#ThursThreads - Week 89 - Winners

Week 89 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 CJ Ellisson for judging this week. :)

Entries:

• Cari Oleskewicz | @carilynn72
• Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Lizzie Koch | @Lizzie_Koch
• Sandra Bunino | @SandraBunino
• Terry Crouse | @ducknado
• Theresa Breaux | @theresabreaux
• David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
• Brandon Yusuf Toropov | @BYToropov
• Silver James | @SilverJames_
• Jeff Hollar | @klingorengi
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball

CJ says: Thanks for having me, Siobhan! And may I say, if I was allowed to pick more people I would have. Truly excellent work from all participants! I took a while to pick a winner, and I apologize for the delay. I wanted to give each piece a chance to simmer in my brain and see which one stuck with me the most after a good night's sleep. Siobhan didn't prepare me for how difficult choosing a winner would be! Every single entry has positive points and I'm honored to have been asked to read them.

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Brandon Yusuf Toropov | @ByToropov

CJ says: I was really intrigued with the premise and setting and would LOVE to hear why he killed the father and son.

Jeff Hollar | @klingorengi
CJ says: Sales Pitch: Perhaps it's because I was in commission sales for over a decade, but the idea of a negative (but truthful) pitch for a supernatural PI really got me smiling. The concept reminds me a little of the Dresden Files, which I adore.

Week 89 Winner

Theresa Breaux | @theresabreaux

CJ says: In 250 words she clearly established genre, setting, premise, and feel for the characters and their situation. The reader instantly wants to know what lead to this piece and what will come after it. The resulting story promises action, adventure, intrigue, sexual tension, and possibly an epic battle of good over evil. Bravo!

Lightning

“Record on: Processing Facility 963 on Planet Cromb. Captives usually struggle,” Sandra said aloud. “Subject 1586 seems to enjoy captivity. Standard integration methods have failed. Record off.”

Just breathe.

He could be the one.

She could save him.

He could save the world.

Quickly, she checked her office closet. Her bolt bag was there - ready with everything she needed to escape. Grabbing it, she did a mental check: Data securely encrypted elsewhere - check. Boots for running – check. Weapons – check. Super-secret energy shield that protected two people and would deflect a nuke – check. Food, medic packs, blood stores, ID cards, money, and sundries packed away in a hundred different safe houses – check. Good breakfast and washroom trip – check.

Bag in tow, she went to the cells. She nodded to the well-bribed guards as they left for an “authorized” break. She had five minutes.

Just breathe.

“Hello, Dr. McCombs.” The soft voice from the shadows tickled her ears.

“I know what you are, that you were hurt. You came here on purpose – to heal.”

“What do you want, Sandra? A tame demon for your war?” Blue orbs glowed in the dark.

“No,” she whispered, “A free Lightning Elemental to destroy all who oppose him.”

Silence.

“Your offer?”

“Me: body and blood - for the duration.”

He snorted.

“I’m fertile – only woman in over six thousand kliks,” she said shivering. “You’ll have progeny.”

“Then, I can help you,” she heard.

Static electricity crawled cross her skin as the lights went out.

Congratulations Three Time Winner Theresa, Silver, Cynthia, and Jeff! 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 84 - Winners

Week 84 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 BA Tortuga for judging this week. :)

Entries:

• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
• Daniel Swensen | @surlymuse
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Jessica West | @West1Jess
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Theresa Breaux | @theresabreaux
• Dr. Magoo | @drmagoo
• Charley S. | @Charley_001
• Dr. Mike Reddy | @DoctorMikeReddy
• The Imaginator | @theimaginator20
• Sandra Bunino | @SandraBunino
• David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
• Cynthia Hudson Keane | @AuthorCAKeane
• Ben Miller | @NomDeBen

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Cynthia Hudson Keane | @AuthorCAKeane

B.A. says: I can't resist a chick with a Glock. It's a kink.

Daniel Swensen | @surlymuse

B.A. says: I love a good creepy scene and this one's got a wicked hook.

Ben Miller | @NomDeBen

B.A. says: Took me back to my childhood and gave me a giggle. :D

Week 84 Winner

Theresa Breaux | @theresabreaux

B.A. says: I chose this one because she managed to create a setting, a kick ass character, and a recognizable story in 250 words. I'd totally read this book. :D

The raucous crowd refused allaying. Demands of blood rose to screams for Jesse’s head as punishment for the crime. Six shots in the air from the judges’ gun got the crowd’s attention.

Jesse stared at his black clad executioner.

“Ya’ll know how this gon’ go, son?” drawled the old man as he holstered his weapon and glared at the crowd. Jesse glanced around and shrugged. Pinched and hungry faces stared back. With no money and no food, a grisly death rated high as entertainment.

“Yeah,” Jesse said weakly. “Stole water. Means the death penalty.”

The executioner mounted his horse and waved to the crowd. They roared back. The judge took out his gun again.

Silence.

“One question,” Jesse said. “Do I get a head start?”

Laughter filled the air. The executioner shrugged and nodded.

The judge walked over and took off Jesse’s chains. “I’m sorry, son,” he said.

“Don’t be,” Jesse said. “I got him right where I want him.”

Confused, the judge stumbled back. Jesse turned to the city gate. He took a deep breath then sprinted for the wilderness.

Hoof beats drew closer.

Jesse ran harder. He stopped dead at a scrub of brush. Turning back, he smiled as a sniper’s shot picked the executioner out of the saddle.

“How much this one worth?” asked his partner, Grant, from the brush.

“Two mil. Dead or alive.”

“Let’s go home,” Grant said. “We can finally retire.”

“And do what?” Jesse asked.

Grant shrugged.

“Let’s go home,” Jesse laughed.

Congratulations Two Time Winner Theresa, Cynthia, Daniel, and Ben! 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 72 - Winners

Week 72 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales! Thanks to all who came to write yesterday. 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 I'm delighted to see new writers stopping by. Great thanks go to Scott Nova for reading the stories.

Entries:

• Kimberly Gould | @Kimmydonn
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
• Charley S | @charley_001
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Silver James | @SilverJames_
• Rebecca R Kovar | @RRKovar
• Dr. Magoo | @drmagoo
• The Imaginator | @theimaginator20
• Lizzie Koch | @lizzie_loodles
• Theresa Breaux | @theresabreaux

Scott says: This was really awesome to do, I enjoyed the stories a lot! :)

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

 

Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil

Scott says: I liked the mystery of what exactly was going on with the male's mind and his alter ego. That was very intriguing to me.

Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
Scott says: Cara's story...Well that's brutally obvious for me, it's about Lycans :) and just the way it was written sounded like it would be a kickass story so far.

Silver James | @SilverJames_
Scott says: Silver James' story was interesting because of how the brunette got the upper hand on the blonde because Roman was one of "hers" and if felt as if she was his controller. Which sounded really cool.
 

Week 72 Winner

Theresa Breaux | @theresabreaux

Scott says: I loved this story of the human assassin getting the upper hand on the vampire. I love the vampire mythos as much as the next person, but it is great to see the humans winning the epic battle that always continues till the end of time.

Job's Done

Jen spat blood and tested the links that chained her to the chair. She made a show of running her tongue over her teeth to test their looseness. She looked up to her captor who readied to deliver a second blow.

“You will die tonight,” the vampire spat. The creature made a show of descending her fangs. Jen rolled her eyes.

“Sophie? You know,” Jen said casually, “That trapping me in my own home was a bad idea right?”

“I will feast on your blood. Tomorrow, I’ll bring your corpse to master as a prize,” Sophie purred as she rocked Jen’s body with another punch.

“Your Master?” Jen wheezed as she glanced as the clock and the shuttered windows. “Venari? That’s what this is all about?” Blood dribbling from her nose, she laughed weakly. “Jeez. You’re just jealous! Wow! Look lady, he came to my house to order a hit not hit on me.”

“You’re an assassin?” Sophie asked with a laugh. “A puny human like you?”

Jen joined her in laughter as she watched the clock. A faint alarm went off in another room. Jen continued to laugh as the shutters opened automatically and daylight poured into the room. She giggled as the vampire went up in flames.

Jen twisted her wrist and slipped out of the chains. Getting up, she wiped her nose on her sleeve and dug her cellphone from her purse at the front door. She dialed quickly and smiled when the line connected.

“It’s done.”

Congratulations Theresa, Sheilagh, Cara, 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 56 - Winners

Week 56 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales! Thanks to all who came to write in the second year of the challenge. I'm honored to see all of the returning and read your stories. Thank you for coming back again and again to write. And it was also great to see some new 'faces' joining us. Great thanks go to Theresa Breaux for reading the stories. :)

Entries:

• J.P. Sloan | @J_P_Sloan
• Jeffrey Hollar | @klingorengi
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Antonio Angelo | @AntonioAngelo21
• Mary Papas | @MaryPapas2
• Robin Abess | @Angelique_Rider
• Rebekah Postupak | @postupak
• Kayla West | @bookwormattack
• Rebecca Brennan | @bexbrennan
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir 
• Mark Ethridge | LurchMunster
• H.L. Pauff | @hlpauff 
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball  
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

 

H.L. Pauff | @hlpauff

Theresa says: A powerful telling of a true hero's story. Jak knows all the right things to say to his officers yet he seeks out the truth. For all his implants and medical advances, he's still far too human and smart enough to hide it.

Rebekah Postupak | @postupak

Theresa says: Every kid wishes they got away with this one! Ben's well thought out defiance made me laugh out loud!

Week 56 Winner

J.P. Sloan | @J_P_Sloan

Theresa says: Gritty, hard, and awesome. The portrayal of the future in this story is bleak with the grip on hope that nothing can shake. Colby and Tony stand in the face of danger and prove that things will get better; they have to in order to survive not just physically but mentally. A perfect telling. I'd love to see this in a short story!

Tony rapped his knuckles on Colby's helmet. "You can get up now."

"Give me a minute," Colby rasped as she spit a black mix of dust and benzene into the trench. "Sumbitch stings."

Tony grunted as he peered over the trench. "Yep. Still burnin'."

Colby wiped her eyes and coughed before straightening up. Tony offered her his canteen. She swigged a mouthful of water, swished and spit. "Virginia Seventeenth?"

"Probably. Bastards love their firebombs, don't they?"

Colby cracked her neck and looked over the vinyl coping onto the wasteland. A wide swath of charred earth crackled with waves of superheated air. The skeletons of buildings warped in the distance, black girders bent and melting.

"Damn. I used to ski here."

Flak cannons pounded over the next mountain as the air rumbled with Eastern drop-jet engines. Tony snagged his canteen back and tucked it under his pack.

"Can't picture you in a snowsuit, Colby. Eerie as hell."

"Didn't used to be a war, you know."

The sky glowed with a red fireball as the Western flak rounds made contact with a drop-jet.

Tony shrugged. "Yeah." He shifted and asked, "Got any of that jerky left?"

Colby fished a slice of meat from her thigh pocket and handed it over, her hand trembling.

Tony gave Colby a long look before squeezing her hand and taking the jerky.

"There's gonna be snow again," he muttered.

"Someday."

They watched in silence as the jet wreckage fell over Denver.

Congratulations J.P., H.L., and Rebekah! 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 - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 56

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked, and a whole new year of #ThursThreads flash fiction. So let's get started. It's Thursday again, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 56 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Need the rules? Read on!

Here's how it works:

• The prompt is a line from the previous week's winning tale.
• The prompt can appear ANYWHERE in your story and is included in your word count.

Rules to the Game:

• This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250.
• Incorporate the prompt as written anywhere into your story (included in your word count).
• Post your story in the comments section of this post
• Include your word count (or be excluded from judging)
• Include your Twitter handle or email (so we know how to find you)
• The challenge is open 7 AM to 7 PM Pacific Time
• The winner will be announced on Friday, depending on how early the judge gets up. ;)

How it benefits you:

• You get a nifty cool badge to display on your blog or site (because we're all about promotion - you know you are!)
• You get instant recognition of your writing prowess on this blog!
• Your writing colleagues shall announce and proclaim your greatness on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus

Our Judge for Week 56:

The Steampunk maven, sci-fi fan, and #flashfiction author, Theresa Breaux.

Theresa on Facebook

Theresa on Twitter

So now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“You can get up now.”

All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck! :)