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 Tale #67 “The Tree” – The Roundup

Photo by veeterzy at Pexels.com

Starting us off…
The Wishing Tree
The tree can be found at the end of a well-worn path. Legend says that it grants the wishes of those brave enough to climb its fragile, ancient branches where a rare bloom grows. Most have failed. But wise seekers wait for the wind to swell, sending the petals gently fluttering.
(280 Characters)

From Martin at Martin Cororan:
Ostrification
Back when the world was young a selfish seed was sown. It plunged its roots deep, taking in more nutrients than it should and depriving the flora amongst which it flourished, till finally, tall and proud, it experienced a new sensation – thirst.
For generations to come, children played under its pale branches, never stopping to wonder why it was the only tree to stand petrified in a sea of green.

From Fandango at This, That, and the Other:
The God Tree
“The indigenous people worshiped at this remarkable tree.” he said. “Their entire religion was built around it. It was their protector and they were its defenders. But then Trump was elected and the forest was sold to developers. The entire area is being cleared next month.”
(275 characters)

From Di at Pensitivity101:
The Tree
If you look closely, you can see them, two dancers frozen in time, their arms stretching gracefully skywards to embrace the sun, their legs shadowing each other in perfect alignment.
182 characters.

From Leena at Soul Connection:
Tree of Life
“Btfl Tree.Branches Extnded So Artisticly.Unique”
“It Is.Evry Ngt It Trnsfrm Into Btfl Lady,Sprklng Magic On Dyng Tree n Gvs Lyf”
“Myth?”
“Fact.No 1 Vnture Aftr Dark.Her Beauty Is Guarded”
“Mean?”
“Curse.Whoevr Witnes Her Trnsfm,Its Last Thng Der Eyes See”
“Boon Fr Jungle,Sin Fr Human.”

From Bobby at Bob Fairfield:
The Tree
Absalom was aghast. Before him stood a magnificent carousel, bright lights, music and screams of excited passengers and onlookers. Seeing the work of the devil he raised his arms and invoked his Lord. Instantly all was petrified. He smiled.
238 characters

From Michael at Morpethroad:
The Tree
The tree is twisted and buckled like my family tree.
From convicts to doctors and lawyers.
You wonder the stories within it,
did they like coming to Australia, did the summer heat surprise them
was the temperate winter a reason for the long sea voyage?
So much to learn, no one to ask.
(280 characters)

From Willow at WillowDot21:
The Tree
Deep in the woods she sat and wept. Tears fell hitting the ground and rolling away. She felt deserted her greenery and limbs shook. 
They say the apple does not fall far from the tree. That maybe but gone it was and she was alone. She fell, no one heard. Yet all her sisters wept.

From Reena at ReInventions:
How Do You Love
“All ardent lovers love in the same way…..”, rambled the storyteller.
The tree interrupted, “No. As I spread out to meet the sky, others join me in the quest, and a miracle happens. The sky comes down to meet us. A moth kills itself to meet its flame. I just become stronger.”
(274 characters)

From Hayley at The Story Files:
The Druid Tree
The Druid tree stood bare in a forest full of green. Only when a person of nature magic touched the empty soil at the base would the tree awaken. The branches would fill with green leaves and pink blooms then the trunk would open, revealing the secret grove of the Druids.

From Jane at Jane Dougherty Writes:
Dancers
She left the trail and the rest of the group to look closer. They were wrong, it wasn’t a tree. She touched the pale smoothness, skin-smooth, warm, and felt the magic—dancers, horned and masked from an ancient time, dancing in this glade forever.

From Francine at Woman Walks Dog:
May the Force Be with You
Jan 18  Work Schedule for the new High Speed Rail route
Destruction of 400 year old pear tree, site of pagan tree worship
Jan16  Rail Unions strike–worst snow storms for 40 years–Chinese financial backers pull out. Demolition reconsidered– Coincidence ?

From Tena at Jottings and Writings:
Safety Among the Trees
Running into the thickest part of the forest, Beth felt at one with all the trees there. She had spent many hours of her childhood playing in this very forest and new it like the back of her hand. The trees welcomed her offering her safety. At least for the time being.
(271 characters)

From D. Avery at Shift N Shake:
The Tree
Wild imaginings
scamper among high branches
frolick ‘round below
Chased and gathered by children
who scatter them to their winds

From Jan at Strange Goings on in the Shed:
The World Tree
Deep in the Forest lies the origin of All
Seen in dreams and visions within sacred pools
Guardian of the Ancestors, Bestower of Resurrection
Sacrificial temple
Tree of Life, bearer of the Worlds
Let us proclaim your beauty
Let us proclaim your sovereignty
Hail Proclaimer of Mysteries!
(279 characters)

From Peter at Peter’s Pondering (who had a milestone birthday last week…be sure to wish him happy!):
The Tree
OK you pesky elves, someone is having a laugh.
That middle tree is upside down!
I want you to dig it up and plant it the right way.
We can’t do that mister, it’s getting dark.
Never mind about that, just get it done.
No, we can’t do that! It’s against the new rules for elfin safety!
(279 characters)

From Edwin at Edwin’s Journal:
Sculpture of Nature
“Wow, such a magnificent sculpture of nature.”
“Once, that tree stood alone in a great barren land during the war. Later it nurtured life as it grew to what you perceive in front of you. This is the Mother Tree of this forest.”

I truly enjoyed your Tree Tales this week. Inspirational, humorous, whimsical, mystical, mysterious, even a little terror slipped in…you covered all the bases and emotions with this one. I added your titles this week. I found some of them almost as intriguing as your tales. And they don’t cost you anything by way of character count. If you didn’t have a title…no worries. It wasn’t part of the challenge. “The Tree”, which is the title I gave last week’s prompt, says it all. It was a wonderful photograph, wasn’t it? I love trees and this one was magnificent. Thank you for joining the challenge.

This week a lovely, snowy village scene by a talented photographer, hschmider at Pixabay.com. What stories are happening behind those amber-lit windows? Tell me, tell me, tell me do…in 280 characters or less, of course…and…have fun! Use my title, or come up with your own. I’m planning to post them with your tales going forward. See you at next week’s roundup!

Twittering Tales #68 – “The Village” –  23 January 2018

Photo by hschmider at Pixabay.com

Once Upon a Story

“Tell me a story Gran-ma-ma.”
“Well, let me see…Once upon…”
“No ‘once upon a time’ stories! A real story. Elves and faeries! They’re not real.”
“Oh, Cicely, my dear, they are real.”
“Really?”
“Oh yes.” 
The candle on the table flickered.
Cicely’s eyes widened, “Tell me Gran-ma-ma!”

~kat

280 Characters