#ThursThreads - Week 139 - Winners

Week 139 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales. I'm honored to see all of the returning writers and read your stories. Thank you for coming back again and again to write and for helping me celebrate these years of flash. Great thanks to Cara Michaels for judging this week. Be sure to check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on FB to keep up with news, etc.

Entries:

• Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster
• Silver James | @SilverJames_
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Eden Connor | @EdenConnor
• Charlee | @lindorfan
• Cate Derham | @Cate_Derham

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Silver James | @SilverJames_

Cara says: For your characters. Lt. Carter’s foul-mouthed antagonism, Dalton’s defensive anger… the interplay between these two seems destined for a bigger confrontation.

Week 139 Winner

Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster

Cara says: At first, I was ready to pass this story by… but then the reason for Jessica’s excitement emerged. Wrath standing in the shadows, egging on Jessica’s rage made for a super, creepy fun twist. Nicely done!

Jessica loved rodeos. The horses. The bulls. The contests. As she walked through the gate, with her ticket, the man collecting them looked her over good, “This isn’t your first rodeo…”

“No, it’s not,” she gave him a smile.

She sat in the stands, and watched, and waited, hoping for something special to happen.

On that day, she was not disappointed. It happened during the bull rides. A rider, thrown from the bull. The bull got him good. A big hoof planted on his right knee. “Yes!” Jessica leaped to her feet, her video recorder in hand, and zoomed in on the fallen rider. She recorded his fall from grace. The look of agony and fear on his face. The impossible angle at his knee, his lower leg jutting sideways, sticking out.

She had another scene to add to her collection.

“For you, Sis. For you.”

Wrath stood in the shadow of the bull, “It was a cowboy who killed your sister.” He pushed the bull, “Go stomp him more!” He laughed as the bull went wild, and Jessica recorded it all. “If enough of them get torn up, your sister will finally rest in peace.”

Jessica smiled. “For you, Sis. For you.” She hoped he’d never walk without a cane. “Cowboys will pay for what they did.” She hoped there’d be more to record as the day went on. “Let them all bleed, God. All of them. It’s what they deserve.”

Wrath laughed, and laughed.

Congratulations FIVE TIME WINNER Mark, and Silver! Don't forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it!

Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the stories here. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)

 

#ThursThreads - Week 93 - Winners

Week 93 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales. I'm honored to see all of the returning writers and read your stories. Thank you for coming back again and again to write. Great thanks to Veronica Jorden for judging this week. :)

Entries:

• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Silver James | @SilverJames_
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Dee Little
• Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster
• David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
• Nellie Batz | @solimond

Veronica says: Well done everyone! Thank you so much for sharing your stories with me! Happy writing!!

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig

Veronica says: This was another great draw-me-in story. I would love to read more of this tale.

Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
Veronica says: So sweet and so moving. If only we could all see everything this way. The use of the prompt here moved me to tears.

Nellie Batz | @solimond
Veronica says: I love the characters in this one. My favorite line: "Mischief to plan."

Week 93 Winner

Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster

Veronica says: This was a beautiful story. Vivid imagery and it drew me in. To often we forget the amazing and beautiful world around us. When a character gets to see that beauty for the first time it really resonates with me.

The kid looked at his hand, and watched the blood leak from it. I’d tried to warn him, but he hadn’t listened. This was Earth. The world of the humans. Where even the flowers were violent, and dangerous.

I laughed. “Careful, boy.” I pulled a strip of medical tape out of my pocket, and wrapped it around his finger.

“What happened?”

“The humans have a song. Says every rose has its thorn.” I carefully reached into the rosebush, and pulled the stem out into the open. “The song doesn’t lie.” He could see the stem, and the thorns spaced randomly around it. “This is a rose, kid.” I cut the stem, and pulled the rose bloom free, handing it to him.

He studied it. “It’s stunning.”

“Yeah. It is.” I sighed. “Every bit as beautiful as anything in the City of Gold.”

He nodded his head. “Look at the way it’s petals all wind together.” He ran his fingertips across the petals of the rosebud. “They feel like velvet, or silk.”

“They are one of Joshua’s most exquisite creations.”

The kid stared at it. “And yet, it’s filled with thorns.” The kid shook his head. “How? How can this be?”

“This is Earth. Where Lucien and the fallen live.” I looked up at the moon in the star filled sky. “Perhaps Joshua’s greatest creation.” I took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. “It’s beautiful. But it’s flawed. It’s why Joshua trapped Lucien and the fallen here. On Earth.”

Congratulations Three Time Winner Mark, David, Nellie, and Kelly! Don't forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! :)

Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the stories here. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - Week 92 - Winners

Week 92 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales. Sorry for the lateness of this post. I'm getting back on track from the Hot Mojave Knights Romance Reader event and it's a slow process. I'm honored to see all of the returning writers and read your stories. Thank you for coming back again and again to write. Great thanks to Adriana Kraft for judging this week. :)

Entries:

• Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels

Adriana says: I loved the originality and creativity of all these entries. I was intrigued by the difference punctuation makes: Like hell, it is. Like hell it is!

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil

Adriana says: Liked this tale for turning a character's tragedy into a revolution for equality.

Week 92 Winner

Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster

Adriana says: I loved this tale for turning the phrase on its head and plunging us from a conversation between angels to a spaceship making its descent, well done!

“I hear Earth is a beautiful place.”

I looked at the young angel next to me. He bore no scars. The armor on his wings was still polished, and new. He had never been to Earth before. Never faced Lucien’s minions before. Never faced humans before. So, he didn’t know.

“Yeah. It’s pretty enough.”

He smiled. “Tell me about it?”

I kept it simple. “Earth has nights and days. It rotates on its axis. So the sun seems to come up from the horizon every day. And then sink below the horizon later that day. It’s pretty enough. Lots of colors. Pink, orange, yellow, gold.”

“That sounds beautiful.”

“It has oceans of water covering over ⅔ of its surface. Where the oceans meet the land, there are cliffs, and beaches. With rocks and sand.”

“I want to see them. Sunrise, sunset, beaches, cliffs. Can we see them?”

“Yeah, kid. We can see them.”

So innocent. He didn’t know about fear, anger, rage, hatred, bigotry, pride, arrogance, lust. He didn’t know about sin. I sighed. I couldn’t let him go in blind. “There’s something you should know about earth. It’s beautiful, but it’s flawed.”

“Flawed?”

“Ever hear the saying like Hell on Earth?” The kid just stared at me, so I explained. “Lucien and the fallen ones live there. Demons all. Earth itself is not Hell. But like hell it is.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I know, kid. I know. But you will. You will.”

The ship started its descent.

Congratulations Two Time Winner Mark, and Sheilagh! Don't forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! :)

Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the stories here. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - Week 90 - Winners

Week 90 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales. I'm honored to see all of the returning writers and read your stories. Thank you for coming back again and again to write. And welcome to the new folks who stopped by. Great thanks to Jessica E. Subject for judging this week. :)

Entries:

• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
• Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Silver James | @SilverJames_
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Eric Martell | @drmagoo
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
• Dee Martin
• David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
• SJ Maylee | @SJMaylee
• Stacy Bennett-Hoyt | @Rowanwolf66
• Cynthia Hudson Keane | @AuthorCAKeane

Jessica says: First of all, I applaud everyone who participated. Flash fiction can be difficult, and you all did an excellent job.

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir

Jessica says: Great use of senses. This flash really brought me into the scene. I felt like I was right there. And it was unusual for someone to be telling off a vampire. Went against the norm for me, and I really like that. Plus, the ending left me wanting to read more.

Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
Jessica says: It was the twist at the end of this that intrigued me. I love unexpected twists! :)

Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
Jessica says: It was the emotion in this scene that drew me in. I love getting internal thoughts from the POV characters. It brings me inside their head and makes me feel like I'm part of the story.

Week 90 Winner

Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster

Jessica says: I picked this story because it was so clean and crisp. It had everything a short story needs in 250 words, and that is hard to do. Plus, I love the message behind the story.

Arrogance and Pride hid in the shadows between two buildings and watched Simon walk past, on his way to church. Arrogance grinned and Pride reminded him, “Patience, evil one. Patience.”

After Simon passed, the demons followed him, creeping silently between the shadows on the sidewalk, staying out of Simon’s sight. They could feel the delicious anger raging in Simon’s heart.

“He could be the one,” Pride whispered.

“He is the one.” Arrogance replied.

They listened as Simon muttered, “Homos, trying to corrupt my church. I’ll show them.”

Pride and Arrogance fueled Simon’s fire, as they whispered in his ears.

“The nerve of them, thinking we will tolerate their sin!”

“Thinking we don’t know the words of our Lord and Savior.”

“Men sleeping with men is a vile sin. It says so in the word of God!”

Simon went to his office in the church. Pride and Arrogance, hidden in his shadow, followed him. As he reviewed the notes for the lesson he would teach that day, he muttered to himself again, “I cannot let them corrupt God’s children.”

And Arrogance and Pride fueled his anger once again.

“Call them out by name!”

“Tell everyone they will corrupt the church.”

“Unless we remove them.”

In the service, Simon waited impatiently as he sang praises to God and Jesus above, and prayed for God to grant him the strength to do what he had to.

And when he stood before God’s children on that Sunday morning, Arrogance and Pride stood beside him.

Congratulations Two Time Winner Mark, Sheilagh, and Cara! Don't forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! :)

Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the stories here. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - Week 49 - Winners

Week 49 of #ThursThreads had some great tales! Thanks to all who entered this week. I'm honored to see all of you and read your stories. It was great to have our returning regulars and some new faces. Thank you for coming back again and again to write. And great thanks go to Michelle Graham for reading the stories. :)

Entries:

• Kel Heinen | @Aightball
• Antonio Angelo | @AntonioAngelo21 (First Entry)
• Toni Morrow Wyatt | @Toni1777
• Antonio Angelo | @AntonioAngelo21 (Second Entry)
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Sean Adams | @SE_ADAMS_
• Robin Abess | @Angelique_Rider 
• Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon
• @drmagoo
• Susan Hayes | @capricia13
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
• Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster
• Nellie Batz | @solimond
• David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
• H. L. Pauff | @HLPauff

First of all, congratulations to everyone who submitted a story. I participated in my first Thurs Threads last week, and found out it's hard to tell a story in less than 250 words! And at the drop of a hat! You all did a great job, which made my job that much more difficult. The prompt this week led to a common theme throughout the stories - being alone. These tales contained a lot of loneliness, isolation, and despair - three things that set the stage for some fantastic story telling. After some painstaking deliberating, here are my choices:

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

 

  Kel Heinen | @Aightball

Michelle says: This one was heart-wrenching, and a poignant illustration of the reasons people are driven to substances. The main character has lost a great deal and is so overcome by his grief that he finds his solace in the drugs, rather than the person who loves him. It portrays the mind-set beautifully.

Sean Adams | @SE_ADAMS_

Michelle says: I liked how this story showed the human need for companionship, or at least for contact with other people. I love the line, "I long for someone I can hate being around..." Even the most introverted, anti-social members of society still crave the presence of others, even if it takes an apocalyptic event to realize it. The story was well-written, with great descriptive language.
 

Cara Michaels | @caramichaels

Michelle says: When I choose my own reading material, I tend to gravitate towards books with a strong heroine, the kind who takes charge of her own fate rather than waiting for a man to save her. Cara's story has just such a character! The banter between her characters is terrific and she writes with a great voice. Reminds me of my all-time fave authors: Kelley, Kim & Laurell.

Week 49 Winner

Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster

Michelle says: The prompt this week screams for sad tales, but this one was very whimsical, while still using the theme of loneliness. I didn't get the post-script about too much Pixar until just now, because this story definitely reminds me of a Toy Story situation, except with electronics. And when the electronics have a party, it's just like your typical teenage get-together: you have the competitive types, the show-offs, the artsy types, and that one poor kid who doesn't seem to fit in at all. The writer's knowledge of computers and electronics made the narrative strong without getting the reader bogged down with technical terms. An excellent read!

On December 25th, at 0036 hours, the manager of the Best Buy turned on the alarm system and locked the doors. All the employees were spending Christmas Day with their families and friends.

At 0037 hours, the ASUS G75WW lit up. A few seconds later, it belted out, “All clear! Christmas Party time!” Every screen in the store lit up. Laptops, the all-in-ones, smart TVs, smart phones, tablets and music players.

An iPad Mini belted out, “Christmas Tree drawing challenge!” The Android tablets whined, “You have Retina displays!” The Asus Vivo’s answered back, “You don’t hear us whining!” The Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 proclaimed, “It’s about creativity, not pixel counts!", and commenced drawing a tie-died Christmas Tree.

The ultrabooks challenged the G75WW to a speed drawing contest. “We have solid state drives! And Core i7 processors! We’re faster than you!” The G75WW cranked up the volume on the Christmas Music from Pandora. “I got more horsepower than all of you!”. It rendered dazzling images of flowers, forests, waterfalls, and other stuff at staggering speeds.

Through it all, the Chromebook sat on its stand, A sad face on its display. Little pixilated tears tracking down its Google Blue cheeks. “I wish I could have fun with them,” it thought. “But I’m useless without the Internet." After a time the Chromebook thought, “Doesn’t matter. I’m the only one left. Thank God for Sleep Mode,” it thought, as it shut itself down.

Congratulations Mark, Kelly, Sean, and Cara! Claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! :)

Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the stories here. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)