Wednesday's Words on a Friday

On Wednesdays, assorted people have been taking monthly turns at putting up a selection of words which is called “Words for Wednesday”.

We have taken over this meme from Delores, who had been having computer problems.

This month the meme continues here, at Hannah’s blog.

Essentially the aim is to encourage us to write.   

Each week we are given a choice of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music or images.   What we do with those prompts is up to us:  a short story, prose, a song, a poem, or treating them with ignore...

Some of us put our creation in comments on the post, and others post on their own blog.  We would really like it if as many people as possible joined in with this fun meme.

If you are posting on your own blog - let us know so that we can come along and read your masterpiece.

I’m hopeless at poetry so I always do a story.

It’s a fun challenge…why not join in?

This week's words are:

1. fireflies

2. checkered

3. whistling

4. solemn

5. thermos

6. sliver

and this image, which I haven't used:

Here is my story:

Belinda's face was solemn as she stared through the window at the tiny sliver of moon, barely visible between the stormy clouds rolling in. She hadn't seen any stars tonight, and soon enough even the moon would be gone. It would likely rain well before bedtime and she looked forward to the downpour.
It would match her mood perfectly. 

She turned back to the ironing board and began smoothing the pile of checkered tablecloths and napkins. 
The "Hoe-Down" style reception had been a huge success, with hay-bale seating around the dance floor, the band and square dance caller, the checkered cloths on all the little round tables, lit by hurricane-style lamps such as might be found in a barn way out in the country.

The ironing finished, she moved down the hallway to pack all the napery back into the boxes supplied by her daughter Abby's catering company.  Sebastian and Abby would be coming before lunch the next day to collect them. 

Returning to the kitchen, Belinda poured the last glassful of punch from the thermos she'd saved it in, and listened to the wind as it rose, whistling around the eaves and across the porches. It was still summer, but there would be no fireflies out tonight.

Tears pooled in Belinda's eyes and began to trickle down her cheeks. The house felt so empty now, so quiet.
Chrissy had been the last child and had left on her honeymoon with Steve as the reception began winding down.
A new stage in Chrissy's life was beginning, and here at home, a new stage was beginning for Belinda too.
She allowed herself this one night to feel down, to feel alone, to cry a little. 

Tomorrow, the search would begin for a smaller home and a real estate agent to put this big five bedroom place on the market.