WELCOME TO FLASHVERSARY and the final contest here at Flash! Friday before we close our doors. I’m going to save my mushiest stuff for the winners’ post on Tuesday (to sum up: I looooooove you!), but let me just say up front that this contest is always my favorite each year, because it’s when I get to thank and honor you for your amazing writing and all-round gorgeousness. Three years! Who’d have thought it?!
In the meantime, if you’re in the mood and feeling brave/ornery, please feel welcome to follow me on Twitter & friend me on Facebook. I’d love to stay nosy connected.
⇒ Here’s a quick look at how Flashversary will work this year: you will have 24 hours, as always, to submit your story on a single prompt. That’s it! No second round this time; we’re keeping it short ‘n’ sweet. As thanks and so everyone can participate, I will be judging alone (however, the stories will be stripped so I can judge blind). Write your most fabulous, write in your favorite genre, play with form if you wish, have a blast. This is the last Flash! Friday contest ever: make it count. ♥
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Before we move on to Flashversary itself (and all the yummy PRIZES!), I need to hand the mic to my darlings at Dragon Team Five for a moment — that’s Foy Iver & Holly Geely, of course! — to share some final thoughts with you, as they’d been cruelly denied the opportunity:
Foy: The only thing worse than saying goodbye, is not having the chance to. But I want to be careful not to write a eulogy.
Thank you, thank you, Rebekah, for your hard work, attention, insights, and time. You push forward the better writer — the better self! — in me, and for that, I’m eternally grateful.
A thousand thank you’s and imaginary roses (I hope you’re not allergic) to the wonderful, fun, and timely Holly Geely. Folks, she made Team Five tick!
And thanks to every one of you who made Flash! Friday the supportive womb that it is. As long as the dragon flame burns, fearful yet overcoming, in our ribs than this gathering’s purpose is alive. I’m excited for this community bursting with talent, I’m hopeful that we’ll pursue excellence in bigger and brighter spheres, and I’m certain that the ashes of this phoenix will send us off on bolder wings.
Holly: Without Flash! Friday I would never have had the guts to publish my book or submit my short stories anywhere; I would have remained lost in the void. I’ve met so many lovely people and read so many wonderful stories. I’ve learned how to combat the writers block that I now know was a lack of confidence. I’ve discovered my style.
Enough about me, though… I want to thank my partner in crime for being so much fun! She has been nothing but encouraging and she laughs at my lame jokes so I hope we are friends forever.
It’s sad to say goodbye so I won’t; I know I’ll see you all around and I hope we can continue to make flash fiction like champions.
♦♦♦♦♦
FLASH! FRIDAY PRIZE BOX
Grand Dragon Champion:
-a Flashversary poster printed with your winning story,
-a Flash! Friday commemorative poster,
-a Flash! Friday commemorative mug
-a FF community book & art prize basket including:
* FlashDogs Anthologies (following February publication, paper version), from Flashdogs HQ
* Mortal Musings & Life Under Examination, by Aria Glazki (ebooks)
* Silverwood, by Betsy Streeter (paper version)
* The Gantean + The Cedna, by Emily June Street (paper or digital, winner’s choice)
* A Man of Character & A Matter of Time, by Margaret Locke (paper versions)
* Kindle the Flame & Mark of Four, by Tamara Shoemaker (paper versions)
* Haunting Valley & Scrappy Information Security, by Michael Seese (paper versions)
* The Dragon’s Toenail, by Holly Geely (paper version)
* The Better Spy & The Yellow Scarf, by Maggie Duncan (paper versions)
* On Writing (Stephen King) & Lost Ocean (Johanna Basford coloring book), from Casey Rose Frank
* Drawn By a Star (Meg Robinson) & personally crafted notecards, from F.E. Clark
* Blood for Blood, by Ben Wolf (ebook)
* Take the Reins, by Siobhan Muir (ebook)
* Wisdom & Folly, Part I & Wisdom & Folly, Part II, by Michele Israel Harper (Kindle/Nook)
* Original artwork, by M.T. Decker
1st Runner Up: One Flashversary poster printed with your winning story, a Flash! Friday commemorative poster, a FF commemorative mug, and your choice of an anthology from the upcoming (February) Flashdogs collection
2nd Runner Up: A Flash! Friday commemorative poster and a FF commemorative item
3rd Runner Up: A Flash! Friday commemorative poster and a FF commemorative item
Honorable Mentions: A Flash! Friday commemorative poster
Wall of Flame lottery: A Flash! Friday commemorative poster & mug; a copy of Calum Kerr’s The 2014 Flash365 Anthology; a year’s subscription to all three Splickety imprints
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FLASHVERSARY TIME!
(Questions? Tweet @FlashFridayFic or email Flash! Friday here.)
RULES: Open to ALL WRITERS.
* As always, limit TWO ENTRIES per person, submitted as a comment to this post. Note: Proofread carefully: as I’m judging, no corrections or changes will be made to your entry once you submit it. Usual content restrictions apply.
* Submission window: As always, open from 12:01am until 11:59pm, Friday, Dec 11 Washington, DC time (24 hours)
* What happens next: I (Rebekah) will judge your stories; they will be stripped of ID so I can judge blind. Results will post a day later than normal, on Tuesday.
WINNERS ANNOUNCED: Tuesday, December 15, 2015 at 7:30am Washington, DC time. This will include the winner of the #WallofFlame drawing.
Note: The Flash! Friday site will officially close on Friday, Dec 18. You will see a static hello screen; but your stories, all the Spotlight & Sixty Seconds interviews, Flash Points, and winners’ pages will remain accessible.
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Round One Word Count: 100 words exactly, no more, no less.
How to Enter: Post your entry (maximum of two per writer) here in the comments. Include your word count (100 words exactly, exclusive of title/byline) and Twitter handle if you’ve got one (if not, be sure to link your email address or some way for us to contact you). Be sure to proofread; once your entry is submitted, no changes or corrections are able to be made.
**And now for your final Flashversary prompt!**
The very first Flash! Friday prompt posted on December 7, 2012. Some of those original writers (there were fewer than 15 that day!) are still writing with us: Maggie Duncan, Anthony Marchese, & Susan Warren Utley are names you might recognize, along with my darling Beth Peterson, who left our world in September.
And since the end of a story so often echoes its beginning, it’s only right that our final prompt mirrors our first one.
- Write a 100 word story (100 words exactly, exclusive of title/byline) that begins with the following sentence:
On Friday everything changed.
OPTIONAL PHOTO PROMPT (not required; for inspiration only):
I Was Fricasseed on Friday, Wondering Where the Time Went, Remembering that Weak-Willed Woman With a Good Heart Who Didn’t Treat Me All That Badly, Blues
On Friday everything changed.
It’s not like anyone was tickling the ivories in the back room of Mona’s Saloon or ringing my bell in Madison Square. I could have been stuffed in the deep freeze with Pearl and her dead canary, Appalachia, for all anyone cared.
Winston Blake was a shattered wreck when he finally reached me at the Mountain View Cemetery and Pool Hall.
“You owe me, Sam. My back’s outta whack, my artificial knees are so bad they need WD-40. I can’t be moving corpses in my condition.”
I had loved Pearl once. She deserved a decent send-off.
100 farewells
@billmelaterplea
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Love it!
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What Nthato said!
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A perfect 100 Farewells!
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I can relate to the need for WD-40! (Although obviously not for moving corpses around). 🙂
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Fun tone!
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That must be a contender for best title!
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That’s one hellava title! Love the tone of the piece. 🙂
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I love a good title – get as much as you can in there! What a start to the finish! Well done!
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The Vocabulary Learned from Suffering
On Friday everything changed.
Thursday started wonderfully. A little preparation before a meal together—new traditions, old friends.
What had He said it meant?
Thursday night we tried to pray, and were scolded for failing.
Why was He stressed?
Soldiers, swords, torches, and betrayal answered the question.
Why hadn’t we prayed harder?
Friday they tried Him; Friday they killed Him. We scattered, each to drown privately in their personal anguish. Saturday didn’t exist, having been swallowed by fear and guilt.
Why didn’t we do more?
Sunday morning started with a deep hopelessness, then joyfully taught us a new word—Resurrection.
100 Words Exactly
@CharlesWShort
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Amen, He is risen!
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I love this! So beautiful 😀
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A delightful “gotcha!” For me great writing takes the commonplace and casts it in new raiments to engage the reader. Well done.
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Beautiful!
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Nicely done.
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Very moving.
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What a beautiful piece!
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After a Few Too Many Beers Whilst Bellying Up To the Flash Friday Bar
On Friday everything changed.
The sweet sun slipped a bit lower,
glowed a little less brightly,
or so it seemed
to those of us who,
stoking our alphabet fires,
weaving our wandering words,
are always dreaming, shaping, moulding,
framing small shanties of sharpened solace.
Ah,
the words will still be there to weave
into compact quilts of beauty,
brief blazing baubles,
bouncing, buoyant,
pursuing gentle escape,
squirming, shifting in their jumble,
looking for respite
from the catacombs of chaos,
chasing unique structure,
order within a condensed vision,
a commune of flash fictionistas,
writers who know
that on Friday,
everything changed.
100 Odes Paved With The Best Of Intentions
@billmelaterplea
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Beautiful and so bittersweet
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I thoroughly enjoyed your lyrical tribute to the clan of dragons. Bravo.
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Terrific!
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Fun language – love the phrase alphabet fires!
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This is beautiful writing. So good!
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Right on Brother!
Ian Martyn (@IBMartyn)
100 words and many, many thanks for my Friday distraction
On Friday everything changed. Why? Because I decided it was time, OK. You have a problem with that? I’m not going to be the mouse in the corner at the party with a small white wine. No, pass me the vodka. I’m not going to wait in line while others push past. Hey, dog breath, get your ass back here. I’m going to walk tall, speak my mind and to hell with it. I’ll wear what I want, get a tattoo and have attitude, if I can figure out what that is. Yup, I’ve just turned eighty, it’s about time.
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can’t wait to be old & badly behaved
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Haha, nice one, Ian!
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Right on, brother! Career up to those pearly gates in a dented, well used hooty!
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Love this so much.
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As someone somewhat quite a ways along the age continuum, I heartily support speaking ones mind as early as possible and certainly in the eighties. Fun read.
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Love it. Too right! 😉
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You said it!
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Ha ha, fun twist.
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Heh heh, love it!
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Haha! Nice one 🙂
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Words: 100
@CarinMarais
Immortālis
On Friday everything changed. On Christmas Eve I had a breakthrough after months of trial and error. For the first time I captured the human soul in a photograph. The parents carried the photo of their son home to keep with them forever. Death had lost its sting.
In the bedroom my wife was almost ready to take her last breath. I waited by her side through the night until it was time to take the photograph. As I hung the moving photo on the wall on Christmas morning, I smiled for the first time in months. So did she.
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Beautifully haunting!
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spooky idea, very cool
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Thank you!
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Nice; but chilling – mostly because I wondered about the madness that would ensue for a soul trapped in a tiny frame that hangs on a wall for eternity…😳
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Thanks – this story has actually spawned another short story over the weekend. Hopefully by the end of that I’ll know what happens to all the photographed souls!
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Eerie and excellent idea.
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Thanks 🙂
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it leaves me breathless, Carin.
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Wow! Thank you! 🙂 🙂
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Creepy, but so cool. Gives another meaning to capturing the human soul.
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Glad you enjoyed it!
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Some Christmas darkness – nice.
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Oh, intriguing idea. I want this to be true!
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Glad you enjoyed it, Margaret!
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So poignant.
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Aargh, that is so creepy! Well done!
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A brilliant idea. So beautiful.
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Wow, love your idea for this story.
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100
@Viking_Ma
Lost Girl
On Friday, everything changed.
‘They made me do it.’
Or so I told the police, the psychologists, the social workers.
Mother sat like a fat beetle and watched me, pleased that her promise that I’d amount to nothing had come true. I spat at her across the scratched table, my gob striking her cheap handbag. She pushed back in her orange chair, never moving her eyes from my face.
My blonde curls and pout played well with the cynical police. They bought my story, and I pinned it all on the gang.
‘How could I be the leader?’ I trembled.
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‘Mother sat like a fat beetle’ – wonderful image.
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“Sat like a fat beetle” – what a great phrase!
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I like your style. So much in so few words. Loved it 🙂
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Words: 100
Twitter: @Nthito
Title: War
On Friday everything changed.
One moment the sun blazed uncomfortably over our heads as the school principal explained the day’s proceedings during assembly. The next moment the entire school was in uproar, as a quake shook the ground and an ear-piercing explosion threw us to the floor.
In the chaos that ensued, fighter jets painted the skies with black smoke as mechanical voices echoed loud in the commotion,
“ATTENTION! ATTENTION! THIS IS NOT A DRILL. FIND COVER! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK. WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!”
The voice continued. The explosions continued. I stared up at the receding Joburg skyline. War.
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scary thinking one little day can change everything. apt.
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Terrifying – but I love this, Nthato
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How many skies there are, how many wars. Powerful.
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And change can be just like that – scary.
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Oh. So very sad.
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This is sad but so true. Lovely piece of writing.
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Posted on behalf of Sharon Parkinson who can’t get online:
Numbers
On Friday everything changed. All because he picked up a piece of paper that flew onto his shoe. How was he to know that the slip of paper with random numbers scribbled on it would be so lucky? He had no idea why he played the lottery as he had never done it before. So, the first time he ever played, he won.
The phone rang.
It was the Gypsy he had seen a few weeks before.
“Did you like my numbers?” the voice giggled, “Now, time to pay up! Fifty percent for me!”
Suddenly he didn’t feel so good.
100 Words
@sagetab1
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It’s always worth your time picking up those scraps of paper blowing in the breeze…
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LOL.
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Something tells me the price is going to be more than 50%!
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That’s scarey. Better run.
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Reblogged this on DJ's Reflections in a Crazed Mirror and commented:
Flash!Friday is a gravitational body that attracts some of the best authors and flash fiction to be found on the Web!
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Sweet Revenge
Words : 100
Twitter : @lsunil
On Friday everything changed.
They put up the CLOSED sign at the front of the shop.
The cashiers became the guitarist and drummer. The Boss became the lead singer. But all depended on the song-writer, Jez, the sweeper.
Boss read the lyrics of the new song and shook his head.
’I can’t sing abuses. ’
Everyone paused to look at Boss.
’Why not? I was up whole night to write it before work. You write the song you like. ’
Jez winked at the rest.
’I’m Sorry Jez, ’ said Boss.
They played louder till Boss screamed ’Sorry ’ and was heard by all.
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A Band of Brothers (and sisters, perhaps)
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Reversal of roles, huh? 😉
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Revenge indeed!
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Thank you Steph
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Sweet revenge! Nice
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The Journey, this life
@geofflepard 100 words
On Friday everything changed.
Thursday, I sat hunched, waiting the promised guidance. I wouldn’t fail this time.
Wednesday, I practiced so hard, my heart bled. Another wave of doubt, never seen faces laughing at me.
Tuesday, I gave up. Again. I couldn’t control myself. No one can live this Spartan life. No one human.
Monday, straight backed, I whispered to myself. Just try. And my reflection wiped away my tears and smiled.
Sunday, it was all too much. I stayed in bed, cuddling failure to my chest.
Saturday, I am resolved.
Friday, definitely next week. I’ll post my first flash.
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Ah, a delightfully painful writer’s life redux…thanks
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Thanks v much!
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Bittersweet. Relatable. Funny!
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Thanks Margaret; it kind of sums up my Flash! Friday journey!
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I hear ya!
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Can relate to this, but sadly if the writer was aiming for this site then he’d left it too late – and those are some of the saddest words, together with ‘if only’.
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oh true Steph; it sort f reflects my journey here, reading others flash, thinking I couldn’t do it and gradually over the course of week plucking up the nerve to try.
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The Summit
By: Allison K. Garcia, 100 words, @ATheWriter
On Friday everything changed. Getting fired before Christmas was the breaking point.
Wind whipping his hair, Charlie stood on the isolated cliff, his decision finalized. One drop and all his misery would be over. He breathed in the scent of pine, the snow-capped mountains, the chirping birds and crickets, and then stepped off the cliff.
A force pulled him back onto the rocky ground. A stranger, lost in the woods for two days, directed to that exact spot by an inexplicable light. Both saved from death, they climbed down from the summit, changed and restored in faith. A Christmas miracle.
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Fired up writers always step off a cliff and usually find salvation…hopeful…
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Thanks!
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Wow, lots of story in so few words. Great descriptions!
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Thank you!
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A helping hand even in the strangest of places, they’re their if we take them. Nice story.
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Thank you!
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And miracles do happen. Lovely piece
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Thank you!
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Addicted to Friday
100 words, @pmcolt
On Friday everything changed. A cute black dress, a night to unwind. I was taking a dragon by the tail, but dizzy with anticipation, I was high on his smile, ready to fall.
Saturday was a whirlwind. What am I doing? This is wrong. But it feels so right. In Sunday sermon, I hid my face. Did everyone know? It was in the parishioners’ eyes, and the preacher’s lips. All week I focused on work, not the memory of his touch. By Thursday, I knew that my weakness, my sweet tempter, would haunt me no longer.
On Friday everything changed.
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Enjoyed this…
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Love this.
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Sometimes you just have to take that risk …
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Four Farewells
@making_fiction
100 words
On a Friday everything changed.
The weaver, Rebekah, finished her word-tapestry, and beneath the domes of Madrid, she whispered, “Despedida”.
The mountain climber, Rebekah, balanced on the pinnacle of the French Alps, bridging the space between firmament and land, À bientôt, she cried.
The whimsical fairy, Rebekah, flittered in the broken sunlight of the Black Forest, daydreaming of the princess and the frog, and jalapeno Cadbury (obviously). In her internet interlude, “Bis bald, Bis bald,” she giggled.
Above the spires and across the seas, a thousand wings carried us and we sung, “Goodbye… for now.”
On a Friday everything changed.
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This is wonderfully beautiful.
“Goodbye…for now” X
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Marvelous, Mark…this speaks for all of us, I am sure.
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Gorgeous.
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Lovely tribute – but a jalapeno Cadbury(!), she’d definitely being breathing fire after that! (Or is that her secret?)
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Goodbye for now…:( so apt for now and nicely put.
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A wonderful tribute.
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You Get To Choose
On Friday everything changed.
It was because of the party that night. She only knew the host.
She practiced introducing herself in her head while she worked all day, cleaning, arranging, making someone else’s life. There was good money being a nanny and housekeeper in New York, no shame in that, she would remind herself.
But there was more to her than that.
Do you get to choose who you are?
Friday night, at the party she smiled and shook hands.
“What do you do?”
“I’m a writer,” she said, no air quotes or self-deprecating laughter.
Just the truth.
100 words
@caseyrosefrank
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Wonderful…”Just the truth.”
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Yes. Love it. Claim it! OWN IT!
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Love it, especially as ‘I’m a writer’ is just a straight statement without that every present ‘but’ tagging along.
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YES!
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Excellent!
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Yes! Yes! I feel this
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THE SOLDIER
On Friday, everything changed.
He was a soldier who’d fought The Four Horsemen to a standstill around the world – Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq…
He was also mortal. And though a man might win battles against gods, the final word belonged to Them. He thought this as he stood on a mountain peak above the carnage of his final battle, clouds roiling below him like ghosts of drunken sailors, granting peeks of the destruction far below.
The soldier had reached his mortal limit. Seeking a new path, he leaned out into the abyss as angel’s wings sprouted, ripping away his bloody raiments.
– DeRicki
Twitter: @derickijohnson
derickijohnson.wordpress.com
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epic!
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Thanks for the feedback!
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Gorgeous, haunting imagery.
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Thanks for the feedback, Margaret!
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Wonderful imagery, inside and out
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Fantastic descriptions.
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Thanks for your feedback!
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Brilliant piece! Beautiful language.
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Thanks for the feedback, Firdaus!
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@bex_spence
100 words
Ad Astra…
On Friday everything changed. Though you might not have noticed. The moon hung high in the dusky sky, the first stars faintly waking.
I watched as the bruised sky ran into twilight blue, soft afterglow fading into the dark of night. Like urban street lights the stars turned on one by one. Blinking Morse code, whispering her secret to me.
Familiar constellations danced in the skies, starlight stretching through the night. I looked to where she usually blazed. My light, my star, but there was only darkness.
Broken I fell. She was gone and the world was a little darker.
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This is so vivid and exquisitely lovely. Well done.
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This is so sad and beautiful…
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Great imagery.
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Lovely imagery.
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I love the way this unfolds.
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Thanks for all your comments. Lovely to hear.
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This is so so beautiful. Love your description. Lovely. 🙂
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11.12.15
@nzstelter
Gossamer Bandages
100 words
On Friday everything changed. Overnight the world had been bandaged in gossamer threads, as if a greater power had said,
“Enough. Only compassion will emerge from this cocoon.”
We clambered over silken fibres holding the earth together. Suspended above our heads, like baubles on a tree, were tanks, missiles and the emblems of big business gone bust. They clanked in the wind, a warning to tread carefully in this new world.
We advanced two by two: storytellers and scientists, teachers and inventors, doctors and judges, imams and priests, farmers and soldiers.
On Thursday oblivion had awaited; on Friday rose hope.
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gloriously optimistic and mystical…thanks.
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Epic and hopeful. This is just beautiful.
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Excellent – loved the title and last line especially.
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Thanks everyone 🙂
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I swear I wrote a comment swooning over this, and yet, I don’t see it now. Great piece, Nillu!
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Thanks Margaret. Such amazing pieces again this week, and blown away by how many turned up to serenade Rebekah. 600 comments and counting. What a wonderful farewell
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Beautiful writing! 🙂
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Nicolette Stephens
@rhapsody2312
100 Words
On Friday everything changed.
We stood at the edge of a precipice, looking into depths too dark to comprehend.
He was given three weeks to make peace with the descent into illness and I was given three weeks to forgive memories that had taken twenty-nine years to scar.
Three weeks to create a new lifetime of memories, of a man who had never been present in my formation, yet needed me to be present in his destruction.
On a Friday, the Angel of Death forewarned us of our limited time to make amends.
On a Friday, my father became Dad.
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There is, frequently, so little time to repair hearts shattered…you capture it well.
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Moving
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This is very moving (and as a person with an absentee dad, it strikes close to home!). Well done.
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REMEMBER THE FIRST
Brian S Creek
100 words
@BrianSCreek
#FlashDog
On Friday everything changed, in a way I could not have foreseen.
I stood alone for so long, understanding only comfort in solitude.
Until I fell.
Everything exploded, a jumble of words surrounding a frozen image of beauty.
Then a pause. A moment of clarity. An understanding. A spark.
The letters, the words, they shuffled, twisted, turned. The picture pulling everything together, holding it tight like glue.
A world created from nothing.
And then they came. Whispers in the dark becoming welcomes and smiles, kindness and sharing. Answers to question I’d never asked.
Somewhere to belong.
Somewhere to call home.
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I’m going to have to print this one out, hang it on my board, a reminder, a blessing- everything I love about this community and this competition all in one hundred words.
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I was going to reply to you comment, but then I got something in my eye. Just a minute (sniff), I’ll be right back (sniff) . . . .
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Home is where the writers heart is…
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What a wonderful way to end the FF tradition 🙂
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Absolutely lovely.
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Lovely
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Just realised I’d commented twice – not awake!
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Aww…as Casey said, I might have to print that out…
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Lovely. Beautifully written.
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Gorgeous, and I think you’ve captured how so many of feel about this community! 🙂
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Beautiful!
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Such lovely words.
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Autobiography of a Flash Addict
On Friday everything changed.
The picture ignited my imagination. She had red hair. He had his hand on her shoulder. It was not the kind of touch you give a stranger, but still timorous.
She studied the map; he studied her.
Make him bashful. Make her bold. Him a man of means. She a playful beauty.
He was not accustomed to this closeness. It made him dizzy.
Build a double meaning into the places they would go.
”And I told you, my dear husband, I would let you go anywhere you desired.”
First entry. First win. New confidence. New addiction.
100 words exactly
A bit of a tribute piece, but perhaps I can be forgiven. This is my subtle thank you for the difference this contest has made in my life.
@CharlesWShort
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this works so well, Charles…
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A tribute we all share.
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Lovely. I want to go back and read that first story now…
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I remember that week! Love this story, Charles – you captured the thrill FF instilled in all of us!
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Another Story, I Think
On Friday everything changed.
For on Friday, Rebekah set off on a grand adventure.
She packed only the most important items, her favorite books, some ribbon, eighteen chocolate bears, her teacup, a small dog, a poncho, three shoelaces, a victorian dragon portrait, a set of jacks, two hundred and forty-four stamps, and a sandwich should she be feeling peckish later.
She had spent enough time living in “Rebekah’s Marvelous Circus” and was leaving to join another book.
She thought maybe “Emma” or “The Telltale Heart”.
Both sounded very romantic.
Rebekah smiled, bag in hand and walked off the pages.
100 words
@caseyrosefrank
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a delightful description of leave-taking…
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Wonderful goodbye.
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Ha ha ha, I love the odd assortment of items she’s taking with her! 🙂
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Archetypes
100 words
personalvapes@gmail.com
On Friday, everything changed.
They line up on my word document, as they do most weeks.
The Daredevil on the mountain. Will he fall from the heights, or sprout wings and take to the sky?
The Happy Baker. Will his bread still be the best in five counties?
The Mournful Dragon in human-form. Will he ever share the whole of his wisdom?
And my favorite Street-Urchin. Does she shoot that gun? Does she escape the streets?
All my Archetypes – alive in my head. All brought to life for one brief story at a time.
And then gone…in a Flash!
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But always there in the flash fiction drive of memory…
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Nice story. I never know what mine are going to do, they decide for me. 🙂
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Awesome last line!
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That is why I love Flash Fiction! So many characters brought to life, their stories told in short but filling bites. Great story. That last line, perfect.
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@firdausp
(100words)
‘Skin deep’
On Friday everything changed—for the better.
Standing at my window watching the sun rise, head bent for a sip of coffee, I froze.
For a minute or maybe less, time stretched.
I watched the scene before me shift in cubes. Rotating, like in a rubric cube. Smooth horizontal and vertical movements.
Cubes of trees fit into the sky, its missing pieces clicked into the grass below.
Then, they moved back, and with a final twist, every cube shifted home.
I thought I’d dreamed until I walked into my office.
Everyone wore the same skin—a colour that was ‘none’.
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there will be cubes melting in my Friday evening drink…lovely and thanks…
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Thankyou 😊
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Terrific idea – although personally I’m terrible at Rubik’s cube.
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Thankyou Steph. I’m no good either at it 🙂
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What a great concept. Love, ‘Cubes of trees fit into the sky, its missing pieces clicked into the grass below.’
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Thankyou so much 🙂
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Ooh. This is very intriguing – great world-building in such a short space. Would love a longer story!
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Thankyou so much. 😊
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Great idea. Could really visualise this.
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Thankyou so much 🙂
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@bex_spence
100words
Losing the thread
On Friday everything changed.
It started on Monday. There was a snag in the sky, a loose bit of thread hanging low from the clouds.
Who could resist? One of us pulled at it and the sky began to split. Just a little at first but each day it ripped a little more. That tearing sound like thunder through our souls.
The days got darker as the chasm grew. The sky peeled away to nothing, a consuming void.
By Wednesday the birds stopped singing. Falling leaves froze in stop motion. Colours faded.
Thursday we forgot our names. Friday everything changed.
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I love the imagery in this, I can see it all so clearly.
And there is something particularly haunting about “Thursday we forgot our names.” Fantastic.
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But we will be all the richer, even if we are feeling a little thread bare at the moment…
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Love the idea of a loose thread in the clouds.
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This is beautiful
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Ooh, that is such a fantastic idea (in both senses).
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Thanks. First time I’ve submitted two. Really enjoyed writing both.
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Ooh, an intriguing idea that could easily work in a longer piece!
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#FlashFridayFiction
@making_fiction
100 words (according to MS Word J )
On Friday everything changed.
#TheRulesWereBrokenToFitMoreThingsIn
#ThereSheStoodBlindlyJudgingWonderingHowToDisqualifySuchABlatantRuleBreakAndUselessStory
#ButISayI’mDownWithTheKids.
#WhoNeedsSpacesAnyway?
#I’mUsingTheWordCounterSoI’mFine
#ButHolyMolyI’veGotALotToWrite
#MaybeIShouldHaveThoughtThisThroughFirst!
#Wobbly,SheStoodOnTheMountaintopWithHerStoriesInHand
#WhoJudgesBlindOnAPinnacleAnyway?
#ADragonPerhaps?
#ButShe’sNoDragon
#SorryToBringThisNews
#SheIsButAHumanBeneathThoseTiredEyesAndNumbFingers
#SheIsButAMomToHerChildren
#SheIsButATalentedWriterProcrastinatingInTheMostSpectacularAndSelflessWays
#SheIsButAModelChristian
#ABeaconOfLight
#SheIsALeaderOfMenWomenChildren
#AndMagicalCreaturesOfCourse
#SheMightNotHaveMagicalPowers
#ButSheIsAKeeperOfWorlds
#AGranterOfDreams
#SheIsAFriendToTheLonley
#AndAMapToTheLost
#ComeComeSeeTheShenandoahValley
#SeeTheMajesticGlory
#ComeTasteTheBakes
#MaybeEatATimTam?
#ComeJoinTheWritingGroupAllAreWelcome
#MaybeComeByAndSayHelloToHerLaterWhenYouComeBackHereAndCryAtAStaticLogo
#MakeSureYouRemindHerThatHerBookShouldNestleWithTheBest
#ThatTimeIsPrecious
#EnjoyIt
#WeSaluteHer
#ButWeWantHerToFlourish
#NowWeWantToReadHerWordsOfFictionInsteadOfHerWordsOfEnouragement
#INeedToOrderAMugForEverytimeIDrinkFromItIWantToGetAHitOfConfidenceAsWellAsCaffeine
#IWillMissThisPlace
#ButMemoriesOfAFavouriteExperienceStayWithUsForLife
#WhenYouAreSadDustOffThoseOldStories
#WhenYouNeedComfortSleepOnThePillowOfCommunityFeedback
#DidYouGetToWinAWinnersBadge?
#DidYouWantMore?
#FearNotYouProbablyCameCloseMoreTimesThanYouKnow
#TheBestGiftYouCanGiveHerIsToKeepWriting
#GoWinOtherCompetitions
#SupportYourFellowWriters
#PutAThankYouNoteInTheBookYouWillWrite
#BuyHerBooksAndReadThem
#ThenBuyThemAgainAndGiftThem
#MaybeCheatersShouldThinkTwice
#ThisIsHardWork
#ServesMeRight
#SoFarewellMyFriends
#InTheEchoIfTime…
#IRememberYourPoeticWords
#YourVividColours
#TactileFabrics
#WindBlownStreets
#RainyCities
#Births
#Deaths
#IDon’tRememberTaxes
#HorribleCreaures
#Killers
#LocationsIWantToVisit
#LocationsIDon’t
#InfiniteSpace
#Vultures
#Dragons
#Chocolate
#Runners
#Hiders
#Schemers
#Dreamers
#FireFireFire
#MagicOhTheMagic
#TheBeautyOfTheMundane
#ExperimentalFormats
#PlayersThatCommentOnEveryStoryKudosToThem
#PodiumsOfTalent
#NearlyOneHundredStories
#OneThousandReplies!
#Prompts
#StoryElements
#WordCountsThoseWonderfulWordCounts
#CharactersMoreAliveThanIAm
#JudgesComments
#CurveballInterviews
#TheDragonEmporium
#MondayEveningsPretendingItDoesn’tMatterWhenItDoes
#ThePlaygroundIsClosingNow
#WalkTall
#WriteStrong
#TimeToLeaveTheGates
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The is the most perfect blend of heartfelt gratitude and insanity I’ve ever read.
I’m going to slow-clap this one out…
#WhenYouNeedComfortSleepOnThePillowOfCommunityFeedback – I’ll carry this one in my heart.
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#WowYouKilledIt
#ForThisYouGetTheFakeChampionsBadge
#AndALotOfSlowClappingFromMeToo
#ClaaapClaaapClaapClaap
#Lol
#GodBlessYou
#😊
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Clever 🙂
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supreme rule breaking and making.
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Genius. #Givethemanacoconut
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Just brilliant! LOVE this.
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I bow to your inventiveness. In Star Trek terms, I bet you could’ve beaten the Kobayashi Maru scenario.
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#MarkAKingFTW
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LOL! This is the best leave-taking ever. You’re brilliant, Mark. 🙂
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FABULOUS!!
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Wot they all say with (jingle) bells on!
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Spectacular. #FlashFridayHashtagOverdrive
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Innovative and brilliant.
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#Brilliant
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#That’sALotOfHashtags
#ThisIsTheBestTributeEver
#Brilliant
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The Final Flight
Evan Montegarde
100 final words
On Friday everything changed for her.
“I flew once.” The words came out of thin air from the old grey lady in the rocker staring out of the massive glass windows.
Florence leaned and whispered, “You mean in an airplane Mrs. Draco?”
The old lady smiled faintly, her cracked lips holding a trace of lipstick. “No, he took me in his arms and we flew, everywhere, ending up atop a high mountain. It was sublime.”
Florence knew better than to ask how, “That sounds wonderful Mam.”
“Yes, angels are beautiful and he is here for me again, waiting just outside.”
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a lovely piece of flash fiction in full flight…
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Lovely.
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Oh, so sweetly moving.
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So lovely.
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Number One Me
On Friday everything changed. I invented cloning. Sent number-two-me to work and enjoyed a lie-in. She returned, raving about changes she’d made. I cringed at her dumb ideas, wondering what my boss thought.
I created number-three-me and left her waiting in for the plumber. Number-four-me was made for housework but she refused, heading out with number-two-me.
I have to get dinner ready for their return. Not allowed the heating on till they get back. Number-three-me’s hogging the sofa and remote. There’s twenty-seven work emails I daren’t look at. They’ve raided my savings and booked a rock climbing trip to Brazil.
@SalnPage
#FlashDog
100 words
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We are never lone
when we engage a clone
or three
or more…quite fun…
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Fantastic story! So much fun. 🙂
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Brilliant!
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Ha! Love it!
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Love, ‘but she refused, heading out with number-two-me.’
Great witty tale.
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Bwah ha ha, so funny! And here I always thought cloning myself would make life easier, but I can totally see my Other Mes staging a coup.
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Great!
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A Good Vantage Point
On Friday everything changed. It’d been changing for years but Friday was when you realised, paused and marvelled, thinking ‘If someone had told me …’
The world changed too, didn’t it? Astounding and magical.
You go to your special place, thinking ‘I can’t believe I’m here.’ You’ve done things you never thought you could, gone places you never imagined you’d go, achieved what seemed impossible, what should’ve just been fantasy. You made something fantastic from nothing.
There are two more hills to climb but for now, you reach a good vantage point, look back and see how far you’ve come.
(Dedicated to Stella Turner; oldest and finest friend, you spooky old witch!)
@SalnPage
#FlashDog
100 words
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always a special place in our hearts…
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Lovely retrospective.
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it was Sybil….. nothing to do with moi 😉
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Love it!
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Title: “Life”
Word Count: 100
Twitter: @colin_d_smith
On Friday everything changed. I had to pull the car over, gain control of my breathing. This was the last news I expected, and I could feel the ground shake under my feet.
I looked around at the cars flying past me on the highway. People carrying on as if nothing was different. But everything was different. Nothing would ever be the same.
Not now they discovered life.
My heart was racing, sweat beading on my forehead. What to do? I had to do something. Home. I needed to go home. I called my wife.
“…and by the way, congratulations!”
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and by the way, Colin, congratulations!
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And nothing is ever the same – nice story.
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Nice!
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Title: “On Friday Everything Changed”
Word Count: 100
Twitter: @colin_d_smith
On Friday everything changed.
I rushed to work in desperation
To find that letter of resignation.
On Friday everything changed.
I hurried home to set alight
The goodbye note I tried to write
On Friday everything changed.
I cancelled all my plans to make
My room the place to host the wake.
On Friday everything changed.
I called to offer for donation
The casket bought for my cremation.
On Friday everything changed.
The bullet loaded for the shot
Still in its chamber, long forgot.
On Friday everything changed.
It never once occurred to me
That “Yes” was in her vocabulary.
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Yes! Yes! Yes!
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Yay for a happy ending.
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Very clever. Wonderful!
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Ooh. This is at once brilliant, and yet creepy, because that last line could mean so many things, and change the meaning of all that came before. Nicely done!
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Oh this is good! Yes!
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Just Call It Puppy Love, 2015-style
Margaret Locke (margaretlocke.com or @Margaret_Locke)
100 words
On Friday everything changed.
It was totally like that old Cure song, you know? I was in love.
He was epic. Sick. Black hair slung low over ice blue eyes.
Full-on gone, peeps.
On Saturday we went out. Mashed all night.
I don’t care what Shanna says. I can’t even. Hashtag jealous liar.
Monday Tuesday Wednesday, just me and my bae.
On Thursday we hit the club. He hit on everyone in sight.
Shanna says she told me so. I told her off.
Thank God tomorrow’s Friday. Can I get an amen?
‘Cause on Friday, everything changes.
Hashtag so over.
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This is a lot of fun…hashtag I enjoyed
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*giggle* Thank you – I admit, uh, I googled some current slang to make sure I was right. I have a nearly 15 year old, but wanted to ensure I wasn’t using something, you know, so yesterday…
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Anything that references the Cure works for me. Nicely done.
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Ha ha ha, thanks! 😉
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Fun story (just in case, and for future reference, the teens I work with frequently use slang but have actually no idea what they’re saying! They’ll hear a word, use it to try and sound cool and then wonder why the other person is upset – bless).
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My son certainly does that! 😉
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Oh that difficult time of finding yourself! Great tone. I too love The Cure and that song! Well done.
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Thanks, Marie! I had fun, even though I didn’t really know what I was saying half the time.
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Hashtag so cool
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LOL!
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I like the short, quick sentences and your use of hashtags. 🙂
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Thanks!
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Live Free With Honor
Word count: 100
Ben Miller – @NomDeBen
On Friday everything changed. I learned to fly.
He had wings. I had hands. Both chained. The open sky was our dream. Finally, the gale of cold freedom burned across my face with his smell of heat. He gave me sky, freedom, and his life.
Mourning dry on my face, I knelt on fire blackened earth, breathing ashes of my price he had willingly paid. The rising sun painted an orange warning on the clouds and sea. Wind lashed my hunched shoulders. His brothers formed a somber henge of scale and wisdom around me. “You are free. Honor him well.”
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Beautiful…
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This is beautiful.
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Fabulous imagery.
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The End Of Us
On Friday everything changed, the course of the week rolled on to new tracks, a diverging course. We stood on the platform and said nothing to each other in long, eloquent, silences which were punctuated by high-speed through trains, while we waited for the one which would stop and take you away.
A moment in time, a nexus, a cusp; these were the words which rolled through my mind when it arrived and you stepped aboard, looked back just the once, found your seat and gave a small wave.
I wondered if my smile was as sad as yours.
100 words
@clivetern
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I’m showing my age but this has a great “Brief Encounter” vibe…
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Poignant parting.
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A beautiful snapshot of a simple moment in time, but one with such lasting repercussions.
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Love the ‘long, eloquent, silences’. Again made me think of brief encounter. So much sadness.
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On Friday everything changed. He was balancing on the precipice of the world, between rock and air. He had only to hold his stance a moment more to get his bearings. The air was thin and the excitement of his accomplishment was making him breathe too hard and too fast. One false move and he may never make it back at all. He steadied his nerves and peered out over the horizon. And what a horizon it was. He put both feet underneath him, toes faced forward, knees bent, arms out and took another giant leap to the other peak.
@dizzy_diaries
100 words
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acrobats and writers, we all take leaps of faith…
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Living life without a safety net, brave man.
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A crisp, clear description!
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On Friday everything changed. Maybe there was a time when Sisyphus watched his boulder crest the peak of his mountain and roll down the other side and thought, “Well, shit.” He probably trudged down the side of that mountain and resumed pushing that rock up and down forever, as was his destiny. But today when everything changes, and the boulder rolls away, maybe it is best to let it go. Then you are free to stay on top of that mountain and appreciate the view. Maybe make some changes of your own for a change. And forget about poor Sisyphus.
@dizzy_diaries
100 words
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rolling boulders gather no moss…
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Good advice.
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Ha, love the tone of this!
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An important lesson for so many
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I enjoyed this. Good thinking.
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In Praise of Dragons
Margaret Locke (margaretlocke.com or @Margaret_Locke)
100 words
On Friday, everything changed.
No, that’s a lie.
On Flash Fridays, I changed.
I took off the mask I’d worn for so long, bared my soul to the world.
I screamed, “Here I am. Take your best shot.”
I stood, vulnerable, heart wide open, awaiting written arrows, verbal bullets.
They never came.
I’m still standing.
I’ve come too far now to turn back.
I’ve spread my wings. Showed my scales.
She taught me how.
Just show up, she said.
Be kind. Give generously. Praise others.
Some will tear you down.
But you will rise up.
For love always wins.
Always.
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powerfully personal and exquisite, Margaret…
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Thank you! It’s my thank you to Rebekah.
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Love this! It’s got a really nice rhythm and some wonderful imagery 🙂
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Thank you, Craig! 🙂
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Such a beautiful thank you, a message we all echo.
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Thank you!
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Lovely. I think I have something in my eye…
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Me, too. It might be chocolate. 😉
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Very sweet 🙂
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Thank you, Aria!
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Lovely sentiments. A great tribute.
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Thank you!
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Home Free
On Friday everything changed. Oh, not at first. I still got up, took a shower, got dressed, and had coffee. But the moment I stepped out the door into the bright sunshine I noticed the difference. I’d worked hard, made sacrifices, jumped through hoops, and scrimped and saved. I’d cried, begged, slogged through red tape and uncaring bureaucrats intent on “only working here.” I’d traveled vast distances, given my all, and risked everything for this moment.
I no longer had to prove who I was, or whether I had the right to be here.
I’d become a citizen, home, free.
@SiobhanMuir
100 words (not including title) in honor of Mr. SM (and all other immigrants to the US)
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Take that, Donald Trump…well said Siobhan.
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Thank you, Bill. 🙂
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Great message (can’t believe some of the stuff your Mr Trump has come out with, no go areas in Britain – to use my favourite word ‘twaddle’!)
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Oh, please don’t call him my Mr. Trump. Ick.
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Wonderful. I really like this.
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Never Say Never
On Friday everything changed.
The stage lights went dark. The actors gathered backstage to bid tearful goodbyes. Their makeups cracked, mascaras ran. The production team began packing.
“Olie, be careful with the piano,” Rebekah cautioned.
“The piano’s stuck,” the mover complained.
Everyone gasped as the stage suddenly turned bright. The aura was reddish, not the white flood of house lights. The piano keys jingled.
Olie’s fire glowed. His tail moved gingerly on the piano keys.
“Don’t let me go” Olie belted out the song in his best dragon voice.
Rebekah and Olie ruled the world from that day forward.
100 words
@needanidplease
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They do rule…very enjoyable…
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Enjoyed the story – Rebekah and Olie 4 ever!
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What a wonderful scene to imagine!
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Reach for the summit
On Friday everything changed. The thick fog lifted, allowing me to see the challenge ahead. The summit seems so far away, totally out of reach to a novice like me. Only the dedicated make it to the top. I steel myself to follow in their footsteps.
This will be the week. I won’t stumble, or let fear hold me back. I’m going to make it. I throw my heart into it, committing with all my soul.
I can see my goal, taste the accomplishment.
The confirmation arrives. I read it with tears in my eyes.
1st Runner Up.
So close!
100 words
@todayschapter
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Always a winner…
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Oh, that feeling, makes it all worthwhile and drives you even harder.
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This made me laugh, and I’ve felt the pain. But, 1st runners up everywhere, keep in mind, you beat out everyone else but one. It’s no 2nd place. Well, kind of. 😉
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Sentience
@hollygeely
100 words
On Friday, everything changed.
“Good morning,” said my underpants.
I screamed like an infant.
“This is why you need me,” said my underpants. “You’re a coward, Dan. You’re teetering on the brink of a boring abyss. You need to take charge of your life.”
“How?” I asked.
“It’s time to do something bad,” said my underpants.
“Stop there,” Officer Rebekah said. “I’m supposed to believe that your sentient tighty whities forced you to rob the bank?”
“Yes,” Dan said.
“That’s the biggest load I’ve ever heard.”
“I bet I’ve heard bigger ones!” said Dan’s underpants.
Rebekah screamed like an infant.
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Ha ha! That’s one way to pants a story! 🙂
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That was very silly and I loved it!
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Pantstastic!
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Bwah ha ha!
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Great fun. Loved the second line.
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Haha. You have a such a good sense of humour. I’m lolling!
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100 words are so brief, aren’t they?
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“Freaky Friday”
@drmagoo
100 words
On Friday, everything changed. I’d been dreaming of my days as a dragonling, soaring too high over the western seas, when my alarm went off.
Kids’ll be up soon, gotta get breakfast ready.
Swinging my legs out of bed, I shuffled to the kitchen.
Wait – when did I have kids?
I scratched my too-soft belly and started a kettle on the stove.
Soft belly?
The next hour was chaos, but at last, we were all out the door, headed for school and work.
High above the western seas, a great roar split the dawn. When did I become a dragon?
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We always become some part of what we’ve always been.
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Freaky Friday dragon stylee – nice
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Fun!
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“Post Comment”
@drmagoo
100 words
On Friday everything changed. Blood ran in rivulets down my arms as I carried you to the sea. To dispose of you. To hide you forever. I’d killed you, of course, like so many before. Killed you with attention and obsession. Killed you with a flamethrower and a hatchet and a scalpel. I’d locked you in a drawer for months. Beaten you and tortured you. Delved into your guts to find meaning.
As the waves washed over you, I saw your spark. You did have value. I killed you; yet you lived. Closing my eyes, I pasted, and I clicked.
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we create to have life…I figure.
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We’ve all got our darlings locked away in drawers just waiting for the right moment!
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Stephen King would approve! Nicely done.
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Fateful Friday!
@priyanka14
100 Words
On Friday everything changed. Iyana Fernandez– the name that’s been captive inside my heart’s deepest layer has surfaced once again. Her mystical presence never ceased to leave me. She is reason for my cosmic existence. Distance could never evade her thoughts. I am, as she is. That day, nineteen years ago she asked to never chase her and I couldn’t move inch ahead to stop her. Gazing her steps against me, I had transformed into a stoned man. Deep inside, my soul locked something I couldn’t feel, till the moment I checked my mail. Signed by Iyana, it begins…
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Every ending has a new beginning…
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Agree…love labor is never lost.
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“On Friday everything changed. Iyana Fernandez– the name that’s been captive inside my heart’s deepest layer has surfaced once again. Her mystical presence never ceased to leave me. She is reason for my cosmic existence.”
I love that opening. So beautifully descriptive!
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Thanks a ton @josettekkelor for appreciating and loving it 🙂
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Hope it’s the beginning he wants.
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🙂 Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
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Oh, an interesting beginning to what could be a really good story!
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Thanks a lot for your comment. I too am thinking about taking this story ahead.
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Slàinte
On Friday everything changed, opposing weather fronts clashed, a storm was born; it raged long and hard.
Emergency generators lasted 48 hours after the electric supply cut off. As the last of the batteries dispersed their devices began to die, a fire was lit.
Released from their screens and phones, people began to gather. Some panicking; others as if waking from a dream, seeing the world afresh.
In the quietude, the fire and candles flickered warmth.
They ate and drank and began to tell their stories.
Finally, deep in the night, they raised their glasses and cheered as one.
“Slàinte.”
100 words
@feclarkart
CHEERS EVERYONE!
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Slainte Frances, I love this xx
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Aw – thanks Marion – Slainte! Fx
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Seeing the world afresh–Lovely story! xx
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Thanks Voima 🙂 (am very much in need of fresh eyes just now!) fxx
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a fine toast. Good cheer…
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Cheers 🙂
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I like this – the atmosphere when all the other rubbish disappears is wonderful (reminded me of my childhood in a pub when powercuts were common in the 70s, Dad would light lanterns, stoke up the old Victorian range and serve the cider from the wood).
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Cheers Frances!
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So atmospheric and original. Love it.
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I can totally imagine this, and then, as I stare at my screen, not. Bwah ha ha! Nicely done!
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I can picture this. Beautiful writing as always. 🙂
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The Transformation
On Friday everything changed.
I carefully peel the mask from my face. I tug off the colored noose around my neck and remove the cuff-links that shackle me to my desk. The prison bars of my pinstripe suit are tossed aside. I transform into my truest self, faded track pants and a coffee stained t-shirt.
The spreadsheet is closed, to be replaced with a thing of beauty, a blank page.
What world shall I explore? Who will I meet? What zany adventures await us? I cannot wait to find out.
A world of endless possibility to squeeze in before Monday.
100 words
@todayschapter
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Lovely! So true …
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That first paragraph positively crackles. So good.
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no week endings here…
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Love the way you express the regaining of personal freedom from work.
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Fabulous – a world of endless possibility in 100 words.
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LOVE!
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On Friday everything changed.
At first the effects seemed small, after all what were thirty or so minutes a week when you compared it to the ten thousand or more that remained, but to the elite few it was disproportionately more. The initial effect was an increase in wistfulness, but this grew as the months passed. By May, a number of the few had gone on, as people do, but a core cadre remained, their dissonance growing as time passed. What could be done? How would they manage? And where could they find a dragon to feed on demand?
Nevermore.
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there will always be dragons, or so I’ve been told by a reliable source…
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Oh, there are dragons out there …
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Nicely done. I’m suddenly imagining a raven dragon.
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Yes, there are dragons
100 words
@voimaoy
On Friday, everything changed. There was a spot of color in the gray sky–it was a dragon! Colors came into the world. The sky turned blue, and the sky became the sea. There were trees and hills and mountains.
There were lightning flashes, a face in neon. A city, an alley, a story.
There are dragons. They are disguised as people. but they are dreamers and shapers of stories.
They are ink-slingers and word-stringers and world-weavers. Some write with laughter. Some write with mirrors and mist. Some write with a blade.
Yes, there are dragons. We are dragons, every one.
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beautiful…and I have always loves “ink-slingers.”
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Beautiful gorgeous dragons 🙂 fabulous Voima 🙂 Fx
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I agree with the comment which singles out “nk-slingers and word-stringers and world-weavers.” That’s us.
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Marvellous. Loved your penultimate paragraph. (I think I know which type of writer I am from your description:) )
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So cool. Working on my dragoniness…
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‘ink-slingers’ – wonderful. I’m so going to miss this!
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Oh, I like this. OWN that dragon-ness. (As opposed to owning our Dragoness, I suppose.)
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Ink-slingers and word stringers! Every word you write is dipped in beautiful ink. It’s always a pleasure to read your writes. 🙂
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Rebirth (100 words)
@Sarahcain78
It comes on a breathless moment, a shift of the wind, the passing of a cloud. I am ready. My arms stretch, poised, reaching into the known unknown. I have absorbed the lessons of the past. I must now lean forward, preparing for this leap of faith because there is no turning back. In my end is my beginning. The chill wind rises and sighs as the change begins. Bone shatters and bends and elongates. My fingers fuse into claws. My jaw grows, and I see the world through eyes of amber fire. Pushing off, I soar skyward. Dragon born.
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lovely, even if the prompt was writ in invisible ink…
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Lovely writing.
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Thank you!
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Beautiful imagery, as always! 🙂
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The Day After Payday
100 words
On Friday, everything changed.
It was his usual line, of course. Payday Thursday was still thick on his breath, and the little brown envelope in his back pocket left as empty as his weekly repentance.
We’d manage. Thanks to the generosity of people that I wished didn’t have to know.
The number was still in my coat.
They’d given it to me along with the beans and a fresh supply of diapers.
I could use it. I could cross the street to the phone box right now.
For ten pence, this could be the Friday when my world actually changed.
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10p to change a life but the cost can feel so much higher. Loved the phrase ‘Payday Thursday was still thick on his breath’ – tells the whole story.
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Great story. I can just about remember when you could make a phone call for 10p…
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So sad…
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Friday
Word Count: 100
[No twitter handle]
On Friday everything changed. His tattoos were covered in cloth and his nose piercing removed. A savage no more once in England.
Well, less savage then the isle’s natives, in their scarlet war costumes and arms of deathly magic conjured from scientitic discoveries. Unlike Friday, they were certain of their place in the world: at its pinnacle.
I introduced Friday to the audience, all officer of gentlemanly status. He smiled at their denigrating comments and exposed his tattoos to their leers. He described how his people lived. They imagined spectacular victories against Heathen hordes.
A civilized man among the barbarians.
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Nice take…
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Original take. It must have been so bewildering in those far-off days of exploration and conquest for the indigenous people to be dragged back to ‘civilisation’ and paraded like prize exhibits.
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Love it!
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Oh, I like Friday as a man. Great imagery & last line.
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Recycling Day
@josettekeelor
100 words
On Friday everything changed. In the clothes dryer came the rattle of a beer bottle cap.
For most of Margie’s marriage there were bottle caps — on the counter, in the night stand, under the couch.
But Roger had been sober eight months, since the ultimatum.
The rattling could have come from a jacket he’d pulled from the closet. But the recycling bin still held remnants of his slip-up three weeks ago, when he’d fessed up and sworn recommitment.
Margie set clinking glass on the curb — a sound that plastic soda bottles never made.
Next came the trash can.
Then Roger.
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Poor Roger…
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You proved 100 words are not less for telling a story. Nicely told.
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Thanks so much!
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Ooh, makes you wonder what she’s actually done to Roger, sounds ominous.
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🙂 Haha. I didn’t realize how ominous until I saw your comment. I guess that ending can have many interpretations.
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Yikes! Great story packed into the word count.
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Thanks
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Great, original story.
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@AvLaidlaw
100 Words
Weekend
On Friday, everything changed. School finished. The desiccated classroom air, the scratchy shirt collar of my uniform, the French verbs that made my tongue feel too big and awkward for my mouth, the bullies who flicked paper pellets at the back of my neck, all receded into nothingness.
The clouds swelled into dragons. Elves whispered in the shadows of the trees. Magic spells twisted in the eyes of the old man sitting on the park bench. My weekend imagination ran feral and naked along my walk home.
Monday would come again.
But I could not think of that just then.
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exciting and slightly memorable take…
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I’m trying not to think of Monday – although it’s end of term, yay and double yay.
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Brilliant turns of phrase.
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Wonderful!
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THE NIGHT BUTTERFLIES
On Friday everything changed.
Throughout the night, pebble-sized hail smacked the windows. By morning ice chunks lay dead all across the brown lawn.
Stooping for the newspaper a glint touched her eye. That’s strange.
She looked closer. Lacy-white wings pulsed in and out on the ground. Drying, expanding. Each wing carrying a single typewritten letter. ‘A’ here, ‘g’ there. Tiny legs, curling antennae.
More. Everywhere the ice unfolded releasing white wings and black letters. The ground, newly alive, fluttered upward and filled the air.
She opened her arms wide. Letters swirled around her, delicate and powerful and infinite.
———-
@betsystreeter
100 words
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I can picture her running with a butterfly net to capture all these letters, build her stories.
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What a lovely final image
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This is gorgeous!
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Big Bad and Wicked
On Friday everything changed.
Little Red skipped unmolested to her destination. Poor Grandma had to gag down shepherd’s pie.
Under the juniper tree, half-siblings supped together on an unremarkable stew of parsnips and sausage.
The pig brothers grumped about their solitary domiciles.
A gingerbread house stood unnibbled while the hag inside went hungry.
Meanwhile, on a moonlit terrace, a swarthy gent danced with his paramour.
She traced his jaw with an amethyst glove. “We should have done this long ago.”
“No regrets.” His breath stirred her pearl-drop earring. “Ever after lies ahead.”
Wolf and Stepmother waltzed the night into Saturday.
@rowdy_phantom
100 words
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Wonder ‘what-if’.
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Thanks for reading, Steph.
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Heh heh! It’s good to know that even fairytales get a day off, once in a while…
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Thanks for commenting–I’m going to miss all this support.
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Very clever.
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Thanks!
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Love it! (And knowing Rebekah’s fondness for twists on Fairy Tales, I think she will, too!)
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Thanks, Margaret. I had her in mind (as most of us did). It was definitely a nod to her fairy-tale twistage.
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And well done.
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‘In The End’
100 Words
@WarwickDaisy
On Friday everything changed.
One minute, Damian and I were sat playing with our friend’s cat; the next moment we were talking about having our own cat. After a few glasses of wine our maternal instincts kicked in. We wanted something joint to love.
By Monday we had sobered up and agreed that a cat was not for us.
We aimed to start looking after the garden together. Damien would keep the plants alive and I would paint the furniture blue.
The next weekend we found a kitten in the pansies. So we did get a cat in the end.
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Funny how life works out in the end.
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What a lovely story!
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Thank you so much. It’s my first time entering. I wish I’d looked into this competition sooner.
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Ha ha ha. Cats rule!
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The Town That Moved
On Friday everything changed.
Light sleepers woke to a grinding rumble beneath and felt their beds judder across the floor. Telephone wires pinged apart. Houses pushed cars which flattened fences.
When they dared to look outside they saw hills where valleys had been, and the houses ringed a huge lake. No-one was lost; merely rearranged.
It happened again the next Friday.
And the next.
And the next.
They threw away their maps, and painted the houses with patterns and names. They began to look forward to Fridays, to exploring their new world. And every week, they rediscovered each other.
100 words
@lizhedgecock
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I like the sound for these Fridays Liz 🙂
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So cool! And what a note to end this on.
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What a fun story! And I love that last line.
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Certainly keeps everyone on their toes!
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Thanks all!
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Lovely!
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An intriguing premise. One that would frighten the Dickens out of me, but hey, I’m glad they’re making the best of it!
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@Viking_Ma
2nd write, 100 words
Haze of Grey
On Friday, everything changed.
My sweet angel was gone, flown away to where I could not follow.
‘They don’t belong to us, they are just lent for us to love,’ people said. I saw and heard nothing through a haze of grey. Without her, the world was dim. Nothing was good or bright. All was death.
Her cot was a physical blow to see, the rumpled blanked left just because.
I wanted it gone, away, but there was no way I could ever see it gone, away.
Instead, my heart ripped a little more each time I passed her door.
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So, so sad. I had a dear friend (now sadly passed) who lost her toddler son to meningitis. Every time I visited her old house I would see his little shoes on the stairs. She could never move them because he had put them there.
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This is so sad. Beautiful writing
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So sad.
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Words: 100
@CarinMarais
Once There Were Dragons
On Friday everything changed. Today the dragon guardians would leave for the islands with those dragons who had survived the wars. No longer would this be the City of Dragons it once was. Dragons trailed our ships as we started towards our new home. It seemed that both our races had suffered hurts we could not recover from. Hurts we could now only hope to run from.
As I looked back at the fading shore, I wondered if, on some Friday far into the future, they would still remember that there were once dragons here. And that they were magnificent.
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Lovely. And I think they will remember.
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Thank you!
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Yes, they were!
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Indeed! 😀
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In a Little Kitchen
On Friday, everything changed. The Earth stilled; its heavy air clinging to her like a wailing child. She’d been in the kitchen potting jam, and now here she was looking up.
Up at the photographs of her children, and her children’s children. She’d never battled Time. She’d framed it, used it to decorate every room. From this angle the pictures seemed strewn across the wall, not hung with love and precision.
As she closed her eyes, the tops of the jam jars fell from her once busy hands, offering their final salute as they rested like doffed caps beside her.
@elaine173marie (100 words)
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Fantastic imagery.
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Thanks so much. Look forward to reading your story, when I get time later.
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Lovely story, Marie.
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Thank you so much, Liz.
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Wow. This is stunning! Love the line about the clinging child, and that last one…Holy smokes!
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Thanks, Margaret!
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Transformation
On Friday everything changed as I had been told it would. I climbed to the summit and surveyed the roof of the world. I smiled; soon it would be all I saw. I put out my arms and the breeze caught them. I could feel my heart pounding. I slowed my breathing.
I felt the ripple begin at the crown of my head and I shuddered as it moved through me. Then I leapt, hard and high. A thermal caught me and I looked down at my purple scaly wings. The dragon blood had been activated. The sky was mine.
@PurpleQueenNL
100 Words
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Brave to take that leap of faith.
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I agree, great leap of faith!
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Headspace
100 words
@el_Stevie
#FlashDog
On Friday everything changed. And Finn didn’t like change. They’d upped his dosage, told him there might be ‘side-effects’. Yet he was more aware than ever of his uninvited guests.
“Hey, Finn,” called Susan. “My turn to speak today.” The sound of her shrill voice coming out of his mouth turned Finn’s stomach.
“I don’t think so,” said Ivan. His masculine tones eclipsing Susan.
Finn hated them, increasingly they made him a prisoner in his own mind; it made him mad. He looked at the pill bottle stolen from the nurse.
His little secret.
Now he could shut them up.
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You’ve upped my flash fiction dosage, Steph…
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Had to write something slightly dark for this last time! Think we’ll all be taking the tablets …
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Love the idea of the uninvited guests.
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‘Slightly dark’, indeed…
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One of my stories had to go ‘dark’ for the last time 🙂
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Sad and dark- the perfect combination!
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Thank you!
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Ooh. Nicely, but sadly, done.
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Thank you.
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If there Must be an Ending…
100 words
personalvapes@gmail.com
On Friday, everything changed. The old world was swept away. The ugliness of money, the demands of greed, the avarice of too many people and not enough resources vanished into a pretty pearlescent mist of silver, pale pink, and baby blue.
Dragons roared their way through these clouds, tickling the belly of the sky with jeweled wings. Merrily, their shadows gave chase, sprouting resinous poppies in their wake.
Men breathed in the sweet atmosphere, and forgot how to be bitter.
The Earth was healed on each Friday, as the fantastical emerged.
Anything can happen, when you write a good story.
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Truth.
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Great!
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Incremental
On Friday, everything changed. It started out as a stroll executed at a ‘How you doing, Neighbour?’ kind of pace.
But as I turned out of my street, something different happened. I started travelling at more of a ‘Off to pick up the newspapers. Catch you later’ kind of speed.
Passing by the village shop, I’d managed to crank it up to a ‘I’m a little late for an appointment. Can’t stop now!’
On approaching the hill I’d found, ‘What’s your hurry, Harry? Where’s the fire?’
And right here, at the very top, I found it.
I found my rush.
@elaine173marie (100 words)
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Here’s to us all finding our ‘rush’ – love this Marie 🙂
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Cheers, F.E.. To all of us finding that place! Thank you very much.
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Excellent – so original (jealous!)
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Thanks, Steph. That is such a generous comment and has made me very happy since your works is consistently fab.
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Thank you, that’s such a kind comment, really appreciate it considering the high standards you set.
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Beautifully executed. Love it.
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Thank you!
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Great tone and management of pace!
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Thank you, Aria!
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Love this. You never cease to amaze. This is totally out of the box.
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Thank you. That’s so very kind. I loved yours as well. It was highly original.
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This is amusing! 😉
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Thank you.
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Tamara Shoemaker
@TamaraShoemaker
Word Count: 100
The Dragons’ Playground
On Friday, everything changed from blue to gray as the wind whipped in deafening furor by the Girl Who Couldn’t. She gripped her wheelchair and watched the shadows on the horizon become roaring winged creatures who unfolded their membranous wings, beating great currents of air across the ridges, flooding the valleys with fire and sulfur.
On Friday, everything changed from gray to blue, as the dragons’ playground beckoned the Girl Who Could. She straightened her legs and set the ground beneath her feet, strapping her courage to her back. Unfurling her imagination, she rose on the wings of the wind.
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Beautiful use of colors.
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Thanks, Michael! 🙂
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Beautifully inspirational.
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Thanks, Steph! 🙂
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Beautiful, as always.
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“Trek”
@jaimeburchardt
100 Words (naturally)
For 31 years, Luke simply lived. He accepted tiredness and defeat daily. All he truly had was this dream. This impeccable, unreachable dream. Excuses made of fear spilled out daily. Then came the check-up, and the news. One morning, Luke woke up screaming. He quit his job, emptied his account, and flew to the mountains. Trekking with a guide, his phone blew up with messages stating he was crazy. He reached a peak, thanked his guide, and was left alone. And Luke stood, like he did in the dream.
That night, a new dream spoke. What took you so long?
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Love the idea of our dreams speaking to us…….Here’s to us all finding our dreams 🙂
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This is awesome!!!
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Wonderfully expressed. A message to all who put things off. One day you might not have time and then it would be ‘if only’; never be an ‘if only’ person.
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Quit thinking about living and actually start living! A well delivered message in 100 words.
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Lovely.
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Nice. Great last line.
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Under a Nodding Moon
It was Friday and everything changed. With a book in one hand and her father holding the other they stepped off the plane at night. Jasmine looked up at the starless sky and saw a familiar face, a half yellow moon nodding towards them.
“Hello mama.”
The air was clear of dust, the dust of a war zone or a crowded refugee camp. She took her first foreign breath; it was clean, but heavy.
At their sponsor’s home, Jasmine reached for the door knob, it was cold.
A warm voice beside the door said,” I’ll teach you how to read.”
Word Count: 100
@digestibleink
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Truly heartwarming.
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Thank you.
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Nice.
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Thank you Margaret.
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MAIN NARRATIVE AGENT
* * *
Brian S Creek
100 words
@BrianSCreek
#FlashDog
* * *
On Friday, everything changed. I went from being a nobody to a somebody.
“Congratulations.”
I turned to see the Queen of Dragons, jealousy barely hidden behind her emerald eyes.
“Well done.”
To my right, a man known as Captain Justice. He shook my hand. It hurt.
Other characters gathered around me as I walked towards the Story Gates. Waiting there was a tall man wearing a tuxedo.
“Best of luck,” he said. “This story marks a special occasion, so make it a good one.”
I nodded. Finally, I was a main character, and I was going to do it right.
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And you did. 🙂
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Fun!
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Friday’s Children
On Friday everything changed, as creation began. Fingers moved amongst nothing – clickety-clack, tip-tap – and magical multiplications calculated infinite living line variations. Words worked themselves out, whispering to those who would listen. Once wooed by their goddess, they found themselves gathering. They were there now; at the intersection where all worlds met.
On Friday everything changed, as, slowly, their numbers grew. Friday’s hands moved quicker to keep pace. They came, summonsed by sentences; the carefully crafted possibilities of future Fridays.
This Friday, everything changes as her children gather, fingers moving, adept, amidst their typescript multiverse; telling Friday their stories.
@FallIntoFiction
#FlashDog
100 words
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Beautiful.
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And it feels more than usually like a typescript multiverse this week…love it.
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Really, really good.
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I love this. Wonderful.
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Tamara Shoemaker
@TamaraShoemaker
Word Count: 100
An Adventure of a Different Kind
On Friday, everything changed.
“Thursday,” said the woman who’d scaled Mt. Everest, “I climbed a mountain.”
“Thursday,” said the man who’d tight-roped the Grand Canyon, “I balanced my life on a line.”
“Dear chap, Thursday” said the man who’d gone swimming with sharks, “I was nearly mauled by razor-sharp teeth.”
They looked down their long noses at me, their spectacles winking in the lamplight. Judgment dangled from their faces and scorn poached their words.
I opened my book, turning my back on them. “Friday,” I said, sliding between the pages, “I soared on the backs of Dragons.”
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The adventures of our minds are just as real. 🙂
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Sometimes even more so. 😉
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You tell ’em …
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And if they don’t listen, I’ll sic my dragon on them… 😉
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Fun!
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Rainbows In The Dark
On Friday everything changed. Didn’t anyone tell you, darling? Anyway, that’s life, I guess. You blink and the world’s a different place. Not that it’s a problem. People adapt or die. If our species has one merit, it’s exactly that. And talking about adapting, I’m going to go underground for a while. Do you want to come with me? I know you can fake it, unlike me you never act femininely. But if they do find out, they’ll hunt you down without mercy. C’mon, we’ll paint rainbows in the dark and everything will be just fine. What do you say?
100 words
@bartvangoethem
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Mhmm, love the tone of this one, Bart. You managed to capture a captivating voice with so few words. Well done.
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What an invitation …
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I love the tone.
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The Fickle Dictator
On Friday everything changed. Freedom of speech now only existed between 2 and 3 pm. Queueing at the post office had to be done on one leg. Everyone had to shave their cat bald (dog owners were left alone). But it wasn’t all bad. When a man met a woman in a park – and only in a park, he had to give her four kisses, two on each cheeck. Dragons became the new gods. And you could park your car wherever you wanted, even in the middle of the street. This lasted a full week. On Friday everything changed.
100 words
@bartvangoethem
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This is great!
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Wonder what the next week will bring.
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I really enjoyed this!
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Ha ha, what a funny thing to imagine. Though I wouldn’t want all those kisses. Unless, you know, they came from Colin Morgan.
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Full as a Tick
On Friday everything changed.
She cocked her hand. “Bang, bang. You’re dead.”
“Dead like our marriage?”
“No, dead like your…” Her eyes chuckled.
There were eight couples with us, all draped in western garb. Bolo ties, leather boots, chaps, a dangling toothpick. We were gunslingers with bored hearts. The brochure advised letting go, be playful, embrace your inner-outlaw. Wrangle some romance.
Later, in the Boneyard saloon, she poured a whiskey. “Aren’t you parched?” She wasn’t asking my mouth.
“Damn thirsty, Catherine. You?”
“I wouldn’t mind a drink or three.”
Friday bled into Saturday. We skipped breakfast, too hungover. Too quenched.
@Blukris
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Truly excellent. You’ve an awesome way with words (‘gunslingers with bored hearts’, ’embrace your inner-outlaw’).
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Thanks so much, Steph!
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Great story, Chris, in so few words.
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Thank you, Liz!
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‘She wasn’t asking my mouth.’ Sheer class, Sir. Glad to see you back for this final one.
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Loved this. So much between the lines.
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Thank you, Margaret!
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Who Can You Trust?
100 words
@ParkInkSpot
On Friday, everything changed. I was answering the tech support line.
“This is Darrell.”
“Listen, Carol Kryzinski. That’s proof of my identity. You remember what she meant to you.”
It was my own voice on the headset.
“In exactly four minutes, Carol will walk into your office. It will be the first time you’ve seen her in twenty years, right?”
“She’s an evil witch. She’ll destroy our life, family, and career. Use the letter opener, two minutes.”
“You can’t date her, Darrell. Listen, she’s going—”
Click.
“If you’d like to place a call, please hang up and dial again.”
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What will he do? I wan’t to know.
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Ooh, creepy!
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Homage
On Friday everything changed.
On Thursday, I stood on the precipice, caught between being and nothingness.
On Saturday, well, it won’t matter, unless, of course, I choose being. If I choose nothingness, this whole discourse is moot, except that I stood on that precipice far too long, fingers poised over countless keyboards, the squat pen resting, “snug as a gun,” so the poet says, but never moving, because, you know, so the other poet says, once having writ, it moves on.
Until… Until that one muse, who comes from where you least expect it, smiles, leans close, and murmurs,
“Write.”
@unspywriter (Maggie Duncan)
100 words and countless tears
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Lovely homage.
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Thank you!
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Love the voice of this story.
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Thanks much!
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Nice!!!
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Goodbye
100 words
@el_Stevie
#FlashDog
On Friday everything changed
But you wouldn’t have noticed
Despite Thursday’s silence
The portent proclaiming
The beginning of the end
With no painted words
Or multiple triplets birthed
From brush-stroked lives
And as that picture vanished
Lines went missing elsewhere
Stolen from criminal bookends
Whose grip handcuffed thought
Robbed some of more
Than a little a reason
Once upon a time
Until sentence was served
Even as I write, Friday fades,
Becomes a freeze-frame moment
Of stories gone in a flash
While the remorseless clock
Counts down the minutes
To when we must say goodbye
And turn the page together
*************
Many, many thanks to Flash! Friday, MicroBookends and Three Line Thursday
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Oh. My. Goodness. This is a perfect goodbye to all three amazing competitions. I LOVE how you incorporated all three so elegantly in this wonderful poem.
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Thank you 🙂
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This is brilliant! Perfect goodbye to the thriplets. 👏🏼👏🏼
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Thank you, really wanted to acknowledge all three this week 🙂 – or should that be 😦
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Oh, Steph! What can I say? You’ve said it all so well! Love it. This should be framed.
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Thank you – there’s a big gap in our lives now 😦
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I know. But it’s up to #flashdogpower now!
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A great homage.
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“Together”
David Shakes
@theshakes72
100 words
Thank you for everything Rebekah.
To be there at the end, that’s what matters now. I’ll find words when I get there.
The others changed. They became giants – long strides propelling them upwards at a pace I couldn’t match.
I’d watched them climb and cheered – proud, envious, lonely.
They’d waited on the mountaintop, shouting encouragement; flags and banners bright on the sunrise.
‘Tomorrow!” I’d shout to the wind.
Tomorrow isn’t coming.
That great, grey dragon Entropy will raze our mountain to the ground.
So now I run – not to be on top, but to be with them one last, glorious time.
Together.
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Yeah, I missed the opening line – see second story. X
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Still great.
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‘Tomorrow isn’t coming’ – that is the saddest line; (really hope this isn’t your opinion of your own writing, as it certainly isn’t true).
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this is great.
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I think that could be overlooked for such a great story!
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This is great, though if it’s autobiographical, you’re underestimating yourself!
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A Quantum Untanglement
By Rachael Dunlop, @RachaelDunlop
100 words on the nose!
On Friday everything changed. I mean everything. It started with the neutrinos, particles so ghostly we can only see them in the deep quiet of the mountain’s heart. Those bashful neutrinos, they started shouting. Atoms shuffled the space within themselves, giddy with the potential to be, well, anything they wanted to be. And then the wind picked up, hot as dragon’s breath, skidding over the glaciers. A-top the mountain, I stood with the sun at my back, no shadow at my feet. The universe hiccupped, gravity lightened up, and I floated free.
By Saturday there was nothing left but words.
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Lovely.
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Gorgeous. The universe hiccupped – I love that!!!
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Schrodinger’s Friday
On Friday everything changed. And remained the same. Perspective is an interesting concept, which renders Friday as Schrodinger’s Day, simultaneously changed and unchanged.
We will always have Friday, and if that’s so, let it stay Friday, unaltered, and we will do those Friday things forever, simultaneously doing and not doing, Schrodinger’s Act.
See what I did there? Schrodinger’s Act? You know, Schrodinger’s Cat. Jumble “cat” and you get “act.”
Get it now? No? I. Give. Up.
But, at the same time, I won’t give up. Schrodinger’s Throwing Up the Hands in Frustration.
Surprised I’m thinking outside that box. And not.
@unspywriter (Maggie Duncan)
100 words (and still countless tears)
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I saw what you did 🙂
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Hehe, fun 🙂
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Bwah ha ha, BRILLIANT! I totally love this, Maggie!!
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Genesis
On Friday, everything changed.
A static image smoldered in the night, igniting latent desire—heightened by a wind that whispered promises of heartache… And of joy.
Butterfly anxious, I heeded the call, fluttering in its wake toward the edge of creation. There I drank deeply of its dark nectar, heavy with the scent of poetry and steeped with the mystery of unearthed treasure.
Then…
Words billowed like smoke from a dragon’s maw as they fled my weary mind, casting shadows across the crimson landscape and giving shape to my soul.
On Friday, everything changed…
With a flash, I was reborn.
Rebecca J. Allred
@LadyHazmat
100 words and 1,000 thanks
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Lovely.
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Absolutely genius last line. Good to see you here again. Great story!
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“So, I buggered up the main entry”
David Shakes
@theshakes72
66 words – yeah, that’s right – it’s deliberate.
On Friday everything changed. Shakes had never been one for rules – using a cavalier attitude as a thin veil for his slapdash reading of instructions and subversion as his excuse.
His second story didn’t even meet the word count; his first missing that all important opening line.
He didn’t care.
He’d been there.
He’d posted.
Twice.
Last time ever.
In his own head, he’d won.
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You sure have–with all of them.
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That’s so good. You’re good!
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Bwah ha ha. Go, you rebel, you.
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“Three Lives”
By Michael Seese @MseeseTweets
100 words
On Friday everything changed. And three lives found themselves irrevocably intertwined.
I remember driving, driving so fast. The oncoming headlights melded into a continuous blinding streak. I heard her screams. But they just fell into a queue labeled “sensory overload.”
I awoke in the hospital, by my wife’s side. I was holding her hand. She lay still, as a nurse cleaned her up.
That day was a blur. In fact, the first two years were a blur. But on that Friday morning, after I heard my daughter cry for the first time, I knew everything had changed.
For the better.
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I was expecting a tragedy – and you gave a happy ending; cleverly done.
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Thank you. I can be clever when absolutely necessary.
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You’re always clever (especially those little micropoems on twitter). 🙂
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Oh ho, fabulously misdirection. Masterfully done.
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Very moving.
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“Trinity”
By Michael Seese @MseeseTweets
100 words
On Friday everything changed.
A primrose breeze carried the call of a cactus wren to our ears, as the warm sand lovingly cradled my body. I closed my eyes, and opened them on a beach in Cancun.
Our honeymoon. Sweet, innocent times.
The loudspeaker brought me back.
When the voice reached, “Zero,” a second sun arose. Yellow, then red, and then beautiful purple. At first it had a translucent character, but shortly turned to a tinted or colored white smoke appearance.
Seventeen days later, a second sun rose over Hiroshima. I doubt the people living there appreciated its deadly beauty.
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Beautiful imagery and use of colours for such an horrific event.
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Oh, so chilling. But well done, as always.
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The New Dawn…
On Friday everything changed and the early morning stars, adorning the firmament, blinked in sorrow.
Gossamer threads spread, like wanton ivy, and frosted fingers painted intricate designs across earth’s delicate canvas. Iced tendrils and frozen webs wandered far coating the planet’s filigree crust. Oceans stilled and froze, and the sun’s shamed, fading rays shimmered into moonbeams and tears.
Prophecy sang in the ether as decades of dreams, and dreamers, expired, and atop the summit, Jack Frost surveyed his work then left on the dusted wings of the iridescent chill.
Old Mother Earth shivered beneath Saturday’s long awaited age of ice.
(100 Words)
@LisaShambrook
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Terrific use of imagery (‘filigree crust’, ‘wanton ivy’).
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Agreed. Beautiful visuals.
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Gorgeous imagery.
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Bloody Pigeons
A.J.Walker
On Friday everything changed.
“It’s the pigeons or me!” I said.
She looked as if I’d said ‘shoot a puppy’.
“If I don’t feed them who will?”
These arguments always became circular but I stepped on the carousel anyway.
“That’s the point love. The neighbours are up in arms. Have you seen Facebook? There’s a bloody petition!”
“They need food.”
“What if next door were feeding rats? We’d go ape.”
“They’re birds.”
“Just flying rats.”
“That’d be bats.”
“You’re being silly.”
Anyway, long story short; back home from work and there’s the suitcase with a note saying, ‘It’s the pigeons.’
WC: 100
@zevonesque
#FlashDogs
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Bloody pigeons always win. 🙂
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Good dialogue and an enjoyable read!
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Ha ha ha!
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Ignite the Dark
On Friday everything changed. Josh felt lighter in the morning, as if someone had carved the heft from his mind, extracted the dense pollution from his bones. His legs remembered how to step again. His arms bruised the air with confident thrusts. Blood began to surge, a river of happy splashed against his heart. His mouth negotiated a smile.
It had to be her. “I will say a prayer for you.” Words he had dismissed. Words he didn’t trust.
Until now, when he realized this was her doing. She had intervened. Pamela was glorious, he thought. A white-hot soaring dove.
@Blukris
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Lovely.
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Just beautiful, Chris. That last line takes my breath away.
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Appreciate your kind words, Voima
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So good to see you here, Chris. So wonderful to see your work out there!
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‘His arms bruised the air with confident thrusts.’
‘as if someone had carved the heft from his mind, extracted the dense pollution from his bones.’
If I weren’t so inspired, I’d give up!
Terrific.
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Thanks, Marie. Can you come to the States and give me compliments 24 hours a day? Haha
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Nah, you wouldn’t like me. I’m a total b**ch IRL. Lol!
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Lmao. Well, I’m a total A hole IRL. Ha
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His arms bruised the air – what a terrific line! Nicely done.
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The End
On Friday everything changed.
“Nearly finished,” I’d thought on Thursday, as I gathered up pieces of sky. I had plucked every flower on Wednesday and on Tuesday I’d rolled the fields tight. I had wound up the rivers like blue cotton spools; and folded the grey-blanket seas.
And Monday was the day I had decided there was nothing left to do but to tidy my jaded world away.
So on Friday there was nothing left, save the rock on which I stood. And as I stood, and really looked, I realized.
It wasn’t the end.
It was time to fly.
@Donnellanjacki
100 words
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Beautiful
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Glorious, Jacki!
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Wonderful, Jacki.
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Beautiful. That first paragraph has blown me away.
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Thanks Steph, Voima, Liz, Marie for all the comments. So many wonderful, wonderful stories this week (including all yours!). So glad I managed to join the circle one last time. :_)
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I love everything about this.
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Josh Bertetta
Presence in Absence
100 Words
@JBertetta
On Friday, -v-rything chang-d. Th- fifth l-tt-r vanish-d. Gon-. Poof. Nowh-r- to b- found.
David, full of youth and gusto, d-dicat-d his lif- to s–king it, finding it.
Y-ars lat-r David thought, if “-” r-ally do-s -qual mc2 as -inst-in said, th-n mayb- that littl- l-tt-r didn’t go anywh-r-, mayb- it just chang-d form.
R-aching a rip- old ag-, David, b-at-n and brok-n from th- s-arch, gav- up.
Th-n, h- saw it. Th- mom-nt h- stopp-d s–king h- found it.
Always and alr-ady, it was th-r-, in front of his fac-.
In th- tr–s, in th- b–s, in th- br–z-.
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Clever, clever, clever (and a lovely message).
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Thanks Steph; Twas nice to be back 🙂
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It was nice to see you back 🙂
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I love this. It reminds me of Pi.
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Very clever!
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Thanks Margaret. 🙂 Nice to be writing flash again…
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Prayer for Friday’s Child
100 words, @pmcolt
On Friday everything changed. Why not?
Friday embodies change: once we were two, then one, now three: your mother, yourself, and me.
May you learn “I love you” in a thousand tongues, “impossible” in none, and everything I’ll never know.
May you journey to greenest fields and deepest oceans; cathedrals of ice, planets of fire, and wonders beyond my wildest dreams.
May you cherish the moment, yet never be complacent with what is present.
May you realize that by God’s grace and your own good-hearted designs, all things are possible.
And dream each night in peace, knowing you are loved.
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Beautiful thoughts.
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So very gorgeous. You should publish this on baby goods or something. 😉
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Untitled
100 Words
James Atkinson
@jamesatkinson81
“On Friday everything changed because the Dragons arrived. Don’t you remember?
“We prepared for fire, lined our rooftops with heat deflecting, flameproof, tiles and donned special suits… we could have defeated fire…
“What came were beyond-ancient dragons, just the few who survived the coming of their fiery successors. Dragons that breathe a vapour that puts their enemies to sleep.”
“Those are just stories, darling.”
“It sounds unbelievable, I know, but I’m sure that was our reality and this is a dream. Am I the only one who’s noticed it’s always Friday?
“We need to find a way to wake up.”
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Terrific story.
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Ooh. I’m intrigued. Write more of the story!
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One Last Boxset
A.J.Walker
On Friday everything changed. Finding your planet surrounded by humungous battlecruisers (from a galaxy that didn’t even have a name beyond a numerical reference) would do that.
The night before the human race were the kings of all we surveyed. Now we’re just like ants in a sand pit for these boys. Whole conurbations are being hoovered up for their metals, whilst we’re getting stamped on in the process.
I’ve got a portable DVD player and some batteries. Gonna watch the box set of The Living Dead and Omega Man; needing serious clues for how to get by post apocalypse.
WC:100
@zevonesque
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Now there’s a question for everyone, what would your last boxset(s) be? Mine would be The Vikings and The Bridge, not sure what that says about me.
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Amazing story–the leap from the first line to the second is astonishing. So well-done!
Yes, I think those box sets would come in handy…
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Nice. I like it.
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Leap of Faith
Word count:100
Posted on behalf of Ella Miller by @NomDeBen
On Friday everything changed. Life or death, friends or enemies, dragon rider or outcast. Oberon shivered and rubbed his arms. He fidgeted.The crisp wind whirled around him in the early morning light. “Standing on a mountain peak this early. I’m crazy,” he thought. “Stop fidgeting and you won’t get hurt,” echoed a familiar, feminine voice in his head. He shivered again. Oberon balanced precariously on one foot and leaned over the edge. A 6000 foot drop, if she didn’t catch him. “You *will* catch me, right?” No answer. “Right, part of the trust thing.” Oberon leaped.
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Hope he’s caught.
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Such faith. Nicely done.
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In Space No One (Now) Eats Ice Cream
100 Words
James Atkinson
@jamesatkinson81
On Friday everything changed. At least I think it was a Friday. On a space station it can be hard to tell. Especially one in deep space whose only task is to watch for non-human activity.
Nothing ever happens out here, so running out of ice cream was a pretty big deal, let me tell you.
There should have been enough to last our full tour but somehow it had run out six months short.
Don’t worry, though, I’ve sorted it. Got to the bottom of it. In a way.
No one else will be finishing off my favourites again.
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Fun story – and loved the title.
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Eek!
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I Believe in Father Christmas
On Friday everything changed.
She went to bed early (excepting five trips down for water, extra hugs and to see if he’d been yet), and as we filled her stocking I wondered how much longer she’d believe. It had been a tough year, and there wasn’t much magic in that meagre pile of presents.
But all that changed on Friday, when she bounced into our bedroom to tell us what she had in her sack.
I didn’t even know she had a mantrap, but it worked, and we’re not letting him go till he coughs up the good stuff…
100 words dead.
@Karl_A_Russell
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Oh, you stupid, stupid man… that sentence you cut to meet the wordcount? Totally the sentence which referred to the mountain top prompt photo…
Oh well, that’s one out of the competition 🙂
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Be gentle on yourself, Karl. You are making a mountain top out of…well, you know…
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Fantastic! And timely for me, as our oldest now knows we are Santa.
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Brilliant – and the photo was optional!
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As Steph said, you’re fine. It’s optional. And I definitely wouldn’t rule it out of the comp!
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LOL! Bwah ha ha!
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One Week, Suspended
On Friday, everything changed.
Blood unpooled.
Knives slid from unflinching skin.
Bones unbroke.
Whimpers drew back through unshattering teeth.
Minutes rolled back into hours.
Days.
Wrists unchafing, hope uncrumbling, certainty unbuilding.
Back to the Monday.
Sunday.
Unforcing her out of the cellar.
Undragging her out of the van.
Unwatching her unleaving work.
All the way back to the Saturday, unseeing her in the parking lot.
Undeciding.
Then lurching forward again.
Toppling through the week like a man falling from a mountaintop.
Flailing.
Screaming.
Unable to slow his descent.
Knowing every moment to come.
His unending sentence.
Jailed behind her eyes.
100 words AND BOTH PROMPTS!
A very shamefaced @Karl_A_Russell…
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Another excellent piece – see previous comment re photo!
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Excruciatingly well done.
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The Witch’s Last Call
On Friday everything changed.
The morning had started out normal enough—track the Witch. Conner never thought they would actually find her. On a Bone-Dragon.
“Bravo one,” his radio crackled. “She’s coming.”
Conner cursed and peeked out from behind the burned out husk of a car. There—something enormous was growing on the horizon. Wings blotted out the ruined city she was leaving behind.
“This is it!” he shouted. Men prepared themselves—most for death.
He stepped into the open, Heart Lance resting on his shoulder. After three long years, he had only one shot left. Would it be enough?
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Oh yeah, err @iwrites 100 words. >>
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Great cliffhanger.
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Right in the middle of the action! I so want to know what happens next.
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@firdausp
(100 words)
Flying With Dragons
On friday everything changed.
It was subtle at first; my vision sharpened,
As the day progressed I felt words pop out on my skin, one by one—violet, crimson, purple, blue, silver, gold. By sunset I shimmered.
I didnt notice at first, until a toenail scratched my keyboard. On new legs I wobbled for balance.
I got excited. Could I light up paper!
Breathing out words I slightly scorched a few pages.
In time, I thought, I’ll learn to set them afire.
Little wings broke out and I tentatively took to the air, joining the others.
Yes, it was friday…
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Marvelous flight of imagination!
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Thankyou sweet Voima. Your heart is as lovely as your name. I hope to see you around. ❤️😊
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The birth of a dragon/writer – lovely piece
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Thankyou Steph. You’re always so generous with your comments. 😊
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Beautiful!
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Thankyou ☺️
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And Then There Was Goodbye
On Friday everything changed.
They’d told me the flower would last half-way until forever, but already it droops and sags.
I shuffle my feet, glance back down the alley to where my bike rests against the bricks. I only knocked once—I can still make it before she comes to the door.
Yet, I am rooted. The door creaks and she’s there, bright eyes studying me. Her lopsided smile takes in the rose—oh great a petal just fell—and my second-hand suit.
She reaches out and grips my arm. All she needs, all she’s ever needed, are my words.
100 words
@iwrites
Bye #FF =/ Though I was oft a stranger, I’ll miss you!
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Beautiful – love the hesitancy of the poor man, deriding his appearance and sad flowers but nice to see she accepts him as he is.
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Thank you =)
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A beautiful story.
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Thanks!
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Invaders
Stephen Shirres (@The_Red_Fleece)
“On Friday everything changed. They forced us to remember that date.” Gordon’s lends into his audience of children. After all these years he still isn’t sure if he is using the right word. “We thought we were alone in the universe until they dropped out of the skies in white triangular crafts. Their guns blazing out into our world. We didn’t stand a chance. They changed everything. Our names, our calendars, our language.” Gordon slows to a stop.
“Sir,” a single voice pops up. “Why?”
Gordon searches his audience for the speaker.
“They are Humans. That is what they do.”
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Unfortunately you’re right, we’ve even done it in this world.
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And it is important to remember this I feel. Hopefully one day we’ll learn…one day
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Great last line.
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Scriptural Battles
On Friday everything changed. Before then, transubstantiation had always involved bread and wine, not the reinforced concrete that made up the statue of Christ the Redeemer. Over the next few hours, things got complicated, fast. Other religious statues also came alive, and they started to battle. People panicked, but faithful and heathen alike were ignored.
The carnage was great, and soon gods began to drop. In the end, it was down to Vishnu and Anubis when a nuclear strike was finally called, concerns over what would happen when only one remained. All seemed safe, until the first dragon took flight.
@davejamesashton
100 words
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Proving there will always be something to step into the void!
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Oh, I like this a lot. I can see you expanding this into a greater story.
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Paradox
On Friday everything changed.
Donald stretched his arm to the love of his life, wondering whether… if perhaps they’d done things differently… if perhaps things hadn’t been quite so perfect…
Daisy took her love’s outstretched hand. Together, they turned back, feasting their eyes one last time on the world they’d created.
Impossible Beauty. Mountains that stretched to the sky. Seas of outrageous creatures. An ideal balance of culture and nature.
Utopia.
The unbelievable fantasy was collapsing, swallowed by the paradox, unable to sustain perfection.
Donald stepped through. His fingers grasped air.
Daisy.
The perfect wife.
Too good to be true.
@USNessie
Life is chaos at the moment, but I had to come by for the last flash!
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Sadly perfection never seems to last.
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Oh, very imaginative – and sad!
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Before Her Time
On Friday everything changed.
I’d just unwrapped a candy cane as Mom burst into my room, bags swinging round her wrists.
“Good, you’re here. Hide these.”
“What are they?”
Mom smiled, lobbing the bags which landed with crinkled thud.
“Gifts from Santa. Paper’s under my bed.”
Heat spread like a sunburn across me. A thousand pine needles jabbed through my skin. Eleven Christmases flashed in my mind. I could only focus on the hole in my jeans, not remembering when it became so gaping. Entombing the packages under the comforter, I nodded.
The taste of peppermint still turns my stomach.
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@lunalynx
Of course I forget my Twitter handle this time. Thanks for the fun and a chance to try out new stuff. I will miss this.
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Nice topical story
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Vivid visualization.
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Cyclical
On Friday, everything changed.
It didn’t end with a whimper or a bang….more of a crackle. The skies shimmered like oil in puddles after the rain. Ozone filled the air, everything sizzled to a halt.
They came from beyond. Sipping electricity through barbed straws and gathering handfuls concrete and glass. They barely glanced at us as we scurried away.
No one in a red cape or a blue box showed up to save us. In the end it was the shapers, pulling words from air mingled with their blood that drove the demons back.
On Saturday, we began again.
@Lunalynx
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Love the look to the future ending.
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Very nice
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Great imagery, though I was kind of hoping for the dude in the blue box to save the day. 😉
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A New Day
On Friday everything changed. Lina had eaten the same low-fat bran cereal and gone to the same dull job for six years. Today will be different, she decided, a greasy fast food biscuit warming her belly. She would go swimming at the lake. Then she’d stop by the animal shelter and volunteer for a few hours. And she would finally tell Chad that she… her stomach lurched violently. Her car veered into the path of a truck as she gagged.
When the paramedics pulled her from the wreckage, her final words before she closed her eyes were, “A new day.”
@terry_jenn
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Oh dear, perhaps somethings you shouldn’t change until you’re ready, at least for the horrors of fast food!
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Ha!
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Oh, how horribly sad.
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A World Without Friday
On Friday everything changed. The still, dead grass became a sea alive in amber and gold. Close, suffocating air turned to a wind that carried away everything scary, everything unknown. A world that often seemed muted, devoid of purpose, and lonely, transformed into a world of beauty, of possibility. It was a world on fire, with two beating hearts, six legs, but one soul.
Friday was more than a horse. She was a lens through which everything became a miracle. But now she’s gone. The world shivers for her, and I mourn all the radiance lost. Without Friday, everything’s changed.
~Taryn Noelle Kloeden
@tnkloeden
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Gorgeous writing.
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Absolutely fabulous story.
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This is gorgeous, and I enjoyed the unique take of Friday as a horse.
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The day I felt good
On Friday everything changed.
I celebrated a nameless anniversary with microwaved food, and in the Biblical sense I found my redemptive closure.
I sought it from the cracks which finally carried my voice loud and clear. Nearing my bloodshot eye close to the breathy gap, I could even see some of it.
Sitting and waiting did make me old in my soul; I often thought how Alexa was still a young girl, eternally assured she would know herself only to forget and again.
In Hell, she’s still my girl and I can now go and see she doesn’t suffer anymore.
@Raptamei
100 words
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I am sensing some darkness here. Nice story.
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I can hear the passion in this piece.
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Vibes (100 words)
@brett_milam
On Friday everything changed.
Sanguine vibes percolated my system and had momentarily removed the morose glob that hung off me in the days before.
I used to wade through a sandstorm only my eyes could detect. And it wasn’t the sand that was the problem, it was the force of it – the feeling that I was constantly moving against an opposing power.
But her eyes somehow didn’t see the glob. She saw something in me that I had long since written the eulogy for.
Everything changed when she kissed me, sending a new kind of opposing power through my body.
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Some remarkable imagery particularly the ‘morose glob that hung off me’.
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Thank you!
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Romance! Hooray! Nicely done.
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Haha thought I would switch it up! Thank you!
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Vestigial Attachment
100 words
On Friday everything changed. I cursed each mutinous breath.
I drove my daughter to the seaside where Marlon would assume custody. Annie’s fingers starfished against the passenger window. She was now mature enough to go with him. Mature enough not to need me.
She tore across the sand. Marlon didn’t acknowledge me. I didn’t expect him to. Depths dissolve land-locked love.
Annie’s moony face turned back toward shore. Her dolphin trill skid across the water.
Sand peeled apart my unwebbed toes. I clutched my ribcage, desperate for gills like theirs.
A splash. They were gone, stranding me on atavistic shoals.
@rowdy_phantom
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Such a sad story.
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Thanks. Pulling on that bittersweet feeling as the preschooler gets more and more independent.
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“fingers starfished against the window” – what an awesome image. This feels a bit like The Little Mermaid in reverse. Well done!
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“fingers starfished against the window” – what an awesome image! This feels like The Little Mermaid gone bad.
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Muted (100 words)
@brett_milam
On Friday everything changed.
I arrived at the blank screen, ready for our usual tango, but my muse remained a brain dweller, not daring to emerge. The blank screen mocked me. And the cursor blinked its catcalls at me, preying on my insecurities.
They knew me to be a fraud. Other times I’d written were accidents – spilled ink. I was exposed. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, paralyzed. My brain sputtered, ineffectual against the brightness of the white screen.
The gig was up; time to move on. I was a mere flash before the abyss, just another hapless muse slayed.
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Oh that terrible self-doubt, that plague on our house.
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Love this. ‘They knew me to be a fraud.’ So good.
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Thank you, Marie!
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This is how I feel about every single day. Well done, in a sad, paralyzing kind of way.
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Thank you!
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Friday
Evan Montegarde
100 words
On Friday everything changed. Father Time knew he’d misplaced Monday but fortunately nobody particularly missed it, Tuesday had been misunderstood for years and Wednesday was too often confused for Thursday. Friday had always been rock solid, a bridge to the glories of Saturday and solemn rites of Sunday. It was one of his great triumphs.
Friday was special, even magical, with an air of excitement about it; a time for reflection, anticipation and creation. But now even Friday had changed. Time frowned for he loved Friday more than all the others. Friday would continue but her glorious light had dimmed.
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Lovely.
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What a great story! I really enjoyed the idea of misplacing Monday!
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Tuesday had been misunderstood for years – ha ha ha!
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Untethered
On Friday, everything changed.
Every smile, every tear, every argument. Snapshots flipping past. None of them matter now. Yet nothing else does.
The chains of your love, the weight of expectations, the guilt of failure…
What am I, left without you? Who can I be if not yours—to mold, to want. To own.
Freed from you, I’m bound by memories, grasping as they slither through my fingers and out of my mind.
Dripping drops echo in the emptiness left behind.
Condolences whisper past, brushes of hands pressing mine with murmured prayers.
Gloves hide the blood I couldn’t wash away.
(100 words, @AriaGlazki)
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Terrific writing with some great poetic turns of phrase (‘Dripping drops echo in the emptiness left behind’)
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Thanks, Steph 🙂
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Ooh. Ooh. Creepy. And sad. And romantic. And then creepy. And then I’m having to re-read it to understand it anew. Nicely done.
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😀 Thanks, Margaret!
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*Submitted on behalf of the lovely Crystal Alden
WC: 100
Rhyming Ever After
“On Friday everything changed!”
“Please just tell me why you are here.”
“An evil witch was drinking beer!”
“And what is the problem with that, sir?”
“She was drunk and wildly gave her wand a stir.”
“Are you rhyming?”
“It was the witch’s timing.”
“So the witch makes you rhyme with whomever speaks to you?”
“Well, it’s definitely not my crime too.”
“And when did this happen?”
“Friday, while she was tappin’.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can help.”
“You could arrest her with magic kelp!”
“Sorry, but the case is closed.”
“You acted just as I supposed.”
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Condemned to rhyme for ever after – great fun.
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Ha ha ha, fun!
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….
On Friday everything changed. The last notes of a song rang out, beautiful words from stories past floated by in memories so strong that hearts swelled and eyes blurred.
This is not an ending but a transition. One that can be embraced with gusto. Courage was born here. Those who hid behind their words emerged and flourished, finding their true voices.
This is a place that will be forever in our hearts, a stepping stone that got us where we are today. And as we continue to move forward, we know that the friends we’ve gained will come with us.
Word Count: 100
@RealMommaRamble
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Beautiful tribute.
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Thank you. 🙂
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So, so touching.
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Thank you 🙂
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Yes, 100%! A great tribute.
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Thank you. 🙂
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Murmuration
100 words
@voimaoy
On Friday everything changed. There was a rumble like mountains moving. And in the currents of the air, there was a shimmering. From near and far, the dragons came. The rising sun shone on them, gold and iridescent and colors that had no name. They came. from green valleys and deserts, from rivers and cities and seas. They came from the corners of old maps, from the margins of medieval manuscripts. They wheeled and circled until the blank page of sky was black with them, and the clouds shook with thunder. They flashed amid the lightning, a murmuration of dragons.
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‘A murmuration of dragons’ – great collective noun. Lovely description of the Friday summons.
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Just stunning.
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Thank you, Steph and Marie! A grand murmuration this one last time… 🙂
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Blank page of sky = oh, so lovely. I love the idea of the dragons coming from maps and manuscripts! This is awesome.
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@fs_iver
WC: 100 en punto
Interview with a Husk
On Friday everything changed. Now why did you believe that? Because I told you? Don’t believe the first thing I say. These kinda things come on slow and progress even slower; and, if you’re fortunate, you ain’t the fool that remembers.
First time I noticed it was when she pointed it out. EEEEE! False. You catch on quick. Her shadow was cold before I felt the fabric growing into my skin. Funny.
I don’t have regrets. Sure the beige brings out my natural ruddy but I can live with that if it means no disturbances. Who needs a spirit anyway?
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Love the creepy element to this story, especially the line ‘Her shadow was cold before I felt the fabric growing into my skin’.
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Thank you!
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I love the tone here. Creepy, and yet cheeky. Totally Foy. ❤
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And She Does.
On Friday everything changed. I was no longer the little girl my father adored. I was a bargaining chip, a promise for a deal.
My view of this world had finally been unveiled, reveling many shades of greed.
I looked at the man smiling in front of me. I could see his plans written in the corners of his mouth, reflected in the dark chocolate windows to his rotting soul.
As I said my vows in the room of silent witnesses, I made a secret one of my own.
One day I would kill this man, setting free the world.
Word Count: 100
@RealMommaRamble
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And I do hope she does.
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Brilliant. Love the imagery and emotion.
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Thank you. You are so kind. 🙂
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Ooh. Nasty. Sounds like the premise to a romance novel I’d like to write, only with a happier ending. 😉 Nicely done.
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Thank you. That would make for an interesting romance novel. 😉
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One Last Thought
On Friday everything changed. He stared at the blank document, the laptop fan humming and blowing warm heat onto his thigh. The empty electric light illuminated his face. He felt the heaviness of the void extracting his joy.
He’d usually fill the emptiness with creatures, indecisive couples, and dark thoughts (among other things). Filling the vacuum helped keep him sane. Now he felt the implosion of it all, his center collapsing in on itself.
The man was ready to give up, but then a story came to mind. Something about a smiling dragon, releasing little dragons out into the world.
100 words
@goldzco21
#flashdog
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There is always that moment just before you feel ready to give up, and yours turned out a little gem.
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You describe this moment so well, and what a splendid story!
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Lovely last line, and the whole thing bleeds emotion. Nicely done.
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A second story, trying to balance all the ones I’ve missed… So thankful to everyone who tirelessly judges, reads, comments, and encourages to help this community thrive! And of course, to Rebekah, though with everyone’s much more eloquent thanks, I hope she knows.
—-
In Living Color
On Friday, everything changed.
I trudged through the sludge, encased in mundane browns and grays. Blindly, I shoved my door open and continued toward the back, discarding pieces of my day—purse, gloves, coat, keys all dropping on any handy surface.
A crimson shadow shimmered, and I paused. A headshake cleared my sight and stole the hint of hope.
My eyes shut against the heartache, the memory of a world with color.
Hot breath on my face made my heart stutter, my eyes snap open. Purples, greens, and golds all bloomed in me anew.
Wing brushing wing, reunited we flew.
(100 words; @AriaGlazki)
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Wonderful use of colour, flying with dragons beats everyday mundanity any time.
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Love the use of color. Love it. Nicely done!
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Little Boy
On Friday everything changed.
Christmas morning:
Another failure bleeds down the drain.
Happiness:
Not meant for me.
Hope–gone.
Faith–faded.
Heart–broken.
Me–destroyed.
Disgusted, I came back to bed,
Yielding to the darkness.
But that Monday had a different plan.
Time Stopped. Raced. Cursed. Praised.
It was meant for me.
I watched
…my sweat dampen sheets.
…Lucky Charms swirl down the drain.
…an unearthly glow arise as the dream within me
Grew. Smiled. Kicked. Flipped. Breathed.
And greeted the world.
I took you in my arms,
Kissed your head upon my chest…
And cried.
That Friday everything changed.
@WHealyWrites
100 Words
💜👑 All hail the Dragon 👑💜
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Beautiful (brought back some a difficult time of my own but everything changed for me as well).
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Oh, so moving.
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Intelligence is Relative
100 words
@mishmhem
#flashdogs
On Friday everything changed, at midnight SETI announced they had found what they had been searching for, undeniable confirmation that we were not alone in the universe.
After sifting through the data processed by their “SETI at home’ project, they revealed that a message that had been repeating across the heavens for more than two hundred and twenty-seven billion years.
It had been repeated, decremented and then repeated again,
According to their calculations – it had been transmitted two-trillion, three hundred and twenty seven billion times, and there were still twenty seven trillion bottles of beer on the wall.
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Ha ha, the song is universal.
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Lol. Love it.
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Ha, ha! 🙂 Loved this.
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Bwah ha ha! Love it!
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Waiting
100 lonely words
@thebatinthehat
On Friday, everything changed.
It was the day before your birthday. It began like any other; I had no indication yet my life was going to be forever changed. It wasn’t until I came home to an unexpectedly empty house that I first knew.
You should have been home from school hours earlier.
I’ve kept your room just the same, right down to your favorite teddy bear, even though I know that, if miracles exist, you’re old enough to have children of your own, now.
I sleep in here sometimes, just to be near you.
I hope you don’t mind.
———-
Thank you, Rebekah. I hope to call on you in DC one of these days! So far, my trips have been uncooperative. Coffee or tea. My treat.
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Sad story and even sadder that so many have to go through this.
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Oh, this is heartbreaking. Heartbreaking. 😦
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Title: Time, Stampeding
Word Count: 100
Website: https://marshalhopalop.wordpress.com/2015/12/12/flash-friday-final-double-feature/
On Friday everything changed.
I was a young man on Thursday. On Wednesday I was a fountain of imagination. On Tuesday the world was studded with diamonds. On Friday, as sudden as a startled breath, I felt ragged. Old friends are now a world away. New friends are mere theories.
All my joints ache and my thoughts come halting, like they’re all flying backwards to neater, better times. There’s no snow in the middle of winter and I feel a great unbalance in my world.
If I convince myself I still have the young man’s pulse, perhaps it’s actually true.
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Sad take on old age – ‘there’s no snow in the middle of winter’, beautiful line.
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I believe flash fiction has given me, a bit of an old cogger, a young man’s pulse…every so often. Well done.
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I like the variety of images you’ve used in this. A great sense of motion.
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Not All Princesses Need Princes
On Friday everything changed. Her gossamer gowns wrinkled, and her combed hair tangled. She was forever choking on apples and falling into spindles.
“Why do *I* have to wear this?” Friday stamped and shattered her glass slipper.
“It’s just for a bit.” Godmother pulled the bubble wrap tighter. “Until we find you a prince.”
“Lot of good they can do.”
Time passed by. The other girls got princes; Friday got pimples.
“Don’t fret,”–Godmother patted her helmet–“Someone’s bound to want you.”
Time creaked by. The other girls got castles; Friday got casts.
“Maybe we lower our standards?” Godmother said.
WC: 100
@fs_iver
*Friday’s name more aptly reflects the 1887 adaptation of Monday’s Child, and many historians feel this was a stroke of unconscious genius on the part of her Godmother.
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You made me look it up! Poor Friday, I do hope her luck changes.
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‘Time creaked by. The other girls got castles; Friday got casts.’ Love that. Quirky and perfect for the High Dragoness!
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Oh my gosh, I love this story! I love how you use Friday as the name of your character, and I love, love, love the mention of bubble wrap. That made me laugh out loud.
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This is hilarious. And totally up Rebekah’s alley, of course, with the twist on fairy tales. Love it! So darn funny.
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Gravitational Force
100 final words
@sara.tranum
On Friday, everything changed.
Shards of glass ricocheted off the floor.
“You don’t even like him! You haven’t spoken in years!”
I picked up the picture by the frame and shook off the shards. They clattered to the wood. “It’s not about all that. He’s my father.”
“Then why now? After all he put you through?”
She stood, her hands on her hips, defiance painted on her face despite the slight tremble in her hands.
“He’s dying.”
“And?”
“I can’t let him die alone.”
“Well I can’t watch you go back to him. You might never come back to me.”
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The pull of blood … nice take.
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Thanks! There’s something about the old phrase, ‘thicker than water’ that does make it hard to resist that pull…
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Such a complex situation told beautifully in 100 words!
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Thanks! There so much to it in my head, I wasn’t sure how it would translate to the page and for a reader. Glad it worked for you. 🙂
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This rings painfully close to truth. Well described, and believable. And sad!
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Thanks, ML! This story was a bit of art imitating life. I keep typing other things and erasing them. Just no way around the tough parts all the time. I found sometimes the painful and the sad are best handled by making something out of them.
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Yes. I can completely relate.
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