Happy Friday, folks. It being Friday and all makes it time for another Friday Fictioneers drabble inspired by the photo prompt from Madison Woods. Please hold your applause until the end of the show.
Photo courtesy Madison Woods
Devil’s Darning Needles
A small damselfly entered through the open window and landed softly on the blanket above Scott’s chest. A second joined the first. A third followed. One after another landed- the combined weight of countless creatures piling high on the backs of one another pinned the boy to his bed.
A series of pinpricks around his lips pulled him from his slumber. He struggled against the pain but it was over as quickly as it had begun. The damselflies retreated one by one until there was no sign they’d ever been there, save for the boy with his mouth stitched shut.
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Check out the stories from the other Fictioneers:
Adam Ickes 
June 22nd, 2012 at 5:10 AM
The stitching his mouth shut startled me. I was thinking, “How did he manage to make damselflies evil?” I don’t know how you did it, but I’m impressed.
June 22nd, 2012 at 6:22 AM
I can’t take all the credit. I based this on the lore that parents would tell naughty children the damselflies (aka darning needles) would stitch their mouth shut in their sleep to make them behave. Guess this kid didn’t listen. There is also lore that they’ll take your eyes. I almost went that route.
June 22nd, 2012 at 11:49 AM
Good night! Take your eyes?? Yikes
June 22nd, 2012 at 6:19 AM
Yikes! Why did they do that? Had he said something that he shouldn’t, or did he just have bad breath? I’m on the list.
June 22nd, 2012 at 6:31 AM
From what I read, parents used to tell naughty kids that the darning needles (damselflies) would sew their mouth shut in their sleep to get them to behave. I took the idea and ran with it.
June 22nd, 2012 at 6:57 AM
Did they? How horrible! When was this? Which country? Sounds like mental cruelty to me.
June 22nd, 2012 at 7:09 AM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfly scroll down to the “Dragonflies in cultures” section to read about various lore in different countries. That refers to dragonflies, but I’ve seen the same info about damselflies, I just can’t remember where I found it.
June 22nd, 2012 at 7:29 AM
So it’s Europe and the Southern United States where they are associated with evil or stitching up injured snakes. How fascinating. Romania is in there again. That poor country seems to specialize in horror stuff. What happened to all its sweetness and light? I suppose that it went away with Vlad the Impaler. Thank you for finding the link for me. Children were told such dreadful stories in the past. Our own fairy tales are bad enough as it is. Some dreadful stuff in those. It is thought that Sleeping Beauty, for example, has been tamed down to a kiss from the Prince. It was originally a story about the awakening of a virgin in the sexual sense. And then there’s Little Red Riding Hood… the less said the better! And Snow White… !
June 22nd, 2012 at 7:27 AM
Ow, this is so horrid a thing to happen to poor Scott, folklore or no folklore. But I guess my reaction is due to the fine presentation of the story. So evocative. Mine is here and linked as well: http://readinpleasure.wordpress.com/2012/06/21/fridayfictioneers-the-omen/
June 22nd, 2012 at 8:26 AM
It could have been worse. He should feel lucky that they only sewed his mouth shut. Thanks for stopping by!
June 22nd, 2012 at 8:28 AM
oh my, chilling image that was. this was nicely crafted!
http://writersclubkl.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/friday-fictioneers-human/
June 23rd, 2012 at 6:44 AM
In the words of Elvis: Thank you, thank you very much.
June 22nd, 2012 at 8:46 AM
This sounds like something mother’s tell their children as a cautionary tale to not talk back.
overall wonderful, and this line sings “the combined weight of countless creatures piling high on the backs of one another pinned the boy to his bed.”
June 23rd, 2012 at 6:45 AM
Some kids just don’t listen until they experience things for themselves. Stubborn little buggers, they are.
June 22nd, 2012 at 8:47 AM
Oh, eek, that was certainly effective prose! Gulp. Will I be able to sleep tonight….
http://www.lazuli-portals.com/flash-fiction/damselfly
June 23rd, 2012 at 6:46 AM
So, were you able to sleep? I imagine it wasn’t too hard, unless you spent the day talking back and swearing, then I expect maybe you were paid a visit by the little darning needles.
June 22nd, 2012 at 8:48 AM
This is why as a child I didn’t like seeing these little creatures. My grandmother told me the story of the devil’s darning needles…….good job!
June 23rd, 2012 at 6:47 AM
Dragonflies (and their lookalikes, I didn’t know the difference at the time) were the only bugs I liked as a kid, though I suspect that has more to do with the name than anything else.
June 22nd, 2012 at 9:31 AM
Very dark. Tension rose in every line. The last line made me shudder. I do wonder just how naughty he had been for this particular punishment.
For your readers here’s mine
http://tollykitsjourney.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/damselfly-fridayfictioneers-flashfiction/
June 23rd, 2012 at 6:49 AM
I’m going to guess the line you have to cross for such a punishment is pretty far out there, so he must have been quite the handful.
June 22nd, 2012 at 9:52 AM
What did he do to warrant that punishment? I enjoyed your piece and forgot you were going to scare me until the very last line. Well done.
Mine is here: http://erinleary.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/flash-friday-fiction-6/#entry
June 23rd, 2012 at 6:50 AM
I’m not sure what he did, but it must have been bad. 100 words just wasn’t enough to explore both crime and punishment.
June 22nd, 2012 at 9:56 AM
The story is sweet without the explanation but reading through comments explains it better…Well done!
June 23rd, 2012 at 6:51 AM
Glad you enjoyed it, Charles. I found some of the folklore behind the creatures fascinating. I may have to do some more research and see what else I can dig up.
June 22nd, 2012 at 10:46 AM
Yup, that was creepy as all get out. (That was praise — but it won’t be if I’m still awake at four AM!)
Kathy
http://notforallmarkets.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/sobibor/
June 23rd, 2012 at 6:53 AM
My hundred words didn’t keep you awake did they? I’ll have a stern talk with them if they did. Actually, that’s not quite right, I’ll probably congratulate them on a job well done, but tell yourself I’m giving them a stern warning not to do that so you feel better about it. 🙂
June 22nd, 2012 at 10:50 AM
I like how you run with the folklore to write this short story.
It’s a bit creepy, though.
http://logo-ligi.com/2012/06/21/a-silent-moment/
June 23rd, 2012 at 6:55 AM
Creepy folklore is the folklore that most appeals to me. I’m fascinated by tails of odd things.
June 22nd, 2012 at 1:41 PM
Transcends folklore with exquisite detail. Effective build-up, with a magnificently horrific ending!
June 23rd, 2012 at 6:56 AM
What can I say other than thank you. This comment made my day 🙂
June 22nd, 2012 at 6:37 PM
Nice one. An unexpected ending for me. Thanks. Randy
June 23rd, 2012 at 6:57 AM
Unless you already knew the story behind devil’s darning needles. the ending was bound to catch you off guard. Thanks for stopping by.
June 22nd, 2012 at 6:41 PM
Hi Adam,
Can you hear me applauding? I guess the Devil made them do it. Very fun story. Thanks for reading and commenting on my story.
June 23rd, 2012 at 6:59 AM
Thank you, kindly. Sadly, I can’t hear the applauding. I must either be deaf or too far away. Glad you enjoyed the story. Come back and applaud any time.
June 22nd, 2012 at 6:48 PM
This is amazing story so well writen and I must say that it was truelly unexpected, you story make me want to read more and I love those kind.
http://vsichalwe.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/friday-fictioneers-3/
June 23rd, 2012 at 7:00 AM
Thank you very much. I’m glad you liked it.
June 22nd, 2012 at 10:14 PM
It is like something right out of Stephen King’s books. So, well done from one who writes horror stories. Makes the damsel fly really a creepy varmint. I was wondering but probably shouldn’t ask such a stupid question, but I take it that the boy lived and did not die?
June 23rd, 2012 at 7:02 AM
I am honored to be compared to King, not sure I deserve such praise, but honored nonetheless. The boy lived, he just had his mouth sewn shut. Though, I have a feeling it’ll be quite a long time before he’s bad again.
June 22nd, 2012 at 10:48 PM
great imagination
June 25th, 2012 at 1:48 PM
Thank you kindly. I apologize for the delayed response. You ended up marked as spam so I just found your comment.
June 23rd, 2012 at 2:10 AM
I vaguely remember this tale from my childhood, but the term was sewing needle instead of darning needle. How frightening to wake up that way, but I hope this kid learned his lesson. Ironic that you should call him Scott.
I’m #2 on the list.
June 23rd, 2012 at 7:03 AM
I’m sure he did learn his lesson, after the shock and horror wore off and the stitching was removed, that is.
June 23rd, 2012 at 3:16 PM
I like creepy and old stories, yours was nicely done.
Here is mine http://yaralwrites.com/?cat=9
June 23rd, 2012 at 9:10 PM
Thanks. I enjoyed the story of your daredevil damselfly.
June 23rd, 2012 at 3:20 PM
Vivid and frightening, Adam. One wonders what poor Scott did to deserve that, and whether you tell this story to your own kids!
I’m over here: http://elmowrites.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/friday-fiction-the-crossing/
June 23rd, 2012 at 9:12 PM
Whether I tell it or not will depend mostly on whether or not they need to be told, but also on whether or not they have my tastes in stories or their mother’s.
June 24th, 2012 at 10:00 AM
Dear Adam,
Darn it! That was well done. How you managed to weave a tale of mystery and menace was fabulous. I like your style, sir.
Aloha,
Doug
June 24th, 2012 at 12:04 PM
Many thanks, Doug. It is an honor to have someone so gifted with words praise my work.
June 24th, 2012 at 12:04 PM
Ah, thanks for the explanation int reply to your first comment otherwise I’d have been completely confused. When you started it reminded me of a tale I’d read as a child, a ghost story in fact, where a moth on the wall grew bigger and bigger and then covered the face of the child in the bed effectively smothering it …. Here’s mine too: http://womanontheedgeofreality.com/2012/06/22/friday-fictioneers-gramps-and-me/
June 24th, 2012 at 12:11 PM
I thought of explaining it before I presented the story, but I didn’t want to give the ending away.
That tale of the moth sounds like something I’d enjoy very much, I’m a bit twisted like that, as if that didn’t show through my stories. 🙂
June 24th, 2012 at 12:47 PM
I have no idea what you mean … 🙂
June 25th, 2012 at 1:45 PM
You have successfully creeped me out with this one. I’m not exactly sure what the cause of such a gruesome punishment was, but I’m thoroughly freaked by your story. I think that’s the first time that’s actually happened. I want to know where you get your inspiration.
June 25th, 2012 at 2:00 PM
Glad I could be of service. 🙂 I get my inspiration from life, only my brain seems to interpret things differently than most other people. I hear/read a word or phrase, an idea pops into my head, and my dark side grabs hold of it and turns it into images. The hard part is turning those images in my head into words on a page. I’m still trying to perfect that part. There are things floating around in there that I don’t even know how to begin to describe them yet. A big part of my twisted side probably comes from a combination of being a shy child basically living in my own fantasy land and the fact that when I first started reading for fun, I stuck almost exclusively to Stephen King books. I’ve branched out since then, but I’d have to say he was probably the biggest influence on my writing.
June 26th, 2012 at 10:48 AM
He should not tell lies.
Next, perhaps they will stitch shut his eyes.
I liked. Thanks!
June 26th, 2012 at 10:08 PM
As a writer of fiction, I find it difficult to tell anyone not to lie. I do it on a daily basis.
June 27th, 2012 at 8:15 AM
I use my fingers upon keys because every morning I find my lips sown.