Movie Inspired Flash Fiction #WEP #WEPFF

 I'm absolutely devastated that this is the final WEP flash fiction challenge! I love doing these. Given my own volunteering experience in the writing world though, I can see how it must have been a great deal of work for the team. I am very grateful to have found them and to have enjoyed so many of their challenges over the years. I feel like I've grown as an author by working on flash fiction because of WEP. I learned many lessons that blew my mind. (Such as, even with a strong male name from an Egyptian god, readers still need more context clues to know the gender of a character. It was relevant to the story, but every commenter thought the character was female. Whoops.)

Given that this is the final WEPFF, this is likely the final whole-scene sneak-peek installment of my forthcoming high fantasy story. I could post the drawing of character sizes again. Instead... there's been a commercial playing for a resort near me, and I feel like this ad does a great job showing sizes. Please imagine one brown wolf to be slightly larger and older-looking. 

Origin Story of the Seven

By J Lenni Dorner

Word count: 627 Full Critique Acceptable and VERY WELCOME 😊

Movie Inspiration: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist PG-13 2008 ‧ Comedy/Romance

"How did you become one of the Seven?" Phin Fynn asked between bites.

Monoghan licked his lips. "The free woman who sings the song of happiness went missing. Humans blamed my pack. They were preparing to enter our territory, to cut and burn the forest in search of her or her remains. I went to find her, knowing she was not with us. That was when I met Ellanorah."

"The rogue?" Candra asked as she moved closer.

Monoghan nodded. "I didn't know her. We bonded over a maze that requires specialized movements to traverse. She was on a quest for a certain fluffy bunny. Sounded tasty to me." 

Candra gasped.

Monoghan laughed. "It had unique properties. Magic that brought harmony to those who found it. Those who failed, who found the wrong one, were fated to break societal norms and destroy all of their relationships."

Phin Fynn stomped his feet. "Get back to the good parts!"

"Impatient one. Both the fluffy bunny and the singer were thought to be in a secret keep. Ellanorah walked right in. I could have never gained access without her. We learned there was another keep. Clues were given to get there. When we arrived, Ellanorah left me to fend for myself. She knew someone there, the man to whom she was once betrothed." 

"What?" Candra grabbed Monoghan. "Ellanorah? Bethrothed? Ellanorah the rogue?"

"How is it that you know her name, yet had no idea who I was?" Monoghan asked as he freed himself from her grip.

"Most of the Seven are considered myths. Especially you. Stories parents tell to teach lessons or instill fear. But Ellanorah? She's a hero to the repressed everywhere. A symbol of hope. To suggest she isn't real is to say the world could never be better. Who needs such darkness in their heart and mind?" Candra crossed her arms.

"Right. Well, your symbol of hope was kissing the man. He promised her a blade or something, I wasn't paying much attention. As I was leaving, Ellanorah asked to join my search for the singer."

"Why?" Phin Fynn asked, bouncing on the log where he sat.

Monoghan chewed a piece of meat. "I didn't ask. I was just glad of the company. We found the singer, not in a keep, but in a needle tree. She had been run off by a villager. Learning that the people actually missed her and wanted her back, she agreed to go home. Except now Ellanorah had told her about the fluffy bunny, so she wanted to find it. Bringing harmony to her people, well, that's what the free woman who sings the song of happiness is all about. Instead of going home, she followed our clues, figuring them out for herself after chewing on the riddles alone." 

"You weren't with her?" Candra asked as she poked the fire.

"Not at that moment. Ellanorah wanted to show me the cave where wolves are thought to have originated. A very special place." Monoghan rubbed his cheeks. "Very special."

Candra's eyes widened. Monoghan looked away, staring at the sky with a grin he could not hide.

"What?" Phin Fynn looked back and forth between them. 

They both replied, "Nothing."

"Anyway," Monoghan cleared his throat. "We eventually found her path. She was easy for me to track by then. And sure enough, that led us to the fluffy bunny."

Phin Fynn clapped. "Yay, you both completed your quests. Then what?"

"Ellanorah showed me that the villagers I knew were using me. That I deserved more life than they 

allowed me to have. The quests, I wouldn't miss them. I was missing journeys, trips more important than destinations and goals. Together, we set off to learn more about the world. The other five joined us later." 

It wasn't easy to combine my high-fantasy story with a modern-day romance set in NYC and parts of New Jersey. Honestly, this would have been easier with Existence character Jezebel taking on Norah's role. If you haven't seen this fun film, here's a quick SPOILER HEAVY summary. Nick is heartbroken and trying to get back with his ex. Norah is really into music. Nick is in a (very crappy) band who plays a show, and both Norah and his ex are there. Norah's friend Caroline goes missing. Nick is hoping to find a secret show by the band "Where's Fluffy?" rumored to be in NYC that night. (The band keeps locations a secret, fans have to follow bunny signs and use clues to see them.) Norah also wants to see the show, but Caroline has to be found. They locate her in a Christmas tree 🎄 costume. Nick and Norah eventually hook up at a famous recording studio her dad owns. (Her dad is why she's able to get into every club they search.) She breaks up with a guy who is using her. He gets over his ex. They find "Where's Fluffy?" but decide the real journey is each other. 

I hope you enjoyed this flash fiction based on a movie that is based on a book. 😄

Please check out the WEP site and visit all the others in the hop.

https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/11/wep-december-challenge-over-to-you.html