Roundup

Starting us off…
“He just stands there, Sheriff.”
“That’s Skip. Ned raised him from a pup. He owned this place ‘fore you all.”
“He’s tame?”
“Got along with Ned. I’ll call the ranger.”
“Wait. Hey Skip!” the wife called. He raced to them, tail wagging. “Guess he just needed an invitation,” she beamed.
~kat
279 Characters

By Reena at ReInventions:
But Still…
I don’t know how real, really is reality.
The snow is white and ethereal, but chilling. I want to feel the texture, and see if it melts in the warmth of my palms. But I stay in, for I fear the wolf out there.
It never moves. Some people say a taxidermist kept it there. But still…
(280 characters)

By Ron at Read 4 Fun:
White Walkers are Coming
Going to the Wall there are a few frozen lakes to cross. White Walkers, being essentially skeletons, don’t weigh that much but they can’t risk breaking through the ice. White Walkers don’t swim. (Sounds familiar). Their friend Jack (London) sent me, Buck, ahead to test the ice.
Ron
(278 characters)

By The Dark Netizen:
Lone Wolf
I saw him looking at me.
Petrified with fear, I stood rooted in spot. The black wolf took slow steps towards me.
As he neared, i could see his eyes and once I had seem them, all fear began left my body. I had seen those eyes before. They held dark loneliness inside.
Like my eyes…
Character Count: 280

By Kristian at Tales from the Mind of Kristian:
A World of White
The Wolf looked around his territory surprised at the change in the landscape. Something had happened last night to turn everything into a white wonderland. He sniffed disdainfully. The air smelt different.  
The soap factory had exploded, covering the surrounding area in suds.
[278 characters]

By Teresa at The Haunted Wordsmith:
Solitary
Solitude called to Edward throughout his life. A dream finally realized fifty years ago. A hand-built cabin in the Alaskan wild. Just him and nature. 
A lone wolf – cold, hungry, and tired. Enticed by scents of life and warmth.
Two lost souls, each missing a piece, now complete.
277-characters

By Di at Pensitivity101:
Lone Wolf
The snow was cold on his feet as he stood silently watching.
He would recognise her anywhere.
In a former life, she had been his soul mate.
She looked up, took stock, and moved tentatively forward, knowing.
Two wolves together,  soul mates of a different kind.
256 characters.

By Hélène at Willow Poetry:
Snow Guide
I was lost in a fresh snow covered expanse. 
By now my friends’ footprints were invisible.
Too quiet around me, no direction to lead me. 
Aware of a lone wolf pawing her path towards me
her friendly grey eyes signal me to come.
Following behind her, she guides forward to my friends.
280 characters 

By J.A. at Keyhole Poetry:
Wolf Therapy
So you DID return, Wolf
I should have known
I recall your kind wisdom
Generosity often
Your therapy room full
Of things fascinating to
Wounded hearts, minds, souls
I still have pastel you coaxed
Me to draw, ‘Journey’
Hope you’d be pleased
How far I’ve come
Good to see you
On crisp winter day

By Melanie at Sparks from a Combustible Mind:
The young wolf had been driven out of the pack for challenging the alpha male.  He wandered, alone, through the deep snows of high winter.    He was an excellent hunter, and he didn’t go hungry.   Still. He wanted a female to start his own pack with. He continued to hunt.
Character Count:   272.

By Anurag at Jagahdilmein:
Proof of the Pudding
I stared at the wolf across the frozen lake as my hand inched towards my gun. Snow in Central Park in mid-July! Who would’ve thunk!
Our beloved leader was a genius after all, as if any further proof was needed. Global warming was ‘Fake News’ indeed!
256 characters.

By Michael at Morpethroad:
Mutual Agreement
The crone left the meat out for the wolf knowing he would arrive soon.
It was a weekly ritual, her way of paying homage to a superior being.
The wolf watched over her, as she aged and slowed she potentially became vulnerable.
It was to both their advantage to care for each other.

By Ramya at And Miles to Go Before I Sleep:
The Wolf
The lone wolf stared at the soft hustle behind the bushes, ready to leap. As the hustle grew louder, the wolf bound towards the bush but stopped midway when he saw someone coming out of it.
The Wolf met Mowgli – the Man cub.
Character Count – 223

By Paula at Light Motifs II:
The Sentinel
The earth rang
From the shores of Mayotte
To the peaks of Chile;
Waves rippled and buzzed,
Traversing the oceans,
Vibrating the plates–
We missed this call.
He didn’t though:
Lupine ears on alert,
Paws stilled in snow.
The moment passed;
He resumed his patrol,
On guard, alone.

By Deb at Twenty Four:
They had passed her by for weeks, not noticing her painstaking work and she had ignored them, applying herself diligently to the task at hand.
Leaning back she smiled as her Father strolled into the room.
“Time to pack up the puzzle Sarah, we need the table for Christmas dinner.”
(278 characters)

By John at Broadsides:
Well hello, little red riding hood! No need for me to pretend to be your grannie is there? not out here. You know, don’t you, how big my teeth are? Anyway, your grannies a gonner now. Tough old chew she was, but you, young sweet thing in your bright red cloak, you going be real tasty.

By Wide-Eyed Wanderer:
The Wolf
The wolf stood staring at the cottage. Lavender had lived there alone since her grandmother’s disappearance. The wolf appeared each evening like it was checking on her. Finally, Lavender went out to the wolf. She met the sapphire blue eyes, “Grandmother?” she whispered.
Character count 275

By Peter at Peter’s Pondering:
A taste of justice
I can see you Henry Roy James, and I know you can see me!
But you don’t recognise me.
You still think you got away with it, but really, you didn’t!
The jury may have believed you, but natural justice shall prevail.
You killed me, and I’m going to kill you.
Then I’m going to eat you!
(279 characters)

Fantastic Round Up everyone! Thank you for joining the challenge last week. For this week, a photo by MabelAmber at Pixabay.com. It could be a memory, a story of friendship, a mystery or a game. Tell the tale of these two kids or perhaps the tale of the old tree…in 280 characters or less. And I’ll see you at the Round Up next week! Have fun!

The Old Wolf Tree

Eyes twinkling, Granny whispered, “le’me tell ya’ ‘bout that old wolf tree. My great granny Nell planted it long, long time ago. Ya neva’ know what ya’ might find in its belly. Once I found a family of faeries!”

Of course the boys had to check it out for themselves. Wouldn’t you?

~kat