Member-only story
Dark Winds
The story that follows is for a flash fiction writing challenge posted each week by author Miranda Kate. This is week number 234! You can click on this link to see the prompt image and rules.
The prompt image brought to mind the 1928 silent film titled The Wind starring Lillian Gish (her last silent film role). This is a flash fiction tale along those lines, but with a dark ending more like the original story than the movie.
The challenge asks for a story less than 750 words. My story has 596 words (not including the title), just in case you were counting.
Dark Winds
It was late spring when Katie arrived at the ranch. Her husband had already made the trip before winter set in to get the place ready. She wasn’t as excited about the results as she had hoped. Frank knew a bit about cattle, but not so much about homesteading. Not that he had a lot to work with. A single-room shack was their new home. There was also a barn of sorts, though it needed repair. A couple of sheds for tools and tack rounded out the meager estate.
She didn’t say much as she looked around the cabin. There was a bed, a table, a wood stove, and a couple of chairs, both made from rough lumber. A layer of dust from the high, dry plains coated everything. Some of it…
