Mini Story, Mystery, Photo Prompt, Phrase Prompt, Writing Prompts

Picnic

Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬

Written for Gerry & Sue’s Weekly Prompts –
The One Day Prompt. The image is courtesy of
Crispina Kemp’s Picture Post Sunday; I have
included her original photo caption into the body
of my story. Here’s where the prompts took me.

© Crispina Kemp

One day, we packed a wicker basket with soft cheeses, crusty bread, and a bottle of something cold, and set off across the fields toward the sea.

The path seemed straightforward enough at first. Then the mist arrived, quietly, without announcement, wrapping itself around the hawthorn trees like gauze around old wounds. We pressed deeper, certain the tree line would open onto the cliff path we remembered from summers past.

It never did.

The moss-covered trunks multiplied around us, their twisted arms reaching overhead, interlocking like fingers. The carpet of leaves muffled every sound. Even the birds had gone silent.

I reached for her hand.

The mist is thicker here than it was in the woods. We cannot see the sea.

The basket sits between us, untouched. Somewhere behind us, the fields have disappeared.

Somewhere ahead, so has everything else.

NAR©2026

This is “Skeleton Tree” by Nick Cave

Weekly Prompts – The One Day Prompt (22)
Sunday Picture Post: South to a Double Destination

Everything here on the elephants trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.

44 thoughts on “Picnic”

  11. Inter-dimensional, methinks, …Nancy, … they’re exploring in Misty climes, … or at least that’s my take, …. As everyone says, scary, …but you do it so well. … Happy Holidays, my friend, (hoping healing is coming along well 🤗 )…💙

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