I’m back in business though I have a lot yet to download and sort to the new hard drive after it failed on me last week!! (my files were saved!)
I am too late for Monochrome Madness but here is my Week 4 of Robyn Gosby’s Challenge. Be sure to check out all the wonderful submissions. This is the last chapter of Bonnie’s adventures.
I used a glow, a multilens filter and an overlay to give it a touch of an abstract dreaminess (or nightmare for some!).
A Night in the Garden
Bonnie was still lying there on the table as the shadow of evening quietly slid over the back lawn. An orchestra of crickets somewhere near the back gate began to tune their instruments but never quite progressed to a full blown melody. A mother racoon made her way across the lawn with a small train of babies following her. There were six in all including the caboose who threatened to derail them all by sniffing out a few fallen crumbs under the picnic table. The mother stopped patiently to give him a stern look and he took his place again as they disappeared around the side of the house in the direction of the goldfish pond.
Bonnie could hear the stars singing as they winked into life and there was one that streaked across the sky in the note of high C. She was sure it had fallen close by. The climbing white roses lit up on the arched trellis that led into the lower garden, and everything was humming with stardust. There had even been a small explosion as the star hit the earth because immediately afterward, a cloud of glowing embers rose up and began to dart here and there. Of course they were fire flies, but Bonnie couldn’t differentiate them from pieces of stars. She smiled in delight and didn’t mind at all that she had been left outside.
During the night Little Miss dreamed she heard Bonnie laughing outside her window and first thing she did in the morning was run out into the garden to look for her. She was overjoyed to find the tiny figure still there and told her how sorry she was to have abandoned her out in the cold all night. As they went back into the house and through the hallway Bonnie heard the canary singing from the library. He had been captured after all and his cage put in a room where the windows were always kept closed. In spite of this he still hopped and sang a greeting. It seemed he had forgotten all about his glorious moment in the sun though Bonnie thought his song had a wistful air to it.
All Bonnie’s friends were happy to see her safe and sound. Cowslip had one less tear on her cheek, Buttercup smiled broadly and Bluebell sucked her thumb contentedly. By the evening Bonnie’s glorious night out in the garden was forgotten too, as everyone in the house gathered in the parlour to listen to Little Miss playing “Twinkle twinkle little star” on the old piano.
week 4- voted #1
week 1
________________________________________________
the runes of the gatekeeper's daughter- dedicated to Nick 
Love the imagery of the crickets’ orchestra!
LikeLike
Thank you Lizzie!!
LikeLike
Love this edit, though my favourite is week 1. 🙂 Your writing is just gorgeous – I especially love the description of the star streaking across the sky in high C, though all of the descriptions are quite sublime. I’m glad Bonnie enjoyed her night in the garden. 🙂
LikeLike
Again thank you!! your comment really encourages me to keep writing!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is all so beautiful and very creative!
LikeLike
thanks so much Valerie, a fun challenge!
LikeLike
Oh such a happy night in the garden, filled with delights! ..and such wonderful and gifted story telling. Thank you for sharing this in our challenge 😀
Your image is so mysterious this week and they all lived happily ever after!
LikeLike
What a wonderful comment Robyn and much appreciated!!! Thank you!!
LikeLike
Its truly a pleasure 😃😃
LikeLike
I think you could make a great series of short stories for children, your characters are so lovely and entertaining, I could read over and over about their adventures. Cowslip, Buttercup, Bonnie…I love the names, so warm and friendly, they draw the reader into the vortex of your storytelling.
As for the images, I voted for week 4. They are all so lovely, it was hard to choose. Week 4 has that magical glow so characteristic for your images, so I went with that.
Such a great work, both the story and the images. Hope you continue to include the stories in this One Four Challenge.
LikeLike
thank you so much Lore! I got so many people thinking the dolls were creepy!! 😀 I can understand that! But I liked them and the story was so much fun to do!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really don’t find them creepy. Especially with the story, it helped me visualise yur characters.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stunning post and I love the dolls so much … Very spooky!~ . Thanks for sharing Cybele… All my best wishes to you!~ Aquileana 😀
LikeLike
Thank you so much Aquileana!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A magical night under the stars – I’m a little envious of her adventure 🙂
LikeLike
thanks so much Andrea!!! Your comments mean a lot!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This one is really surreal!
LikeLike
lol!! My spooky dolls!!! thanks Maria!
LikeLike
Love your imagery!! Lovely and enchanting storytelling and photo!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
thank you!
LikeLike
Welcome back 🙂 It was really hard to choose! I voted Week 2 but it’s splitting hairs because they really are all wonderful.
LikeLike
thanks so much!! I always appreciate your feedback Laura. This was a hard one as so many thought it was “creepy.” But I had to slog on and try to finish it with this week’s process. Truly for me this time around it was the story that I worked on and I am fairly happy with that aspect. But the porcelain face was not a hit with everyone lol!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think creepy is good. Dolls can have that look about them especially in that soft light. I think if you evoke a reaction, it’s a good thing. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ohhh the orchestra of crickets! I chose week 3 in the poll 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Christy!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such an interesting gallery of images. I chose Number 2 for its monochrome tones and close up that filled the frame in a somewhat disturbing way. Great job 🙂
LikeLike
thanks so much for stopping by and voting Andrew!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am going with Week 3. I think the subject matter suits the sepia tones and old time look.
LikeLike
thank you for voting!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello Cybele! Glad you got back from limbo, so tiresome when we have to use old slow computers when trying to write on W.P. I enjoyed this edit, but really loved the third one, which I voted for. I’d like your permission to pdf your story to read if off line if you don’t mind. In the meantime don’t work too hard!
LikeLike
of course!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
PS and thanks so much Bastet!!
LikeLike
What a creative, dreamy edit in week 4. Definitely my favourite and in sync again with your story. Lovely.
LikeLike
thanks so much Chris!! This post doesn’t seem as popular as the others but I quite like it!! lol.
LikeLike
Still creepy but less so this week, I like the softer sparkly tones but why is the image now divided up into three with two lines across her face?
LikeLike
Thank you! It’s just a multi lens effect giving it a through the window look as per the story!! The photos really are part of my little tales and I don’t know which comes first- sometimes the image, sometimes the tale!!
LikeLike
I think this may be the creepiest image so far. And I’ve really enjoyed the story, but can’t help feeling a little sad for the canary. Some beautiful writing and imaginative photo editing 🙂
LikeLike
It’s funny that a lot of people find the doll face creepy but some love it!! 😀 ! Thanks for the lovely comment on the story!!
LikeLike
PS: I love ghost stories involving dolls!! brrhahah
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can’t pick a favorite – they’re very different from one another. Thank you for putting all four together in this post. It shows how much you can change the whole mood of a photo with a creative touch (and a few cool filters).
LikeLike
thank you hugely Ann!!
LikeLike
Dreamy abstract calls it right! Love your little story. The music from Frozen is so pretty. I wonder how long that song has been around (Twinkle Twinkle) because I was taught it as a toddler and I go waaayy back! 😉 ❤
LikeLike
thanks so much Linda. I especially love that people have enjoyed the story!! Yes Mozart wrote piano variations on it when he was a child but I think it’s very old!!
LikeLike
It’s lovely Cybele 🙂 I’m rather sad that the canary is back in his cage. Perhaps you can arrange a flight to freedom again for him and he can sing along with the twinkling stars 🙂
LikeLike
awww, I just didn’t want him to get eaten by a crow!! lol. I just added a poll as I’m a bit distracted with all the pc problems I had this last while.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh it’s a bit of nightmare isn’t it!!! Our home server died a couple of weeks ago and Simon’s still trying to get the network running properly again. I think a canary could enchant a crow with its pretty colour and song 😉
LikeLike
yes to soothe the savage heart!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is lovely. Week four is definitely my favorite. Very creative, very nicely done!
LikeLike
thank you Joanne- I forgot to add the poll and I just did!! ( I’ve had pc problems this last week so trying to catch up)!!
LikeLike
This image is my favorite of the 4. I’m glad she had a nice adventure in the garden.
Hope you computer issues get resolved today without any problems.
LikeLike
Thanks so much Circ,! yes I am plugging away as we speak!!! and trying to catch up too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a sensuous garden full of delights. I loved every word of this supremely original piece of writing, Cybele, my particular favourites being the orchestra of crickets tuning their instruments and the star streaking across the sky in high C. That multilens and overlay effect works just perfectly.
LikeLike
what a wonderful comment Sarah!! I am so pleased you enjoyed it!! Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person