Lantern Waste (100 words)
It begins with the cat. Tail curling, back arching, its proprietorial pavement strut a provocation too far for the watching mongrel stray. Flea-bitten and wretched, but still dog enough to take up the chase, he races across the street.
Tyres shriek, vehicles collide; sprinkling scrap metal from an overloaded truck. A short iron bar, rolling to the kerb is quickly concealed by the feathery winter flurry.
Beneath the frosty mantle, primordial magic begins to work. Ferrous roots spread downwards, a post emerges, rising from the drift.
At midnight’s chime, the lamp, full-grown, bathes the land in an eerie, spectral glow.
If you liked this story, please let me know with a like, or a preferably a comment, so I can visit your site and see what you have been up to.
This story was written for Friday Fictioneers, 26th March Edition. Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields on her blog: Addicted To Purple. To read some of the other stories posted this week click here.
jwdwrites 
I love the idea of organic lamp posts. Great first line too
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Hi Neil, thanks for reading and taking the time to comment 😀
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A different kind of magical tale. Nice one.
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Aww, was that a phenomenon to mark the passing of the dog? A lamp post in his memory.
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Ha ha, more of a nod to C.S. Lewis
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Took me at once to Narnia in anticipation of adventure, wonder, and Aslan! Loved this magical moment.
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Thank you Dora 😊
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What a wonderful take. A lamppost rising up from the ground…magical
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Thank you very much Dale, it was a great prompt! 😀
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🙂
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So that’s where they come from 🙂
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You mean you didn’t know? 😜
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Dear JWD,
Descriptive piece that put me in the moment. Not sure about that post rising from the drift, though.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hi Rochelle, thank you for taking the time to read and comment. The lamp post growing through the snow was a reference to the Chronicles of Narnia, in which part of a lamp post is broken off in London and is dropped in Narnia, suffused with magic, where it grows into a new lamp post, giving rise to the region known as Lantern Waste. 😀
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I like the slow build and how it all starts with a cat. What an image, how it all branches out from there.
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Thank you 😊
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I love your powers of description here and the misdirection. The “ferrous roots” that sprout into a magical lamp post that puts out what feels like an unholy light based on hints is surreal and so good.
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Thank you very much for your kind words 😊
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You’re welcome!
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p.s. should have read previous comments to see its origin. Still good though!
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‘Beneath the frosty mantle primordial magic begins to work.’ I love this. The story makes me want to believe in the magic… The description brought it all to life for me – the cat, the dog, the crash and that wonderful lamp post.
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Thank you so much 😊
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I wonder if the latter/lamp retreats during the day, that would cause havoc at the WRI Club. They would argue about seeing lamps that were not there!
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I could do with a couple of those retractable lamps for my garden, although if they didn’t come on until midnight I suppose they would be more of a nuisance than a help! 😀
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Whoa… a vivid and creative tale! Nice!
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Thank you very much 😊
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You’ve described both cat and dog in brilliant terms. Arrogant cat, impulsive dog. Loved the organic lamp 🙂
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Thank you very much 😊
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