Time to Leave
Amber sensed his presence before she opened the door. The air had that familiar chill and she sighed, knowing it was time to leave. The old man had come to replace her and change people’s lives for a while. They’d basked in her warmth and colour for long enough.
He entered the hut with an icy blast and she donned her russet cloak. ‘I am ready to go, Old Man,’ she said, tossing her auburn curls. ‘I’ll return when folks weary of the next summer’s heat and long for mellowing days.’
The old man smiled, tiny cracks patterning his glacial face, and swept through the room, turning all to white with his icy breath. Amber smiled in return, knowing he would delight folks with his tricks. Who else but he could order the snowflakes to fall, creating a paradise of white? Who else could style playgrounds of ice over lakes and ponds?
Old Man Winter raised icicle fingers and bowed his silvery head. ‘Your task was done well, kind Autumnus. Rest now, until next year.’
Word Count: 175
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This is my story for Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers, a writing challenge hosted by Priceless Joy. It asks us to write a story from a given photo prompt in 100-150 words, give or take 25. If you’d like to join in, follow the above link to see what to do. The challenge runs from Tuesday – Tuesday every week.
This week’s prompt was kindly provided by Ioniangraphics.
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To read other stories or add a story yourself, click on the little blue frog:
Millie Thom 
Good evening 🐞
Hello, LadyBug. Thank you for reading my story. Much appreciated.
You’re welcome. I wish happy nights. 🐞
I love this Millie! This is so clever. I love how you personified Autumn and Winter, and you really fleshed out both characters.
Thanks Jade. This was the second story I wrote for this prompt and I liked the idea of personifying the seasons, so I abandoned the first story. It might come in useful for something else.
Wonderful.
Thank you, Holly! I’m glad you liked it.
Beautiful. ❤
What a lovely comment, Jo. Thank you!
Delightful Millie, Old Man Winter is trying hard to raise his head down here, but I’m sure he’ll turn up at some stage and urge me to turn on the heater….enjoy your summer days…
Yes, it seemed a bit odd writing about winter when we’re looking forward to summer. We’ve had a very unsettled spring here with pretty low temps on most days. We’re just hoping summer won’t be the same. I hope your winter isn’t a harsh one, Michael. We oldies need to be warm (well, I do, anyway.). Thanks for liking my story!
Oldies? Us? Surely you jest! There’s still some spring in our step Millie.😊
I like the personification of the seasons. I wonder where they hang out in their off-months? 🙂
You know, I wondered the very same thing when I was writing this! 🙂 Perhaps they have a nice cosy common room somewhere and a never-ending supply of tea and coffee. 🙂
Wonderful story! I love the line “The old man smiled, tiny cracks patterning his glacial face, and swept through the room, turning all to white with his icy breath.”
Thank you for the lovely comment J.A. Much appreciated.
I really like how you have the seasons working together and appreciating each other’s unique contributions, instead of competing, as so many other personifications seem to do. A more positive take on the gods – I’m for it! I especially liked “playgrounds of ice”.
I started writing this story with the two seasons being hostile towards each other. Winter was forcibly ejecting autumn. I changed it in favour of a softer approach because it worked better for me (fewer words, too! Lol) Thanks Joy.
I applaud the change. 🙂
Oh, nicely done! I enjoyed this story!
The Snow
Annie at ~McGuffy’s Reader~
Thanks Annie. Your nice comment is much appreciated. 🙂
love how Autumn and winter greet and exchange seasons – this story really touched a soft spot in me
Thank you, Gina. I’m glad you liked it. 🙂
Lovely lovely, I enjoyed this very much
Thank you, Michael, for the lovely comment! 🙂
This was great. I love the interaction between the two, and the description. You let us know who they were without telling us until the end. Nicely done.
Thanks for the lovely comment, Russell!
I’m very fond of old man winter!! Lovely connection of two seasons! great story!
Thank you for that nice comment, Cybele. It’s much appreciated.
Looks like a winner. Good luck.
Hi Murielle. I love writing flash fiction, aithough I do very little of it now. When I first started writing it, I used to do four different challenges a week. I never seem to find the time nowadays. Thank you for your kind wishes.