Myth Vs Reality

Deed Fortuna sits down to create a tale. 300 words

Myth Vs Reality

Deed Fontuna carried his lit candle up the stairs to his study to begin a new tale. As he sat down at his desk, he looked absently out the window. The jungle night was far from silent, but he was used to it by now.

“What shall I write about tonight? Should I retell a myth or look for some reality in my tropical home to write about?” he asked himself.

As he contemplated his choices, he became over-run by ideas. He had to admit he favored myth or fiction over reality for the most part.

“Let’s face it, it’s easier to make up something than make reality interesting,” he said aloud.

Trying to sort through his thoughts made him look about him nearly unseeing. A movement caught his eye. A colorful small lizard seemed to be drawn to his candle flame. As it moved closer to it, Deed could see its shadow in the glass on the wall across from his desk.

“Why it’s enormous! So, unlike its real self,” he murmured. An idea took shape and grew like the shadow. He began to write furiously.

Long hours later, he threw down his pen, laid his head on his desk and fell asleep. When he awoke, he was hungry, cold and had drooled all over his writing. All he could really make out was the title: “When shadow dinosaurs roamed the jungle.”

Too weary to even despair at the probable loss of a good idea, Deed dragged himself up and fell onto his bed to sleep immediately. The tiny lizard crossed his paper with inky feet and made its own statement about his very distant ancestors, which only he could read. As he finished, what was left of the candle fell over onto his work too.

300 WORDS DAILY FLASH 5/1/2025