[ HOHR-ee ]
Adjective
- Gray or white, as from age.
- Ancient.
- Trite.
Let’s Write…
** Either a story beginning, a story ending, a piece of flash fiction, a poem, painting, dance move—inspired by the word, hoary, where does it take me? Where does it take you?
It was the oldest sculpture ever found and, decades after its discovery, the wonder around it wasn’t lost at all. Andy and his friend Nick waited in line to get inside the room to view the sculpture. The room was built around the stone, because no matter their attempts, the rock couldn’t be moved. One of the mysterious properties that attracted so many people.
“What do you think you’ll see?” Nick said.
“I don’t know…” Andy said. It was something he’d been wondering himself.
“They say it looks different to everyone because all our eyes are different,” Nick said.
Andy shrugged. “They don’t know why, though. That’s just a theory.” Andy’s mind swam with more miraculous explanations: magic and aliens.
When they finally were allowed into the room, with about ten other people, it was like walking into another world. The ground was all rock and stone, and the ceiling was high and all glass to let in the natural light. The whole room felt like being outside.
The rock sculpture in the middle…
… looked like nothing in particular to Andy, and this worried him, but then it morphed. The rough stone instantly formed a shape he recognized clearly. It was a guitar. Perfectly sized.
Andy looked around, but everyone was just standing still and staring. The stone guitar called to Andy, pulled at his heart, and he could even feel a physical tug like a rope wrapped around his middle.
He left all fear and etiquette behind and rushed forward, wrapping his hand around the neck of the guitar. It was rough, and he feared for a moment that it would crumble beneath his grip. Then, a blast of wind exploded from the rock, knocking everyone to their feet except Andy.
The rough stone was changing into white marble and clear quartz. Soon, Andy held in his hand, released from the stone surface, the most brilliant and beautiful guitar he’d ever seen.
He pulled it to his body, and forgetting the world around him, strummed a chord.
Notes/Thoughts/Ideas
The sword in the stone story as a guitar in the stone! At least, that’s the initial idea that came to me. In our modern times, the world doesn’t need war, but music! It could be a comedic and semi-serious movie.
The serious topics of changing the world in some way, but doing it comedically and almost ridiculously through the music made from this guitar. But, there is something real about the power of music we can’t deny!
There could be a mystery of where this ancient stone came from, or perhaps it is the same stone as the legend where King Arthur pulled his sword. After his time, it lay waiting for the next hero to take what was needed!
What do you think of Hoary?
Sound like a fun movie?
Leave your thoughts, your own story beginning/ending, flash-fiction, or whatever in the comments! Where did hoary or my story take you?
If you liked this story, you may enjoy this other one-minute story, Arboreal.
Today’s word is from Wordsmith.org.
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