Flash! Friday # 43 — WINNERS!

You did it again: your writing astounded me so much, you’ve done knocked my socks off (good thing I’d painted my toenails! sheesh!). Thank you so much to everyone for taking time out of your busy schedules to write, read, and leave comments for this week’s contest. I wish I could rain celebratory chocolates on all your heads. 

Note: I’ll be in flight all day–which means (apologies) no Flash Points Monday. However, please do remember you can look here to see myriad other flash contests happening this week all around the circuit. Now go knock their socks off!

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Judge Kinza Carpenter Shores says, I wish I could have just said- here, these 10 are the best. Because although I narrowed it down fairly quickly in the first go round, there was at least a handful of stories that were excellent and original and amazing for 155 words! Kudos to all of you with your heartwarming, interesting and very flighty stories!

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HONORABLE MENTIONS

Sarah Miles, “Streets of Genocide.” This story captured my attention with its fresh and original take on the prompt, fantastically terrifying imagery.

Cara Michaels, “Fly so High.” This exemplified the highly emotionally charge that so many of the stories went for in an incredibly suspenseful and well-written manner. I finished reading feeling that this could be part of a longer, more in-depth story.

SECOND RUNNER UP

Maven Alysse, “Fizzy Lifting Drinks.” This piece had suspense, good imagery and characterization and truly captured the emotions of the characters through the word choice. The literary reference was just the icing on the cake.

FIRST RUNNER UP

Tom O’Connell, “The Intervention.” This story was a very close second for me in the running. Often setting up complicated stories involving Science Fiction or fantasy can take up so much space in a 150 word story and leave no room to build up the meat of the story. The introduction, short and to the point, retained the same flow and diction as the bulk of the story, remained relevant and impressively telling. Instead of falling into the very easy trap of telling rather than showing, this story gives you clear images of the characters and the relationship of the story. The dialogue blew me away with how well it was put together, and the characterization– spot on. The flow of action to imagery suited the story well, and it was a refreshing take on the prompt.

And returning to the Flash! Friday dais for the second time as 

 DRAGON WINNER IS….

ARIA GLAZKI!

for “Teaching Abroad”  

This piece really caught me within the very first line. For hooks, the first paragraph was one of the most intriguing I’ve read. I loved the sardonic humor and how I was kept guessing about the where the story was going until the very end. The imagery and diction in this piece were excellent without being superfluous. 

Congratulations, Aria! Here are your updated Winner’s Page, a comfortingly familiar yet marvelously crafted dragon eBadge (below), and your winning Tale. Please watch your inbox for brand new interview questions for Wednesday’s Sixty Seconds feature.

Teaching Abroad

Throwing children out of windows isn’t normal. At the height of their trajectory, they float for a heartbeat in the air. Orange light paints over their skin. It’s almost beautiful, but it isn’t normal.

Some of the older kids understand, and they all fight our holds instinctively in fear. But we’re stronger, and we’re determined. Their wiggling and crying cannot slow us down. Screams tear through me, but I don’t even pause.

“I hate heights,” the little boy in my arms whispers.

“Close your eyes,” I can’t help whispering back.

The second he does, I clench my jaw and toss. His arms flail as he flies. Fourteen.

I pray the hands outside will catch him.

We search the smoky room for any small bodies left behind. The flames lick at my feet through the remaining patches of floor.

This isn’t what I signed up for.