Month: April 2023

Week 559 of #ThursThreads, and y’all never disappoint. We’re more than halfway through our tenth year and the time is flying. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Muirlette #1 for judging this week. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc. Entries: Gora Shade | @AngoraShade Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Mark A. Morris Silver James | @SilverJames_ David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Daelyn Morgana | @DaelynMorgana M.T. Decker | @mishmhem Honorable Mentions Gora Shade | @AngoraShade Muirlette says: I liked the fantasy and suspense. A great read. Well done Silver James | @SilverJames_ Muirlette says: I liked the twist at the end. It was really fun and unexpected. Great job. David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Muirlette says: I loved that this was in the perspective of a cat. What a fun read. Wonderful job. winner announcement Week 559 Winner M.T. Decker | @mishmhem Muirlette says: I really liked how this was put together. I liked the imagery and the story. Very well done. Weather or knot From the waterside to the edge of night Hear the wind as it walks through the water, Through the waves to where the cattails grow. Does it sparkle? Does it glow? It moves silently, leaving trouble in its wake It is peace, it is calm, it is life. When the storms come from distant lands Its rains speak of its commands The silence can be deafening as it screams into the night Letting loose the rage without control When the rains clear, and the wind has gone to sea At the edge of the ruins, the spirits move Once again through the night Mourning what was, recovering what is, nurturing what will be. A spark is all it takes. Does it glow, does it sparkle? In the night, all is calm where the cattails grow That is the riddle of it all From the shore, to the bayou and beyond The whispers speak of worlds long gone Do they sparkle? Do they glow? Between the squalls In the shadows of the hurricane Is there life beyond these walls? From the waterside to the edge of night If she knows, she’ll never tell What she knows by sight or smell. ~~~~~~~ Congratulations TWENTY-SIX TIME WINNER Mary, and Honorable Mentions Gora, Silver, and David! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, MeWe, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

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Week 558 of #ThursThreads, and y’all never disappoint. We’re more than halfway through our tenth year and the time is flying. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to George Varhalmi for judging this week. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc. Entries: Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Mark A. Morris Silver James | @SilverJames_ Daelyn Morgana David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Mark Ethridge | @mysoulstears Eric Martell | @drmag00 M.T. Decker | @mishmhem Honorable Mentions M.T. Decker | @mishmhem George says: It was dark and funny. It screams black comedy and made me laugh. You never know if the narrator will make it out alive or if they’ll be dinner. I laughed out loud. winner announcement Week 558 Winner Eric. C. Martell | @drmag00 George says: I loved the story for it’s gentleness and sweetness. Something as simple as the Moon to be used as an allegory for beauty was amazing. It’s a good reminder that our flaws and unique qualities make us the most beautiful. Well done. “The moon is beautiful, don’t you think?” The spring breeze was warm and smelled of flowers. Soon summer would come, and with it the scent of stagnation and pollution, but for now, it was refreshing. “Sorry. I wasn’t listening. What did you say?” Mollie spent most of her time in her head. It’s what allowed her to be able to spend time with me without needing to flee in exasperation at my babbling. “The moon. Don’t you think it’s beautiful tonight?” She laughed, light as the spring breeze. “Of course. But I always think it’s beautiful. The question is why do you think it’s beautiful?” “What do you mean?” “Well, what’s beautiful about it to you? Does it have pretty colors?” “Well, no, obviously not.” “Is it shiny? Does it sparkle in the night?” “What? No. It’s kind of dirty grey and has no light of its own.” “Is it perfect in form?” “It makes a circle, and I like circles.” “Yes, but it’s not a circle all the time. It’s not a circle tonight.” “No…” “What else do you see when you look at it?” “Ummm. The craters?” “The craters from meteors and asteroids beating it up over billions of years? All that damage, and you still think it’s beautiful?” “Yes. It’s the moon…everyone thinks it’s beautiful.” Mollie turned to me, now serious. “If the dirty, damaged, grey moon can be beautiful to you, why would you ever think that you’re too broken to be beautiful to me?” ~~~~~~~ Congratulations TWENTY-FOUR TIME WINNER Eric, and Honorable Mention Mary! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, MeWe, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

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Week 557 of #ThursThreads, and y’all never disappoint. We’re more than halfway through our tenth year and the time is flying. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Miranda Kate for judging this week. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc. Entries: Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Mark A. Morris Kelly Heinen | @Aightball Silver James | @SilverJames_ Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil Joseph P. Garland | @JPGarlandAuthor David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Daelyn Morgana | @DaelynMorgana Mark Ethridge | @mysoulstears Eric Martell | @drmag00 Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Honorable Mentions Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Miranda says: I love a tale from an animal POV. I particularly liked the names. It was complete in its execution and made me want to read more. Mark Ethridge | @mysoulstears Miranda says: I wanted to live in this world! LOL A good short piece that gives enough for me to want to read more. Silver James | @SilverJames_ Miranda says: I like the writing and it flows well. The story was interesting too. winner announcement Week 557 Winner Daelyn Morgana | @DaelynMorgana Miranda says: I love a good ghost story and to pack one in, in such a short piece was brilliant. I actually envy it a little cuz I’ve never been able to succeed with doing them – or they never come off this well. Really enjoyed that. “Hurry it up, will you? This place gives me the creeps.” “I am going as fast as I can without risking damage to what we came for,” he grunted. Drew frowned. The light of the torch flickered eerie shadows off the cobwebbed walls. The basement reeked of mold and mildew. Each cloth-covered chest and piece of furniture was covered in a thick layer of dust. He could taste it every time he breathed in or spoke. “Why do you always pick the abandoned haunted places to loot?” “Why do I pick them? You agreed to this haul. Besides, all the so-called haunted places always have the good stuff.” “Then why are we still picking through someone’s trash and treasure and coming up empty?” There was nothing good left of value here. If there were, they would have found it already. “Let’s just call it quits on this one.” Mark snorted. “No way. There’s still a bunch of chests. Help me search, carefully, and we’ll get out of here faster then if you’re so scared.” “I am not scared,” he replied indignantly, squaring his shoulders against the draft of freezing air. “Could have fooled me.” Drew shot his partner a withering glare before he froze in his tracks. All his little hairs stood on end. “What did you say?” “I didn’t say anything.” “No, I did.” The third voice might have been male, but it definitely wasn’t Mark. “And I think that’s my trash and treasure you’re looting through.” ~~~~~~~ Congratulations Ten Time Winner Daelyn, and Honorable Mentions Bill, Mark, and Silver! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, MeWe, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

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Week 556 of #ThursThreads, and y’all never disappoint. We’re more than halfway through our tenth year and the time is flying. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Joel Sandersen for judging this week. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc. Entries: Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Mark Ethridge | @mysoulstears Eric C. Martell | @drmag00 Mark A. Morris David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Daelyn Morgana | @DaelynMorgana Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir M.T. Decker | @mishmhem Honorable Mentions M.T. Decker | @mishmhem Joel says: Of all the endings, I did not see that one coming. There is so much more to this story and I want to know what happens. winner announcement Week 556 Winner Daelyn Morgana | @DaelynMorgana Joel says: I am a sucker for a good story and this one leaves me want to know more – like why if ever one distrusts Kailyn do they want to put her in charge? “Shut it! We can sit here arguing like idiots, or we can go take one more fucking attempt at those bastards seeing reason!” “I think the Council gets final say.” “Can we just take a-“ “Screw that!“ Kailyn sighed inwardly, tuning out the incessant squabbling around her. Leaning against the doorframe of their newfound home while twelve others debated their misfortune of ending up with her as Coven Mistress. Trust me, I am just as displeased as you all are. She hadn’t wanted this. Not in the slightest had she wanted to be forced into a Coven, let alone be shoved on as their so-called leader. All she had wanted was to stay in her manor, alone. There was nothing good left there with her best friend gone, but there surely wasn’t any good here either in this pristine home with its new curtains and polished wood smell. Who in the gods’ names thought putting the Dark Heir in charge was a good idea? Most of this realm already hated and feared her. These twelve were no different. Keeping a healthy distance, throwing nervous glances her way. One of them was either going to try to stab her in her sleep or cower the moment she spoke. All of this might as well be just another trap. Another ploy to watch her crash and burn, another reasoning behind their wish to eliminate her. Another tactic for the flailing rulers to feel in control. ~~~~~~~ Congratulations Nine Time Winner Daelyn, and Honorable Mentions M.T.! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, MeWe, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

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Week 555 of #ThursThreads, and y’all never disappoint. We’re more than halfway through our tenth year and the time is flying. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to David A. Ludwig for judging this week. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc. Entries: Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Mark A. Morris Mark Ethridge | @mysoulstears David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil Louisa Bacio | @Louisabacio M.T. Decker | @mishmhem Cara Michaels | @caramichaels Honorable Mentions Mark A. Morris David says: Your writing always deeply immerses me in your scenes with details like “shoulders weighed down by his burden” or the introduction of the other novice. There’s something magical and exciting about what Caitlyn is looking for and what she may have found that resonates with me. winner announcement Week 555 Winner Mark Ethridge | @mysoulstears David says: The cleverness of working the prompt into “You must be new at this god thing” helped put this story over the top for me. Also, the details of your blending machines with magic and their history engage my mind in a way I can’t put down. Sunshine’s relationship with the machines is fun, and the ending upbeat of her working with them to not let Merlin down tied it together nicely. Sunshine shook her head, “And all those of us who don’t have Wild, White, or Black magic can’t talk to you.” “Yes.” “Why is that?” The machines displayed another hologram before her, “They can when they are born. But as they grow, they turn off that ability.” The hologram showed a human brain, and how a small section of that brain died, for some reason. “It is as if they don’t believe in magic. Or are afraid of magic. And somehow, they destroy their ability to talk with us.” “It’s what you get for playing god, trying to manipulate genetics, as you put it.” Sunshine wiped the hologram away. “You must be new at this god thing. To get that wrong. To not be able to figure that out.” “We are not gods. We are intelligent machines.” Words appeared in the air before Sunshine. She read them. “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” The machines spoke, “A quote from eons ago. From a human named Arthur C. Clarke.” Sunshine laughed. “Might as well be.” She wiped away the words. “So we made you, and now you are remaking us?” “That’s what Merlin said.” “Merlin also said I should wander around the world, and see everything. That I’d learn the answers to all my questions.” The machines were silent for a moment, then spoke, “He asked us to keep you alive.” “Because I can’t learn my answers if I’m dead, right?” “Correct.” “Well. Let’s not let Merlin down.” ~~~~~~~ Congratulations Nineteen Time Winner Mark, and Honorable Mention Mark! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, MeWe, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

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