VSS - 2022-08
Tweeted story snippets using vssCollab and optional prompts.
Story with prompts bolded.
1 - “You're privy to a secret only a few have known over the centuries. I am far from ancient in the eyes of my kind, but have outlived each of my human caretakers. I am glad to have you, a fellow yokai, as the one to provide my needs, now.” #weirdmicro 2 - “You collect yokai tales. I was one who asked you to collect our local stories. Might I suggest studying the haunted houses popping up?” Reizei said. “The rumor of the mountain with eyes also intrigues me. Which should we visit first?” #inkmine 3 - Reizei shuffled his feet. “I’m not yet an expert in transporting you unseen. And I don’t wish to strain your capacity.” I shook my head. “I am kodama, tree spirt and echo. Where you go, my kind will repeat what they see and hear.” #BraveWrite 4 - Reizei drafted a letter for me to the Nonogawa River Valley Historic Society inquiring about who might know the tales of the Mountain with Eyes. Undoubtedly, the group would put the letter in the circuit of the group’s folklore archivists. #vss365 5 - Reizei’s peculiar tengu and Nonogawa dialect was sometimes hard to understand. But he never stewed over it. He slipped on his sandals to hand deliver the message. #WeirdMicro 6 - Was there a relation between the uptick in yokai activity and the story of the Mountain with Eyes? Would it be wise to disturb such a large yokai? It may wish to be left in solitude. Mountains’ moods changed with the weather. #vssNature #vss365 7 - I certainly didn’t want to tangle with it, if didn’t wish to share its story. But surely, it wouldn’t mind a single question. My rumination halted when Reizei returned, diving from the sky at full speed to meet me on the veranda. #WeirdMicro 8 - His wings flicked open to slow his descent. My tree’s leaves flutter wildly in the gust. “I have news! The historic society dug up an obscure reference. They say telltale sign of the mountain’s location is that it sits directly in the river.” 9 - We combed the map for anything that matched the clue. Bingo! A branch ran into the Nonogawa river! Dread crept in and clung. Approaching this powerful yokai had no undo. We’d face the consequences, good or bad. #vssnature #inkmine 10 - Reizei tested an idea that allowed me to stay put and yet help explore. On his camera’s lens, he opened a small portal allowing me to see his surroundings and communicate. Then he took to the sky. Would we be able to build rapport with the mountain? 11 - I couldn’t feel the wind rushing by, but I could hear it. Seeing lush forest below took my breath away. My own perspective had been limited as a ground dweller. Reizei quietly landed across the river from the remote mountain. #inkmine 12 - Still, the event had been noticed. Bulbous eyes, much larger than my house, opened as if awakening from a deep sleep. The ridge blinked slowly. Reizei waited for several moments. “Master?” I gulped. Despite earlier rehearsals, my mind blanked. 13 - My host tree quaked in protest over the mountain spirit's presence despite being on the other side of the portal window. This is your opportunity to influence generations and share this kami’s story if you just muster the courage to ask. #BraveWrite 14 - My voice emerged as a squeak. “Great mountain spirit, apologies for disturbing your slumber. My associate and I wish to hear your story, to save it for posterity.” The ground rumbled violently. Reizei’s cellphone blared a major earthquake warning. 15 - Reizei took to the sky for safety. Twilight’s soft hues were blotted out as the mountain emerged from the river, cresting higher and higher above the horizon. My heart sank. Did our chance vanish? All of Japan must have felt the tremors. #vss365 16 - The enormous peak leaned to hover over Reizei and my view from the portal. Darkness from the spirit’s shadow heralded early night. Its eyes glowed bright, fixed on me through the portal window my tengu friend shakily held. #inkmine 17 - The mountain’s words emerged painfully slow, rumbling like thunder, sending quakes in every direction. “For centuries I slept, ignored. Yet you, who won’t even set foot onto the base of my vastness, dare to ask me for my tale? Cowardice!” #366FF 18 - Reizei perched on a sturdy branch, waiting an hour to verify the spirit was done speaking—lest we be banned from its presence. Finally, I said, “I am kodama, my host tree grew difficult to move. We’re working on a means of transport. ” #vssdreaming 19 - “A kodama tied to a bonsai pot? Humanity’s avarice knows no bounds.” The ground shook so violently, it liquefied. My hands waved frantically. “Great Mountain Spirit, until me, no kodama had the pleasure of travelling to record yokai stories!” 20 - The rollercoaster shaking subsided. Reizei fluffed his feathers, settling in as we waited again. Dawn hid inside a thick, misty gloom. Rumbling startled Reizei and I awake. “I am Hoshi. My tale is one of war.” #vssdreaming #vssLocation 21 - Fear could have no quarter. I fetched my notebook, praying the telling wouldn’t shake Japan to pieces. The mountain said, “I am a celestial spirit, cast down to earth. Hideous from the impact, I was driven out of every province. #366FF #WeirdMicro 22 - My state was rage against the King of the Moon, the one who condemned me for daring to court the moon princess, Kaguya-hime. He tried to subdue me with tsunami tides. I shoot molten rock back, and tethered myself to the land with boulders and trees. 23 - I destroyed everything in my path. It led the Moon King to set a horrible precedent. I would have preferred death. For, he cursed me to be this mountain and watch my beloved marry another—in slow motion, over and over. #WeirdMicro 24 - “Unable to unearth from this spot and free my love from a marriage I was sure she didn’t want, I gave into depression. My tears flowed into this stream, making it a powerful river.” As he spoke, water threatened to overflow the shoreline. #inkmine 25 - Tremors grew gargantuan. The river surged, washing trees and boulders away. I shouldn’t have disturbed this slumbering giant. Would his long held grief shake apart and flood the Nonogawa River Valley? Would residents be able to reach high ground? 26 - Quickly, I had the maid dial 119. I bellowed at the poor operator, “Flash flooding at the fork of the Nonogawa River!” The operator kept his wits. Soon the civil defense sirens went viral. I prayed my foolish story collecting couldn’t cost life. 27 - The mountain’s eyes swept over me through the portal, just before Reizei took to the sky to escape the raging river. “Danger? Where?” the mountain asked. 28 - “From your angry earthquakes and tears!” Reizei shouted with more than a trace of the same emotion in his voice. The mountain’s gasped, spewing a vent of scalding sulphurous air. Reizei was on the edge and lost wing feathers. He plummeted. 29 - My heart stuck in my throat as my tengu friend fell to certain death. What an idiot I’d been! I had no right to disturb the formerly quiet mountain. I’d caused the destruction of my home and a friend. An earthen hand raised cradling a pool of water. 30 - Reizei splashed into it. Water gushed through the portal he held. I had to close it. At least Reizei would survive, even if I didn’t. But the flood never came, just violet quakes. When Reizei made it home I had navigate his incoherent ramblings. 31 - I just couldn’t believe Reizei, until we went back to verify. The mountain had thrown itself in the water's way and slurped away the flood, leaving an altered landscape but a safe river. He apologized and promised to protect the valley.
by AWV + MidJourney
Shitani's Investigation of the Mountain with Eyes
This month's #vssCollab HISTORY themed tale should fit right in with the season of spooky stories in Japan - "The Mountain with Eyes"Story with prompts bolded.
1 - “You're privy to a secret only a few have known over the centuries. I am far from ancient in the eyes of my kind, but have outlived each of my human caretakers. I am glad to have you, a fellow yokai, as the one to provide my needs, now.” #weirdmicro 2 - “You collect yokai tales. I was one who asked you to collect our local stories. Might I suggest studying the haunted houses popping up?” Reizei said. “The rumor of the mountain with eyes also intrigues me. Which should we visit first?” #inkmine 3 - Reizei shuffled his feet. “I’m not yet an expert in transporting you unseen. And I don’t wish to strain your capacity.” I shook my head. “I am kodama, tree spirt and echo. Where you go, my kind will repeat what they see and hear.” #BraveWrite 4 - Reizei drafted a letter for me to the Nonogawa River Valley Historic Society inquiring about who might know the tales of the Mountain with Eyes. Undoubtedly, the group would put the letter in the circuit of the group’s folklore archivists. #vss365 5 - Reizei’s peculiar tengu and Nonogawa dialect was sometimes hard to understand. But he never stewed over it. He slipped on his sandals to hand deliver the message. #WeirdMicro 6 - Was there a relation between the uptick in yokai activity and the story of the Mountain with Eyes? Would it be wise to disturb such a large yokai? It may wish to be left in solitude. Mountains’ moods changed with the weather. #vssNature #vss365 7 - I certainly didn’t want to tangle with it, if didn’t wish to share its story. But surely, it wouldn’t mind a single question. My rumination halted when Reizei returned, diving from the sky at full speed to meet me on the veranda. #WeirdMicro 8 - His wings flicked open to slow his descent. My tree’s leaves flutter wildly in the gust. “I have news! The historic society dug up an obscure reference. They say telltale sign of the mountain’s location is that it sits directly in the river.” 9 - We combed the map for anything that matched the clue. Bingo! A branch ran into the Nonogawa river! Dread crept in and clung. Approaching this powerful yokai had no undo. We’d face the consequences, good or bad. #vssnature #inkmine 10 - Reizei tested an idea that allowed me to stay put and yet help explore. On his camera’s lens, he opened a small portal allowing me to see his surroundings and communicate. Then he took to the sky. Would we be able to build rapport with the mountain? 11 - I couldn’t feel the wind rushing by, but I could hear it. Seeing lush forest below took my breath away. My own perspective had been limited as a ground dweller. Reizei quietly landed across the river from the remote mountain. #inkmine 12 - Still, the event had been noticed. Bulbous eyes, much larger than my house, opened as if awakening from a deep sleep. The ridge blinked slowly. Reizei waited for several moments. “Master?” I gulped. Despite earlier rehearsals, my mind blanked. 13 - My host tree quaked in protest over the mountain spirit's presence despite being on the other side of the portal window. This is your opportunity to influence generations and share this kami’s story if you just muster the courage to ask. #BraveWrite 14 - My voice emerged as a squeak. “Great mountain spirit, apologies for disturbing your slumber. My associate and I wish to hear your story, to save it for posterity.” The ground rumbled violently. Reizei’s cellphone blared a major earthquake warning. 15 - Reizei took to the sky for safety. Twilight’s soft hues were blotted out as the mountain emerged from the river, cresting higher and higher above the horizon. My heart sank. Did our chance vanish? All of Japan must have felt the tremors. #vss365 16 - The enormous peak leaned to hover over Reizei and my view from the portal. Darkness from the spirit’s shadow heralded early night. Its eyes glowed bright, fixed on me through the portal window my tengu friend shakily held. #inkmine 17 - The mountain’s words emerged painfully slow, rumbling like thunder, sending quakes in every direction. “For centuries I slept, ignored. Yet you, who won’t even set foot onto the base of my vastness, dare to ask me for my tale? Cowardice!” #366FF 18 - Reizei perched on a sturdy branch, waiting an hour to verify the spirit was done speaking—lest we be banned from its presence. Finally, I said, “I am kodama, my host tree grew difficult to move. We’re working on a means of transport. ” #vssdreaming 19 - “A kodama tied to a bonsai pot? Humanity’s avarice knows no bounds.” The ground shook so violently, it liquefied. My hands waved frantically. “Great Mountain Spirit, until me, no kodama had the pleasure of travelling to record yokai stories!” 20 - The rollercoaster shaking subsided. Reizei fluffed his feathers, settling in as we waited again. Dawn hid inside a thick, misty gloom. Rumbling startled Reizei and I awake. “I am Hoshi. My tale is one of war.” #vssdreaming #vssLocation 21 - Fear could have no quarter. I fetched my notebook, praying the telling wouldn’t shake Japan to pieces. The mountain said, “I am a celestial spirit, cast down to earth. Hideous from the impact, I was driven out of every province. #366FF #WeirdMicro 22 - My state was rage against the King of the Moon, the one who condemned me for daring to court the moon princess, Kaguya-hime. He tried to subdue me with tsunami tides. I shoot molten rock back, and tethered myself to the land with boulders and trees. 23 - I destroyed everything in my path. It led the Moon King to set a horrible precedent. I would have preferred death. For, he cursed me to be this mountain and watch my beloved marry another—in slow motion, over and over. #WeirdMicro 24 - “Unable to unearth from this spot and free my love from a marriage I was sure she didn’t want, I gave into depression. My tears flowed into this stream, making it a powerful river.” As he spoke, water threatened to overflow the shoreline. #inkmine 25 - Tremors grew gargantuan. The river surged, washing trees and boulders away. I shouldn’t have disturbed this slumbering giant. Would his long held grief shake apart and flood the Nonogawa River Valley? Would residents be able to reach high ground? 26 - Quickly, I had the maid dial 119. I bellowed at the poor operator, “Flash flooding at the fork of the Nonogawa River!” The operator kept his wits. Soon the civil defense sirens went viral. I prayed my foolish story collecting couldn’t cost life. 27 - The mountain’s eyes swept over me through the portal, just before Reizei took to the sky to escape the raging river. “Danger? Where?” the mountain asked. 28 - “From your angry earthquakes and tears!” Reizei shouted with more than a trace of the same emotion in his voice. The mountain’s gasped, spewing a vent of scalding sulphurous air. Reizei was on the edge and lost wing feathers. He plummeted. 29 - My heart stuck in my throat as my tengu friend fell to certain death. What an idiot I’d been! I had no right to disturb the formerly quiet mountain. I’d caused the destruction of my home and a friend. An earthen hand raised cradling a pool of water. 30 - Reizei splashed into it. Water gushed through the portal he held. I had to close it. At least Reizei would survive, even if I didn’t. But the flood never came, just violet quakes. When Reizei made it home I had navigate his incoherent ramblings. 31 - I just couldn’t believe Reizei, until we went back to verify. The mountain had thrown itself in the water's way and slurped away the flood, leaving an altered landscape but a safe river. He apologized and promised to protect the valley.
These Very Short Stories (VSS) posted on Twitter relate to my book series the Liminal Chronicles.
The newest ones are at the bottom. So start at the top. Click here to read the newest vss.
This year I'm also running a VSS challenge called vssCollab. Interested? Check out the link below.
All VSS Stories
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