Friday Fictioneers is a weekly blog link-up led by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields at Addicted to Purple. The Challenge – write a one hundred word (plus or minus) story with a beginning, middle, and end inspired by the picture*. The Key – make every word count.
*Image © Sandra Crook
Cliff’s Hanger
Cliff didn’t speak until he was four years old. He got a new suit to see Santa and after his mom put it on him he grabbed the hanger and wouldn’t let it go. It was then Cliff spoke, finally and fully as if he had been speaking for years.
Cliff took that hanger with him everywhere he went until he left for college. His mom had it framed with his diploma. When Cliff’s own son Jude was still wordless at two years old, he took the hanger from the frame and marveled at the magic when Jude said, “daddy.”
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100 words. Feedback is appreciated. Click below to read other creative contributions to this week’s Friday Fictioneers photo prompt.
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This Is My Corn 
How sweet is that ! It made me smile with a memory. My 2 yr. old looked up at the Jefferson memorial in Washington, D.C. and said “Daddy”. Those were some really big shoes to fill. ☺ Nice story, well told, Mel. ☺
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Awwww…what a sweet moment. I’m glad my story reminded you. Thanks for sharing it!
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Love the magical realism.
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Thank you!
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I like the idea of this story–the hanger being passed on as a sort of magical implement. But I would have liked to understand why/how the hanger accomplished that. What was it about the hanger that made Cliff and Jude speak?
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What was it about the hanger? Good question. Kids defy explanation. As does the hanger.
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This wasn’t a hanger, it was the speech fairy’s magic wand disguised as a hanger. I love this, great imagination.
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The speech fairy…I love it! Thank you. 🙂
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What a wonderfully twisted take on the prompt.
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Thank you!
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Strange tale. I found myself as a psych major wondering why the kids didn’t speak until late. One’s a coincidence but two??? Something is amiss, I felt. 😦
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Oh, a magic hanger! I love it, Melanie. Speaking can be like that. My brother did that. He was quiet, never spoke a word, and then one day he spoke three full sentences (something like that)! Fluently, as if he had always talked. It was something about a kid down the block he got in a fight with. Great story!
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Thanks Amy! And thank you for sharing your memory.
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I imagine this all sprang from the phrase “cliff hanger”: clever.
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That it did. Thanks!
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Love your cliff hanger!
Lily
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Thank you Lily! 🙂
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Hey there,
I really enjoyed this story! I’ve been perusing through WordPress today, looking for good writing.
My name is Rachel and I’m one of the contributors for Short Tale Shrew, an online community for Flash Fiction/Microfiction writers. I’d love to see more of your writing! We’re currently holding a contest for a cash prize of $50 USD, and I think you’d be a solid candidate if you entered.
Come check out the site. If you want, enter the contest. In any event, just know I really appreciated this piece of writing.
Have a good day!
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I don’t have much time for reading, so I am so pleased when I find a site I enjoy. My comment is “What an imagination.” Looking forward to more in 2016!
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Thank you Sweet Nan. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed your time here.
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Melanie,
This is a lovely piece! I came to say and Happy New Year!
All the Best!
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All the best to you too Daniela. Happy New Year!
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