Week 617 of #ThursThreads was a success, and y’all never disappoint. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. You are why we’re still doing this.
If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Eric Martell for judging this week. Follow Siobhan Muir on Bluesky or check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc.
Entries:
- Bill Engleson
- Joe Hesch
- Terri Mertz
- Teresa M. Eccles
- Siobhan Muir
- Kelly Heinen
- Mark Ethridge
- David A. Ludwig
- Silver James
- Mark A. Morris
Honorable Mentions
Kelly Heinen | Website
Eric says: Any story that makes me want to go listen to John Prine (in this case, “Jesus, the Missing Years”) has done me a service. Caught me with the whole my parents/my father thing at the beginning, but then wrapped back around to make it all make sense.
Terri Mertz | Website
Eric says:
This one’s a story that’s all setup and no payoff, but it’s quite a setup. Filled with little details that give it life – why polka music? – it jumps off the screen.
winner announcement
Week 617 Winner
Eric says: A masterful and angry allegory of anthropogenic climate change told via the abuse we so easily heap on those who are different. It’s hard for a story of 250 words to work on multiple levels, but Mark did it here. Well done!
Sunshine looked at her reflection on the surface of the ocean. “I can see it in your eyes,” she thought as she hovered in place above the ocean. “You’re angry.”
She was. It was an anger that had been building since she encountered the men on the boat. Then she found their village, and her anger grew. Then she learned what they did to anyone who was not like them. Their own children, even. How they killed them. Or certainly tried to.
“Well. They can try to kill me.” She called on the wild magic, and a storm formed on the ocean. A storm that strangely enough left her alone. “They can try.” She flew toward the village.
As she flew, she made sure the storm grew, until it had the winds of a hurricane, and the rain that went with it. She flew straight toward the village. She flew low so the humans could see her. “They will know this was done by me.”
The storm struck the boat piers of the village first. Water and waves covered them, twisted them, splintered them, destroyed them. The storm threw any boats onto the land, leaving twisted piles of wood.
Sunshine landed on the shore of the village. She walked through it. The storm lashed at the buildings. Not all of the buildings survived. Not all of the people in the village survived.
The machines spoke. “Just like Merlin did when he was here.”
Sunshine made the storm worse.
~~~~~~~
Congratulations TWENTY-THREE TIME WINNER Mark, and Honorable Mentions Kelly and Terri! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it!
Pass on the great news on Facebook, MeWe, Bluesky, Mastodon, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂
