E – Escape?

Posted on April 6, 2026 by hdh

If you are just starting to read this, you might first want to go back to the beginning of this story – A – The Adventure Begins. https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=4967

When last we met. The 8 folktale seekers were following the unicorn’s trail. Druin had captured it and taken it by wagon to his cave hideaway in the forest.

(Part 5 of 5 of The Unicorn and the Lion)

E – Escape?

With a silken rope binding it, the unicorn could not escape. Though powerless to escape, it did have other abilities that it could or could not choose to use. The healing power of its magical horn was one of them. 

Druin was well aware of this. The blood from the wounds that the unicorn had inflicted on him had decreased in flow, but had not stopped. Druin demanded that the unicorn, as his captive, heal the wounds. The unicorn refused.

Both realized that their lives were in each other’s control. Bargaining was futile. Druin could kill the unicorn, but would the horn still have its magic after death? Nothing in his research supported this option. As to the unicorn, should Druin die of his wounds, who would there be to rescue the bound unicorn? It could die from starvation.

It was then that Druin heard a slight noise coming from the front of the cave. Having left the wagon in front of the cave opening might certainly have given away his presence in the cave, but it would have to be moved in order for someone to enter. That movement would be a warning to him, giving him time to escape through a bolthole in the back of the cave. 

But this noise was not of a wagon moving. It was more of a small animal scurrying. Probably nothing to concern him, though, he kept his senses heightened for possible trouble.

Meanwhile, the Teeny-tiny Woman, being very small, managed to get past the wagon and inch her way in far enough to see the scene in front of her. 

She saw the unicorn tied up with a rope around its neck, and its legs hobbled with the same rope. There was also a man opposite the unicorn. He appeared to be lost in thought, but did take a look in her direction when she had entered the cave. The Teeny-tiny Woman was well enough hidden at that time so that she wasn’t noticed. She chose not to make any more steps. 

Pinocchio had also made it beyond the wagon without disturbing it. Pinocchio stationed himself so that he could remain hidden from those inside yet could see the Teeny-tiny Woman. He waited for a signal from her. They had pre-arranged certain signs that would feed each other information, so that Pinocchio could inform the rest of their group of the situation. 

Pinocchio returned to the others with that information. There was one man and the unicorn. The unicorn was bound head and leg. 

Their original plans were altered. Lion would roar its terrifying roar as a distraction to mask the Gruffs moving the wagon. Gretel would walk in slowly, pleading for help, saying that there was a lion after her. With the man, hopefully taken off guard, the lion and the Gruffs would rush in and attempt to take a position between the man and the unicorn. Jack would follow, going to the unicorn, and cut the rope that bound it, setting it free. 

It was hoped that all would happen fast enough before the man could act. Being outnumbered by such a formidable group, it was hoped that the man would give up.

All went pretty much to plan, with the exception that Druin did not give up.

Druin did not doubt that his quest for the unicorn had ended. He knew that the unicorn would never be his. The unicorn, having seen his face, and now recognizing his smell, would never allow itself to be visible again to him.  However, that did not mean he had to submit to the justice of these rescuers. There was always the bolthole, and no one was blocking that. And that was where Druin escaped – out through the bolthole and into the unknown. Whether he survived or not, considering his wound was still open, is not known. The rescuers’ goal had been achieved. The unicorn had been found and freed. There was no need to seek revenge. 

Once out of the cave, the unicorn bowed to each of the eight. “You are all,” it said, “my friends. Yes, even you, Lion. Should you ever need my assistance, you may call on me. I am in your debt.”

So saying, the unicorn disappeared right before their eyes. 

“Well,” said Jack, “We were looking for an adventure, and we certainly found one.”

Gretel said to the lion, “We are grateful for your help in this quest, for without you there would not have been an adventure to be had.”

The lion responded, “It is I who should thank you all. If you recall, when we first met, I said that I do not make friends with other species. You have proven me wrong, for now, I have more friends than I’ve ever had before.”

They parted ways, each going back to their own stories. They wanted to thank the wise man for his counsel, but he, too, had moved on.  

 

Will we see any of these characters again? Time will tell. My muse says that there are still many letters left in this alphabet. Who knows?

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D – Discovered

Posted on April 4, 2026 by hdh

If you are just starting to read this, you might first want to go back to the beginning of this story – A – The Adventure Begins. https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=4967

When last we met. Druin had captured the unicorn and had taken it to his hideaway in the forest. The 8 folk seekers were on his trail.

(Part 4 of 5 of The Unicorn and the Lion)

D – Discovered

The lion started to lead the team through the woods. It was evident from the blood trail that there was an injured individual. Was it the unicorn or its captor? That was the question. 

Gretel, who was used to leaving trails to find her way through woods, albeit not always successfully, did notice some wagon tracks that led in the same direction.  

It wasn’t long before they found a not-so-well-hidden cave. An empty wagon stood in front of the opening, and there appeared to be movement within the cave. 

“We can’t just charge in there,” said the Little Goat Gruff, “We don’t know what’s in there, nor how many, or what the situation is with the unicorn.”

Jack and Pinocchio agreed.

”What about me?” called out the Teeny-tiny Woman. I’m small enough, they may not even see me.”

”It would be too dangerous,” the Medium Billy Goat Gruff said, “You might get hurt. Who would protect you?”

I’ll go right in just to the entrance,” responded Pinocchio, “I’m sure they won’t hurt me.” As he said that, his nose began to grow a little again. 

Jack spoke up, “Here’s what I think we should do. Let the Teeny-tiny Woman go in as she said, she can look around and try to find out what’s happening. Pinocchio, you stay just inside the entrance. Any sign of trouble or if the Teeny-tiny Woman feels we should be involved, say something and let your nose signal us. 

Big Billy Goat Gruff said, “Then me and my brothers can rush in with horns lowered and at the ready, to toss out anyone holding the unicorn captive. 

Lion added, “I, too, will rush in roaring my battle roar. That should be enough to frighten anyone into submission or flight,”

Jack said, “With any luck, that will chase out whoever is holding the unicorn captive. While that’s taking place, Gretel and I will sneak in and try to free the unicorn if it is still alive.” 

They all agreed. It sounded like a workable plan, but would it work? 

Did Druin anticipate this? Was the wagon set there as a trap? Or, could Druin have just overheard their plan from inside the cave and had some contingent plans of his own? 

 

To be Continued in: E – Escape?

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C – Catch Me If You Can

Posted on April 3, 2026 by hdh

If you are just starting to read this story, you might first want to go back to the beginning of it – A – The Adventure Begins. https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=4967

When last we met, the lion led his folktale troupe in search of the unicorn, only to find out the unicorn had been forcefully taken away. With some discussion, they agree to follow its trail and rescue the unicorn if possible. 

(Part 3 of 5 of The Unicorn and the Lion)

C – Catch Me If You Can

 

There have always been unicorn seekers. Those who wish to benefit from the powers of their magical horns. Those who just want to own one. Those who are just jealous that the unicorns exist because they are different, and wish to eliminate them all.

Druin was such a person. He wanted it all. Not only did he want to own one, but he also wanted to own the only one. 

It took a while for him to track down this unicorn. It was, for all intents and purposes, the last one. Unicorns have a way of hiding themselves in plain sight. But Druin was determined. 

It’s easy to find people who have seen a unicorn, for they always want to brag about it, though not that many believe them. Druin followed each supposed sighting. It took him to different parts of the world. Very few of these sightings were at the same location. The (said) unicorn was never in the same place twice. That was until recently, when all sightings came from the same section of forest he was in. 

Druin moved quietly, finding numerous places where he could conceal himself. Moving from one to the other, waiting and waiting; his patience bore fruit. 

He was hiding that day in a very secluded section of the forest. It was silent. There was no wind, so his scent would not be noticed by other creatures, when all of a sudden, she appeared. She was majestic. Her flowing golden mane, pure white muscular body, and the ever-present golden spiraled horn, stood out. 

Druin would have to be quick, for if his evil intent was sensed, or he spooked the unicorn away, he would never find it again. 

Druin had practiced this part for most of his lifetime. The rope, being made of silk and purchased from a fair young kind maiden and made into a lasso, was set. One end of this silken rope had already been secured to a large tree. All that was needed was to get the noose on the other end of the rope around the unicorn’s neck.

He waited until the unicorn put its head down to eat something from the ground. At that moment, Druin hurled the rope just over where the unicorn was. The unicorn, sensing something flying through the air in his direction, quickly brought his head up to see what it was, as the noose at the end of Druin’s rope came down. 

It was too late for the unicorn, as it realized what was happening. It tried to run away, but it was caught. It would not give up without a fight. 

And struggle they did. Druin, trying to clutch the unicorn’s mane, only to end up with handfuls of golden hair. The unicorn, kicking and biting, trying to get free, and leaving Druin with numerous cuts and bruises. 

As time went on, fatigue was taking its toll on both of them, but which would succumb first? The unicorn was at a distinct disadvantage; it did have a noose that was tightening around its neck with each move it made, and breathing was more difficult.

At last, the unicorn gave up from exhaustion. It collapsed in a heap, still barely breathing, and lost consciousness. 

All that was needed was to drag the unicorn away. Druin secured the unicorn to a wagon that he had procured, managed to get the unicorn aboard, and took it to his cave hideaway, within the very same forest. 

Victory was his; he had captured the unicorn. No one would catch him now.

To be Continued in  –  D – Discovered

 

Posted in A to Z Blog Challenge 2026, Original Stories, Writing | Tagged | 2 Comments

B – Blood

Posted on April 2, 2026 by hdh

If you are just starting to read this, you might first want to go back to the beginning of this story – A – The Adventure Begins. https://www.hdhstory.net/Storyblog/?p=4967

At the beginning of this story, seven folktale characters looking for an adventure are directed to find a unicorn. Their first stop was to ask a lion for help. He agrees.

(Part 2 of 5 of The Unicorn and the Lion)

B – Blood

 

Finding a unicorn is not a simple task. The lion, having encountered only one before, is leading our troupe of seven to the last place that he had encountered it. 

“How is it that you know where this unicorn is?” asked Jack.

“The lion stopped, turned toward Jack, and said, “I was hungry and thought I saw a horse. It had its head down grazing. I was about to leap upon it to have my dinner when it picked up its head and turned towards me. I realized immediately that this was no horse but a unicorn. I know enough about unicorns to know that they are endangered and magical, so I decided it would be better not to harm it.”

“Did you befriend it?” asked the little Billy Goat Gruff.

“Let’s just say, we agreed to co-exist,” replied the lion, “I don’t make friends with other species.”

The lion turned and continued to lead them forward. He was following a certain path through the woods when he suddenly veered off the path into an unknown, to our travelers, section of the forest. There was no clear path. It was covered with all sorts of fallen trees and brambles. 

They hadn’t gotten very far when the lion stopped. He looked around, then at the ground, then lifted his head and let out a terrifying roar. Everyone quickly backstepped and crouched down. 

Looking down at the ground where she crouched, Gretel noticed some golden mane hair and what appeared to be blood. 

The lion roared once more. There was no response.

The Teeny-tiny woman whispered to Pinocchio, “Something has happened to the unicorn.”

The Big Billy Goat Gruff stepped boldly up to the lion and asked, “What has happened here?”

The lion, seeking some composure, turned to all and said, “Someone has forcefully taken the unicorn away. For what purpose, I do not know. Your task has ended, as there is no trail to follow. I can be of no help, so I shall go back to my lair.”

This time, it was Jack who spoke up. “You can’t let that unicorn be taken. You, yourself, said it was both magical and endangered. Would you want someone to give up on you if you were in that position? Would you want to be extinguished, and there be no more lions left alive? We trusted you to help us find a unicorn. We hold you to that trust. You will take us to it. There are eight of us, together we can figure this all out.”

Just then, Pinocchio stepped forward. He looked the lion straight in the eye and said, “You are not afraid. You are a leader. So lead and stop pretending.” 

The lion was about to refute what Pinocchio had asserted when he noticed that Pinocchio’s nose began to grow again. The lion thought what Pinocchio said must be true. He took a deep breath and let out another roar. This one was much bolder than the other two roars. 

No one backed up and crouched this time. This time, they all stood firm, with determined looks on their faces. 

With the lion in the lead, they followed the train of blood and went deeper into the woods, in the hopes that the unicorn was still alive and that they, together, could rescue it. 

 

To be Continued in:  C – Catch Me If You Can

 

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A – The Adventure Begins

Posted on April 1, 2026 by hdh

My Theme this April is “My Muse Says…”

The Story spark for this story was Book Titles.

The writing prompt I took was the book title The Lion and the Unicorn.

The following 5-part tale is what my muse said I should write.

(Part 1 of 5 of The Unicorn and the Lion)

A – The Adventure  Begins

It was to be an adventure. Jack, Gretel, the Gruff brothers, the Teeny-tiny Woman, and Pinocchio went over to the wise man’s house for the task.  

He was an old man, sitting in the middle of the path, holding a walking stick, and seemed to be meditating when they came and interrupted his thoughts. 

“We are looking for an adventure,” they said, all in one voice, “We want to go on a quest. Can you give us one?”

The wise man slowly opened his eyes wider and put his pipe down. He looked the seven of them over and said, “Many have come to me for advice, but you come for adventure. Very interesting. Well, if it’s an adventure you want, you must seek a unicorn.”

“Unicorns are mythical beasts,” said Jack.

Gretel followed up with, “How do you find a mythical beast?”

“Ahh!” said the wise man. “That is where the adventure comes in.”

The Gruff brothers broke out of a huddle they were having, and as three said, “If it is to find something with a horn, we can do it. We’ve had experience with our horns.”

“That’s true,” the wise man replied, “But you were the ones with the horns, and you didn’t exactly find that Troll. He found you…on his bridge, I believe.”

“Nonetheless,” said the biggest billy goat Gruff, “We will assist.”

The Teeny-tiny woman who was perched on Pinocchio’s shoulder whispered into his wooden ear. “I believe the lion knows.”

Pinocchio repeated what was said, and everyone looked at each other and nodded their heads in agreement. 

We thanked the wise man for his counsel and went off to seek the lion. 

They didn’t have far to look. In fact, the lion was looking for them, or should I say he was looking for a meal, and he happened upon them. 

He licked his jowls and prepared to pounce when Pinocchio stepped forward and called out,  “We are on a quest to find a Unicorn. We were told you would help us and not eat us.” 

The lion, who noticed Pinocchio’s nose growing a bit longer, was well-versed on quests but didn’t know Pinocchio’s background story asked, “Why should I believe you?”

Pinocchio was quick to respond, “Because fairies have endowed me with a magical talent. Whenever I tell the truth, my nose grows longer.” 

This made his nose grow even longer.

The lion also understood the power of fairy magic and agreed to help the adventurers. 

And so this adventure begins.

 

To Be Continued in B: B – Blood

Posted in A to Z Blog Challenge 2026, Original Stories, Writing | Tagged | 11 Comments

The Cycle

Posted on March 26, 2026 by hdh
The story spark was Spring. The two prompts I took were:
Tell a story of spring from the viewpoint of the last patch of snow. 
and
Write from  the perspective of a seed just beginning to sprout.

The Cycle

Sitting around in this cold weather used to be so relaxing. All my fellow flakes would join together and form a community. We would share our cold, ice bits, and just hang out on the ground. Sometimes, there were others who took pieces of our group and remolded us into beautiful sculptures that were admired.

We would all hang around for a while until the sun would encourage us to rejoin with the earth. It was a beautiful life.

Obviously, that was another lifetime ago. This time instead of falling onto a bountiful patch of earth, I had to land on what those inhabitants call “a road”.

It was so pleasant on the way down. Me and those other flakes around me had such great plans. Then we landed. We created a glorious white visage. But it didn’t last long.

First there were the racers. As they trampled up and down this road on top of us, spewing those foul puffs of smoke and soot, our pristine whiteness became darkened.

Then came those plows, trucks, and snow blowers. It was bad enough for them to throw dirt on us, compounding the dark color we were already displaying, but now they added crystals, that were sent to break us apart, dissolve our group, and send us back to the earth in puddles of despair.

There were those of us who got to exist for a little longer as we were forcibly pushed and compacted to the side of the road. We were so compacted that even the inhabitants with their puny shovels couldn’t break us apart. Where is the beauty in that?

But that is our lot in life. Sometimes a picture of beauty and other times a dirty blackened block of ugliness just waiting for sun to send us home to start anew.

Hopefully we can serve some purpose as we leave. May it be so.

—————

It sure is tight down here. The earth has compacted around me. It is hard and cold. But I want to grow. So I just wait. I know my time will come.

As time passes, I’m beginning to feel a little stronger. The ground is getting warmer and I feel wetness around me coming from above. Something is both warming the ground and allowing water from the surface to give me strength to grow.

I stretch as high as I can. I do this every day.

With a final push, the tip of my stem breaks the surface and now it is no longer dark. Thank you, whoever you are that has chosen to leave this beautiful world and seek me out. May I be able to return the favor as I grow and send you back to the sky or wherever you came from.

I recognize that thing in the sky. It is called the sun. It called to me. It feeds me. There are few spots of whiteness on the ground that I’m sure had a hand in my feeding.

The water, the sun and now the earth, that happy warm earth, all work together to help me provide food for myself to grow. And so I shall.

What will I become? I do not know yet. I hope I will be something beautiful and helpful to those who placed me in this ground. For that I am grateful.

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A Splash of Courage

Posted on March 20, 2026 by hdh

The writing prompt was Courage. We had 25 minutes to write. 

A Splash of Courage

It was said that bravery is not the absence of fear, it’s feeling the fear and doing it anyway.

I was young and somewhat shy. No one looked up to me, no one thought me brave. I was a little pipsqueak. I was only allowed to hang out with the group because I was easy. Easy to get along with, compliant to others’ wishes, and didn’t stand out. 

I would like to say that all changed in sixth grade. 

It was lunchtime. The option at lunch was to either go to the lunchroom and eat with everyone there, including adult supervision. If the weather was nice, we could go out to the school courtyard and play while we ate our lunch. Or if we were really lucky, we could leave the school grounds and go down to Junior’s Corner and pick up a sandwich and a drink to have for lunch, as long as we were in a group and were back to school in time for class. 

That last option was exactly what was decided upon on that particular day. It was a Tuesday, better known in that school as assembly day. That meant that not only did the boys have to wear ties, which was the norm every day except in September and June, but we had to wear a white shirt and tie day.

That group of boys went off to Junior’s Corner. I didn’t have money for lunch, but I did bring my own. I was satisfied just to be allowed to tag along. 

On the way back, our group ran into another group of boys, not from our school. That other group was not friendly. Their members didn’t like public school sissies, which is what they thought we were. 

They started bullying us around, calling us all sorts of names. One of them went up to my friend, Philip, looked him up and down, and said, “That’s a nice sandwich you got there. I think it would look much better on the ground.” The bully, knocked the sandwich out of Phillip’s hand onto the ground, “And I think your prissy shirt would look much better with a touch of color in it,” whereby the bully took some of the soda he was drinking and poured it on Philip’s shirt. 

Phillip began to cry as the bully boys laughed and went on their way to Junior’s Corner.

I didn’t hesitate; I asked Phillip if he could borrow the soda he still had in his hand. Phillip didn’t want it anymore; he was too upset, so he gave it to me.

Without hesitation, I chased down the bully group, and as I got close to them, I singled out the one who had messed up Phillip’s shirt, took the soda can in my hand, and splashed it onto the bully’s clothing. 

There’s one thing to be courageous and brave, and there is another to be stupid. I was not stupid. I quickly dropped the can, turned around, and ran back to my friends. I wasn’t quick enough to reach them before the bully caught up with me and punched me on the side of my body. I was still moving, so it was more of a glancing blow. 

I made it back to my group of friends. The bully, on his own, and with me back with my friends, chose not to continue to follow and punch me again.  He returned to his own troop of misfits.

All my friends were shocked that I would do such a thing. I’m guessing they looked at me a little differently after that; however, I must say, from that day on, they continued to treat me the same way they always had, just a short kid that would hang around them.

 

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First Days – Revisited

Posted on March 13, 2026 by hdh

The Story Spark for this week’s piece was Firsts. The story spark for the original piece was Back to School. 

First Days

Originally written September 9, 2017. Revised March 12, 2026

As a teacher, I have had a plethora of first days of school. Each one leaves an imprint that sets up the tone for a year of learning. As a reflective practitioner, I kept journals every year that I taught. The night before each first day was spent writing about goals, fears, and expectations for the year. Not knowing what to expect from this new class always added to fears of what I might accomplish. My goals and expectations were always high. Then the year would begin.

The first day was always a day of introductions, learning names, and setting up our environment. There were many years that the first day would introduce me to some of the challenges I would face that school year.

My first salaried teaching job was as a permanent substitute 6th-grade teacher in a local school district. I started in February 1973. The kids already knew each other. School started at 8:30. My radio alarm was set for around 7:00. I started the day waking up to the radio program “Imus in the Morning”, where Imus jokingly announced the time one hour ahead of the real time. I started to panic, thinking I‘d be late for school. Luckily, I had a cuckoo clock in my room that showed the real time, so my panic lasted only a few minutes. 

When that first class came into the room, I was ready for them. Wanting to sound in control, I explained to the kids how “we could have a tough year or a great year, and do great things.” As I said this, I accidentally walked into a garbage can, knocking it over, spilling its contents on the floor. “Like kicking over garbage cans,” I said casually, without skipping a beat. I’m not sure if I impressed the students or not.

As a full-time teacher, I always started the year by learning students’ names. One of my favorite ways of learning names was sitting in a circle as each student said their name, preceded by an adjective that described them. As we progressed around the circle, the student whose turn it was had to first repeat all the other names that had preceded them prior to adding their own. I always started with “Happy Harvey,” and it went on from there. There was that first day in 1979, when all went well until we got to David, who said his name, “Dave the dick”, which, after a slight pause, he immediately followed with, “You know Dick Tidrow, a pitcher for the Yankees.” That was not what was going through my mind, nor most of the students’ minds.

There was a first time in 1993, when I had a student who was class phobic and wouldn’t come to the classroom. He hid in the nurse’s office until one of the students in my class went down to the nurse and coaxed him to the classroom. All was fine that first day, until the next day, when we had to do it again. On the third day, I said that if he refused to come to the classroom, I would bring the class to him, which I did. I took the whole class down to the nurse’s office and did a lesson there (I had prepped the nurse and the rest of the class to ignore him and just focus on the lesson). I had ruined his sanctuary. From that day on, he had no problem coming to class.

Having a selective mute in my class in 2002 also created issues in finding an activity for learning names. She would talk to any kid, but not with a teacher there, which included me. Surprisingly, she had no problem talking to teachers over the phone. 

First days were different for a few years when I taught 4th and 5th-grade inter-age classes. For each of those years, most of the 5th graders in the class had me from the previous year, which helped a bit. It also created some issues, that first day, since those 5th graders already knew all my quirks (as I did theirs), so setting up new rules and expectations, with some new 5th graders and all the new 4th graders, took a while.

First days continued until I retired in 2006. 

In 2013, I returned to teaching as a substitute teacher, working in the district that I had taught in for 33 years. I was a substitute teacher in lots of classrooms, so I got to experience several first days throughout the year. It did help, with my storytelling background, to have a good reputation with kids and stories to tell. The only difference now was that it was that much harder for me to remember names. 

I haven’t subbed at all since COVID, but I still have my goals, fears, and expectations whenever I go into a classroom, even as a storyteller. Some goals I meet, and others wait to be fulfilled as I continue to do the thing that I’ve always enjoyed doing –  being a teacher and learner.

 

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A to Z Blog Challenge 2026 – Theme Reveal

Posted on March 9, 2026 by hdh

Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2026

Theme Reveal

This is my eleventh year participating in the A to Z Challenge. Each year, I come up with a theme to challenge myself. I have written multi-part stories, an alphabet book using Google images, an epistolary series, and several other unique collections.

You have my A to Z background, now for this year’s challenge:

I’ve attended several weekly and monthly writing groups over the last 15 years. In each of these groups, we were given a Story Spark (Theme), a quote connected to that Spark, and several writing prompts to choose from (if we wished) to write about and share. The writing is sometimes a timed piece (usually 20-25 minutes), and other times we have up to a week to complete it. 

I’m often asked where I get my ideas in these groups; my usual response is that I write the first sentence down and then let my muse direct me the rest of the way. So far, it has been a successful practice. 

For this year’s A to Z  Challenge, I am going to let my muse direct my writing. Basically, that means you’ll never know what to expect – memoir, fantasy, time travel (one of my favorite topics), poetry, etc. 

Some of the pieces I write will be based on prompts I’ve received over the last 15 years. Other pieces might be taken from a piece I wrote in one of those groups that left my readers hanging, which needed to be completed (after all, how complete can all your writing be in 20 minutes). Some of the writing will be a one-and-done piece, and others may take place over several days (don’t worry, for those stories, I will try to keep to consecutive days)

Prepare to enjoy where my mind and muse take you. It could be to save the world or to find a unicorn. You may have read about my friend Ronald, who always seems to get me in trouble. He may show up in a story or two. I might even share some thoughts about life in general as we know it. I’m sure there will be some poetry added in, too.

I’m looking forward to the adventure. I hope you are, too. 

See you all on April 1st.

Posted in A to Z Blog Challenge 2026, Original Stories | Tagged | 6 Comments

Not What I Expected

Posted on February 27, 2026 by hdh

The writing prompt was to write a story about a horse named Blaze. I took a few liberties with “a horse”.

Not What I Expected

 

Her name is Blaze. Once you looked at her in the eyes, you knew exactly why she should be called that. 

She had an aura of strength. She had eyes of a seer of truth. She had the build of one who is destined to endure, with her powerful muscles that would guide her to success. She was an individual of grace, loyal to those who not only believed in her but also allowed her to be free. She was unique.

When I first came across her, she was standing in a field of grass. The sun shone behind her, highlighting her head. My jaw dropped.

I was expecting to see a free-roaming horse. I was expecting to see one similar to the other horses I have seen in this field.

I was stunned when the light reflected off the single horn that protruded from the top of her head. It was straight, with a spiral of color adorning it. It was golden.

These animals were myths. They were stories of folklore and legend. They did not exist. 

Yet there she stood. Proud and strong. A Unicorn.

And she did not run from me. We looked into each other’s eyes and immediately bonded. She was one of a kind, and I guess, being somewhat of a loner, I was one of a kind also. The difference being, she was the last of her kind, whereas I was not.

As I approached this unicorn, it bowed its head at me. Then took off faster than I had ever seen an animal run. She wasn’t scared. She appeared pleased to have found a kindred spirit. She circled the field we were in and then abruptly stopped, turned to me, and came back to face me, again bowing her head. 

The look in her eyes was entrancing, as if she was imploring me to join her, to help her, to ride her to where we were needed.

She clearly had a story to tell. And, I was to be part of it. We needed to move quickly, which is why I named her Blaze. 

Without any hesitation, I leaped up on her back, held on to her mane, and let her take the story and me to where it was supposed to go. 

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