Far Fetched Fables

Flash Fiction: “Dancing with Fire” by Caroline M. Yoachim The pond where I grew up was swampy and buzzing with insects. I slept in a bed of stargrass, and Mother whispered lullabies in the gentle current. Mother grew up in the ocean, and she hated our pond. Too many memories of Father lingered beneath the surface, long after drought had stolen him away. “Why don’t we go back to the ocean?” I asked. “I’m too old,” she said. “I don’t flow as smoothly anymore, and cloud hopping is for the young. Go play.” There weren’t any other water spirits, so I did mud magic with the earthy kids. We made soldiers from dirt and water and green swamp sludge. Every night, the soldiers got soggy and fell apart, ending the war until we remade them the next morning. Caroline M. Yoachim lives in Seattle and loves cold, cloudy weather. She is the author of dozens of short stories, appearing in Lightspeed, Asimov’s, Clarkesworld...  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.