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Message from the Underground · Original Short Story ·
Organised by RogerDodger
Word limit 2000–8000
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What Comes with Spring
Fics
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#1 ·
· · >>GroaningGreyAgony
The photo provides a wonderful sense of mystery via the title and the incongruence of a letter nestled amongst plants. The letter's earth tones contrast well with the plain greens, as well as the rumpled texture of the letter smattered with dirt. The seal likewise gives the correspondence a certain gravitas, like this is from someplace important (perhaps a certain wizarding school?).

My only complaints involve the stone wall in the back, as it seems a little too close to the letter's color and risks making the letter's contrast with the plants a little more diminished. The angle of the shot likewise made it a little confusing about whether this was taken at a sharp angle or closer to the ground at initial glance. I only figured out the stone was a wall and not a sidewalk from the pipe poking out from the 11 o'clock of the letter.
#2 ·
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I love it when photographers take the time to create props. Great envelope and seal! Libertydude said most of what needs to be said. This belongs in the upper tier; thanks for creating it!
#3 ·
· · >>GroaningGreyAgony
There’s a strong sense of mystery here born of the letter and the title. I assume this must be a love letter. We don’t truly know though. But there is much room for interpretation.
#4 ·
· · >>GroaningGreyAgony
In which we grow letters.

Thanks to the prompt, I now think that the message is literally from the underground (either by someone from underground or if we're actually growing letters), so I am more optimistic and bright-eyed than usual than I guess the others here for this pic. Even the wall/sidewalk problem libertydude pointed out just turns it into a flickering illusion for me which is another bonus point.

Yup! Nice job! Thanks for this.
#5 · 1
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>>libertydude, >>CoffeeMinion, >>Comma Typer

What Comes with Spring

Thanks for the comments and the fics!

I thought of a letter being delivered to the surface from below, and originally wanted it to be in flames, but this was a bit much considering the doom-volcano. I wound up making an envelope from parchment paper and a seal crafted from Sculpey with golden powder inlaid, and took a torch to it gently.

I took a number of shots on the rainy day before the contest closed with indifferent results, but got this shot on the sunny morning after, an hour before the deadline. The foreground plants are hostas, reappearing in front of my house in time for spring.