Hi everyone,
the story is below the photo but to those who write Friday Fictioneers stories, do you hate having to log into the Inlinkz site every week to get the code for the “blue frog” button? There is an easier way.
The code is always the same. The only difference is the six-digit number in it. If you save the code in a word document, you can reuse it every week, only changing those six digits. You find them by clicking on the blue frog on Rochelle’s post. The Inlinkz URL looks this:
http://new.inlinkz.com/luwpview.php?id=497352
Those last six digits are the unique numbers for this week’s group.
Here is the code (at least if you have blog through WordPress; the others are slightly different). Replace those six digits with the new ones and it’s good for the new week.
<!– start InLinkz script –>
<a href=”http://new.inlinkz.com/luwpview.php?id=497352″ rel=”nofollow”><img style=”border: 0;” src=”http://www.inlinkz.com/img/wp/wpImg.png” alt=”” />
Maybe you already do that, but it’s just a quick way to save a step when you’re trying to get your story up and start being read.
Frostymandias
I cut through Pine Park and came across a slushy stump, the remnant of our winter tyrant, Frostymandias.
After months of winter, people cried out for relief and with the perversity of frost-bitten minds, we made the thing we loathed: a god of ice so that we could beg him in person to leave.
Offerings of icicles were stuck anonymously in the snow, but Frostymandias only glared down, laughing at our puny supplication. He was cold, biting, eternal.
But then spring came.
* * *
A bird landed on the stump and dropped some grass: a toupee for a bald and melting god.
The Green-Walled Tower 
March 11th, 2015 at 9:18 am
I think that’s a fitting end for Frostymandias. Lovely story David, and thanks for that tip. I had copied the inlinkz code but hadn’t noted where the new number came from. That’s useful.
March 11th, 2015 at 7:46 pm
Thanks, Sandra. Hopefully it’ll be useful.
March 11th, 2015 at 10:01 am
I have a feeling that Frostymandias will only take a watery hiatus and come back taking his revenge on the poor birds with a breath laced with icicles….
March 11th, 2015 at 7:45 pm
Give him a few months. He never stays away for long, at least not in these latitudes.
March 11th, 2015 at 11:24 am
“a toupee for a bald and melting god”..that made me laugh.
March 11th, 2015 at 7:44 pm
It seemed fitting. 🙂
March 11th, 2015 at 7:49 pm
Fitting…ahahaha…good one 😉
March 11th, 2015 at 12:02 pm
Great last line!
March 11th, 2015 at 7:43 pm
Thanks. 🙂
March 11th, 2015 at 1:01 pm
Take that Frostymandias! Of him, nothing remains. At least not in my front yard….
March 11th, 2015 at 7:43 pm
There’s only a few small mounds in my front yard now, though they’ll be gone by the end of the week, I’m sure. It was a quick transformation.
March 11th, 2015 at 4:35 pm
Love that last line and Frostymandias is on the run here. Thanks for the InLinkz hint. Signing in IS a pain.
janet
March 11th, 2015 at 7:42 pm
No problem. 🙂 He’s almost done here too. Just a few lumps left.
March 11th, 2015 at 5:00 pm
I’m no fan of Frostymandias, so I’m glad to see him fall. I love how you described this, and I can well see myself making fruitless offerings to the balding God.
March 11th, 2015 at 7:35 pm
It has suddenly gotten very spring-like here in only a few short days so that’s what inspired it. Hope for everyone stuck in winter’s clutches. 🙂
March 11th, 2015 at 10:05 pm
This was a wonderful and delightful read. There is hope for spring. Suppose to be in the 70’s here next week (low 70’s).
March 11th, 2015 at 10:18 pm
Wow, that’s great. It was almost 10 Celsius here today, about 50 F, but that’s wonderfully warm after months below zero.
March 12th, 2015 at 3:48 am
That’s wonderful! Months of below zero weather would be hard to tolerate.
March 12th, 2015 at 4:08 am
Dear David,
The last line made me laugh. As I read, we are joyfully experiencing springlike weather. Melt Frostymandias, die!
Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
March 12th, 2015 at 11:02 pm
Thanks, Rochelle. I think I chose the most non-controversial subject this week and all commenters crowd around like angry villagers to cheer the death of the monster. I’ll have to take an opposite next week and try to get angry comments. 🙂
March 12th, 2015 at 4:10 am
Dear David,
An inspired title for your winter’s tale. I can see the lone and level grass stretching far away.
Aloha,
Doug
March 12th, 2015 at 11:01 pm
Thank you, Doug. I’m sure you don’t get a ton of snow in Hawaii but it’s nice here to have it gone. Now, we just have bare fields stretching out all around town until they put in another crop of tiny corn plants in. And so the cycle continues.
Take care,
David
March 12th, 2015 at 6:00 am
What a fun little story, and a great name for the god. Welcome, spring!
March 12th, 2015 at 10:59 pm
Yes, very welcome. 🙂
March 12th, 2015 at 8:01 am
The little bird’s victory over the mighty god: a great tale. He’ll be back, but there’s always the hope that he can be beaten again.
March 12th, 2015 at 10:54 pm
It’s one of those struggles that never ends, very yin/yang, at least in northern latitudes. Even if I get tired of the cold sometimes, I do enjoy the several months with no mosquitoes every year. 🙂
March 12th, 2015 at 1:59 pm
Frostymandias, I have a new name for winter (not that it applies to me in my neck of the woods)! What a fitting end for the melting god. This reads like poetry. Great, original story!
March 12th, 2015 at 10:50 pm
Thanks, Amy. I saw a stump and that’s what came to mind, although the melting snow outside our house helped too. Our lawn appeared in about 24 hours, although the world is much browner and muddier now than before.
March 12th, 2015 at 3:03 pm
Winter’s king in March: “Look on my works, ye Mighty… and… oops, well, never mind…” With a hint of Arnold… “I’ll be back.” I really enjoyed this.
March 12th, 2015 at 10:48 pm
Thanks, Kimberly. I don’t mind if he’s back, but not until at least November. 🙂
March 12th, 2015 at 4:55 pm
Frostymandias is a great name for a bald and melting god – spring is certainly in the air
March 12th, 2015 at 10:47 pm
It is here, which I am thankful for. Hopefully March doesn’t have any more cold surprises for us.
March 12th, 2015 at 5:31 pm
And then spring came – my favorite line. You write so well David.
March 12th, 2015 at 10:46 pm
Thanks, my friend. 🙂
March 13th, 2015 at 6:54 am
Look upon my works, ye … damn it!
March 13th, 2015 at 10:39 pm
Pretty much. Frosty makes for a pretty crappy idol.
March 13th, 2015 at 4:24 pm
An enchanting story. To make a god of the thing you hate so that you can ask it to leave is such a clever thought. Great ending.
March 13th, 2015 at 10:37 pm
Thanks Margaret. I’m glad he left finally.
March 13th, 2015 at 8:17 pm
It’s been so long since I actually worked my way through the FF pile that I forgot that there were certain blogs where I was always guaranteed a quality read. Dave your blog is one of these gems. When I read your stories I get a similar satisfaction to that experienced when dining at a good restaurant – the taste is excellent and I feel nourished. 🙂
March 13th, 2015 at 10:37 pm
Wow, thanks so much! I appreciate that. I feel bad that I don’t have enough time to read many FF stories either but we do what we can. Stop by anytime. 🙂
March 14th, 2015 at 12:43 am
I love the whimsey and myth here… and Frostymandias is such a perfect name for a God of this distinction!
Strangely, I’ve never had to sign in to upload my story. I simply click on the frog, on Rochelle’s page, each week… and the rest is simple Simon. Not sure what it works for me, but glad it does! Wonderful story this week, Dave.
March 14th, 2015 at 7:53 pm
Glad you liked the title. It seemed to fit. As for the logging in, that is just to get the code to put the blue frog on your own blog post, not to add your link to the group (luckily). They’ve recently made people register and sign in to get the code, although as I said, it’s not necessary.
March 15th, 2015 at 10:59 am
Ahh, ok, yes; I misunderstood. Also, in my comment, I was not so much saying that I like the title (I do) but that the name for the God, Frostymadias, is creative and whimsical. 😉
March 15th, 2015 at 9:14 am
Wonderful! I love that they created him in order to beg him–and great name for the god–gives us a hint that his demise is imminent!
March 15th, 2015 at 4:18 pm
Clever tale, David.
And much less confusing than your wee blue froggy stuff that completely mystified AnIlliterateElephant.
March 15th, 2015 at 10:11 pm
Well, the story was the important part. Ignore everything else. 🙂
March 16th, 2015 at 6:17 pm
That last line took me to a welcome direction. I can’t wait for sunny days. Off with his head!
March 16th, 2015 at 8:39 pm
Me too. It was actually 22C here today. I think that’s in the 70s in Fahrenheit. When spring comes, it sometimes comes really fast. 🙂
March 17th, 2015 at 10:28 am
Great descriptive writing, I could feel the cold brrr. Loved your title too. Well done.
Dee
March 17th, 2015 at 5:32 pm
Thanks, Dee.
March 17th, 2015 at 9:08 pm
I think many people who have lived through this past bad winter would like to take a crack at Frostymandias. Lovely little tale about the promise of spring. Alicia
March 17th, 2015 at 10:12 pm
Thanks, Alicia. Yes, I agree. It was nice and spring-like here for the last week, although today was a bit chilly. I guess March is Frostymandias’s death rattle.
March 22nd, 2015 at 12:03 am
great one.