Leaning against the October sky on the banks of Moon lake, the spherical clocks of two mature dandelions caught a sudden breeze. They drifted from their milky stems as individual seeds, floating on fine hairs to land on distant patches of grass. Tara plucked the dandelions from their roots and crushed them inside her fist. Things were predictable and safe before the shooting. When she went on the run, she floated one place to the next, never resting and never forgetting the stream of images from the night of the crime. She looked up at the sun, burning bright and ominous in the sky, and placed a Camel cigarette between her lips. She lit it with cupped hands and then pulled a semi-automatic pistol from her blue purse. With a rush of courage, she loaded the clip, lifted her head up, and placed the muzzle against her temple. &quot;Do it,&quot; a voice inside her head shouted. She stood up and fired the gun into the lake, emptying the clip until all she heard was the faint empty clicking sound of the firing mechanism. 2008-05-29T15:02:43Z http://ficlets.com/feed/story/29575 <p>Loved it!</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/29575?basename=66110 2008-05-29T15:02:43Z Maddawg http://ficlets.com/authors/maddawg <p>Thanks, Hunting Beauty &#8211; you&#8217;re too kind!</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/29575?basename=66106 2008-05-29T14:58:01Z YodaOnCrack http://ficlets.com/authors/yodaoncrack <p>You are a master ficleteer!</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/29575?basename=65561 2008-05-27T21:06:43Z Hunting Beauty http://ficlets.com/authors/missourigirl <p>A masterful usage of words to create imagery. I&#8217;m hooked!</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/29575?basename=61615 2008-05-11T16:23:52Z Browncoatben http://ficlets.com/authors/browncoatben <p>Cool, Ana Cristina, I&#8217;m off to read your continuation now&#8230; Thanks for continuing it!</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/29575?basename=61584 2008-05-11T12:47:18Z YodaOnCrack http://ficlets.com/authors/yodaoncrack <p>I just wanted to let you know I continued the series you started. As THX wrote in a comment in one of the more recent parts, it&#8217;s cool to see what happens when many hands touch a story.<br />LoA</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/29575?basename=61580 2008-05-11T08:56:18Z Ana Cristina http://ficlets.com/authors/asimon78 <p>I&#8217;m used to your comic side.. this was was deepest/ darkest thing I think you&#8217;ve written, I agree with the vivid imagery.</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/29575?basename=60865 2008-05-07T21:49:18Z SKermitgorf http://ficlets.com/authors/kermitgorf <p>I liked what you did with the metaphor, so I tried to emulate it in a sequel and maintain the style and theme. A fun little writing exercise, for which I thank you.</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/29575?basename=60783 2008-05-07T14:40:29Z THX 0477 http://ficlets.com/authors/thx_0477 <p>Very nice touch, linking the fragile, wind-blown existence of the dandelion seed with her fugitive (?) status. Great job!</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/29575?basename=60781 2008-05-07T14:27:49Z THX 0477 http://ficlets.com/authors/thx_0477 <p>The descriptions r lovely &#38; the scene dark and ominous. What happens next?</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/29575?basename=60768 2008-05-07T13:43:59Z Maddawg http://ficlets.com/authors/maddawg <p>I was in a strange mood last night &#8211; it came out in this ficlet. Thanks for the feedback, you two. I appreciate it.</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/29575?basename=60767 2008-05-07T13:41:28Z YodaOnCrack http://ficlets.com/authors/yodaoncrack <p>I concur. What a fantastically vivid scene.</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/29575?basename=60760 2008-05-07T12:39:44Z thebetweenspace http://ficlets.com/authors/thebetweenspace <p>The imagery here is breathtaking. It&#8217;s so vividly described and sets the scene so well I feel almost guilty reading it, as though I&#8217;ve come upon something I shouldn&#8217;t be witnessing. It stays with you long after you finish reading it.<br />LoA</p> http://ficlets.com/stories/29575?basename=60749 2008-05-07T03:22:48Z Ana Cristina http://ficlets.com/authors/asimon78