With a daughter named Autumn, you might not be surprised that this is my favorite season. I also love the Fall Writing Frenzy contest, where we can write a flash piece inspired by lovely autumnal and spooky images. This is my third year participating.

Here is the image that inspired my 200-word flash fiction, “A Dash of Roadside Magic.”

A Dash of Roadside Magic

I flutter onto the back of a wheeled machine, parked on the side of the road. My red sugar maple leaf dress was too easy to spot playing hide-and-seek in the golden leaf forest. This time, I found the perfect hiding place across the yellow line in the road.

I snicker. No one will ever look for a nature fairy next to a smoky human machine.

Through the open window, a girl’s voice reaches me. “I hate dressing up. None of this stuff is real.”

Another girl speaks up. “You’re wrong, sissy. Witches, fairies, magic, it’s all real.”

A tall human steps back from the front of the machine. I inch away as he approaches the window.

“I’m not sure we’re gonna make the Halloween party.”

One girl cheers. The other sniffles. My heart quivers.

Magic isn’t real, huh?

I fly to where smoke fills the air. Taking a pinch of fairy dust from my acorn necklace, I sprinkle it onto the hot metal. The smoke vanishes.

I soar back to the window and giggle as two pairs of eyes latch onto me and widen.

The smaller girl gasps then turns to the other with a smug expression. “Told ya.”

Thanks for reading! A huge shoutout to the hosts and judges for this contest: Kaitlyn Sanchez (@kaitlynleann17.bsky.social), Lydia Lukidis (@lydialukidis.bsky.social), and Aixa Pérez-Prado (@professoraixa.bsky.social). Thank you also to all of the generous donors.

Plus, a special THANK YOU to Lydia for providing sound clips of the images and to my agent sib, Brandy Bellittera, for her helpful feedback.

Good luck to this year’s contestants!!