#ThursThreads - Week 95 - Winners

Week 95 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 it was wonderful to have some new faces. Welcome! Great thanks to Courtney Sheets for judging this week. :)

Entries:

• Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
• Greg Nance | @acenance
• Cari Oleskewicz | @Carilynn72
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
• Silver James | @SilverJames_ 
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Sandra Bunino | @SandraBunino
• David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
• Stacey Greene | @RoryBrazen

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Cara Michaels | @caramichales

Courtney says: I enjoyed the playful nature of the segment and I'm a hard sell on werewolves. It was fun to read and made want to know what happens next.

Sandra Bunino | @SandraBunino
Courtney says: I enjoyed the underlining angst and subtle ness to the segment. I felt there was so much more to explore with that one.

Silver James | @SilverJames_
Courtney says: I loved her hard-as-nails heroine who faced down this creature who once was obviously her love. I would love to what comes next and how she saves him from this fate

Week 95 Winner

Greg Nance | @acenance

Courtney says: I enjoyed how in such a short allotment of words he was able to create an entire world. The descriptive nature of the segment really painted picture in my mind. Also I liked how the prompt use felt organic and not forced into place.

Perfect Circle

I quietly gazed out the window across the hazy shades of the garden that we once cared for as one. Flowers once bloomed brilliant blues and reds and heavenly white from nothing more than our love and care, but the lilies are all faded, the ‘bells are dead and the roses weep crimson upon the walking stones.

The birds no longer sing happy melodies from the trellis gate, but now hop quietly across the ground preying on the innocent and ignorant. Our sanctuary is a grey shade of death, maligned with hate. I killed the flowers. Their beautiful blooms were my casualties as their stems stand as a legion of corpses from my uncaring and disregard.

The bottle tastes good. It always does, now. A smile twists its way upon my face, but not everything to smile about is nice. The keys in my pocket carry me away. I see the ironic headline in tomorrow’s paper in my head, “Drinking Driver Kills Drunk Driver Who Killed His Wife.”

Clanging keys against my bars wake me from my dream. My past. “Get up, prisoner. It’s moving day.”

Glaring through groggy eyes, I ask, “Moving where? This place is mine.”

Without a word, the guard opened the door and dragged me toward death row. Finally, an end I could live with.

Congratulations Three Time Winner Greg, Cara, Sandra, 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 94 Halloween Spooktacular - Winners

Week 94 Halloween Spooktacular 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 it was wonderful to have some new faces. Welcome! Great thanks to Cara Michaels for judging this week. :)

Entries:

• Greg Nance | @acenance
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Laurel Cremant | @LaurelCremant
• Eric Martell | @drmagoo
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
• Silver James | @SilverJames_
• Stacey Greene | @RoryBrazen
• David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
• Charley S. | @Charley_001
• Ruth Long | @bullishink

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Eric Martell | @drmagoo

Cara says: The world implied in this story is epic. I would love to see this developed and learn more about this resurrection exam.

Silver James | @SilverJames_
Cara says: Sigh. Sinjun… Sorry, what was I saying? Sade’s anxious presence plays well against Sinjun’s soothing one. And then there’s the ending… Sigh.

Week 94 Winner

Greg Nance | @acenance

Cara says: Creepy tale with a consistent pace and voice; well done. You gave just enough clarity to the bits of action and conversation to have me wondering if the narrator was just crazy or if something more was going on.

into the dark

i sit here in the quiet of my room, but the voices in my head give me no rest. memories. sweet memories. they feel like velvet, or silk, as if I could drink them with milk.

sweat pours from my brow as i fight against the buckles that bind my wrists and ankles, as well as the shackles that struggle to keep my sanity in its place. my friends gather ‘round. and over there my sweet dog. “hello, puppy.” i smile.

shadows creep across the floor, claiming my space. “get away, demon! this place is mine.” but it continues to inch forward, a bit closer with every red hand’s tick. my friends seem more sinister in the dark. i can only hear their voices now. laughing. mocking. plotting.

my dog starts to growl. “are you hungry, boy?” i ask with a quiver in my voice, as i hear him pawing closer to my bound legs. claws clicking against the floor in an unnatural cadence until his hot breath rolls across my face like a tropical storm off the ocean.

“insanity is inexpensive and has an inexhaustible supply. it keeps coming, no matter which corner you hide.” at least, that’s what bill said from across the room, as he lit another cigarette.

the lights burn my eyes as the door swings open into my room with an occupancy of one. “dinner time,” the man chuckles as he brings me tidings of red, blue and white joy.

i guess i could sleep.

Congratulations Two Time Winner Greg, Eric, 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 14 - Winners

Week Fourteen 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. And it was great to have some returning "faces" join us again. Huge thank you to judge Tory Michaels for reading through all of them.

Entries:

• Nicole Wolverton | @nicolewolverton
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
• Lisa McCourt Hollar | @jezri1
• Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon
• Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi 
• Maureen | @Emyrldlady
• Greg Nance | @acenance
• Charles W Jones | @ChuckWesJ
• Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman
• Kimberly Gould | @Kimmydonn
• Robert Mahone | @Computilizer
• Stevie McCoy | @theglitterlady
• @Phoenixlavan
• Nellie Batz | @solimond
• Aurora Lee | @AuroraLee
• @LupusAnthropos

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi

Tory says: He made me laugh, and the excerpt had the feel of a totally complete little story, rather than a piece of a bigger work. Well done, for 250 words.

Lisa McCourt Hollar | @jezri

Tory says: Totally captured what it feels like when you've got a monster dog with stinky breath. The last line was a perfect ending spot. I love sharp, witty dialogue, and that's what this entry had, even though she was talking to a dog.

Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman

Tory says: I loved the fact that (as I read it) this was from a child's POV, and it really gave me the feel of what very young child might think on their first excursion into a Chinese restaurant.

Week Fourteen Winner

Greg Nance | @acenance

Tory says: I'm an old-time gamer/fantasy story lover, and this just really struck a chord with me. The description was spectacular, and he didn't force himself to rewrite things into a present tense, instead using the [was] to change is to was, nor did he use it incorrectly, as the only present-tense sentence in a sea of otherwise past-tense writing. I felt like I was in the chamber with him, and wanted to see what happened when he confronted the demon!

The Start Of Something Bad

After the dust settled and the throaty echoes from the door being forced open had faded away, a profound silence filled the room.

The light, from nowhere yet everywhere, dimmed for a moment as if the room had been waiting impatiently for him for a thousand years.

He could hear the angry voice of the guardian trail away as the door closed itself, soon relieving him from the duty of listening to Trekmal’s continuous promises of death and disseverment for entering the sacred Temple of Afgranth.

The air was still and arduous to breath. Dozens of holes carved into the rough, brown, sandstone walls held urns filled with the remains of Kings. An ornamental necklace hung around the neck of each jar, just as it had once hung around the neck of the contained when they were alive.

Quiet as the breath of the dead, all light in the room joined around an large emerald polished smooth into an elaborated carving sprawled across the sand dusted floor.

A green demon ascended from the jewel as if it were climbing out of the pit of Hell. Its eyes burned red and the air from the thing’s maw [was] hot and sour. Once standing upon the floor at full height, the devil looked down at the boy and laughed in a voice much too sinister to be from only one soul.

With his wand clenched tightly in his hand, Alexander stood unwavering. He read the texts and the prophecy. He must win.

Congratulations Greg, Jeffrey, Lisa, and Ryan! 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 and I hope to see you all back next week for #ThursThreads. :)