Week 684 of #ThursThreads was a success, a remarkable feat for 13 solid years. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. You are why we’re still doing this. I’m truly grateful for all y’all!
If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to David A. Ludwig 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
- Mark Ethridge
- Sheilagh Lee
- Silver James
- Siobhan Muir
- Kelly Heinen
- Eric Martell
- K.R. Van Horn
- David A. Ludwig
- Patty Dump
Honorable Mentions
Eric Martell | Website
David says: I loved how fully you immersed us in the tension and imagined scenarios inspired by the note. Compellingly well played leaving the questions unanswered at the end.
K.R. Van Horn | Website
David says: I loved the flow and existential vibe of this one. And I’m intrigued by the characters, who seem suitably mysterious for the situation.
winner announcement
Week 684 Winner
David says: I love the articulate, conversational tone of this piece. The expression of living and dealing with depression particularly resonated with me. In a strong field, the repetition of the prompt made this one stand out and kept me coming back to it. I also appreciate ending on a hopeful note.
Doc knew the worst time for me was the few hours after sunset. Once the sun went down, darkness descended on everything. It was something I always had to prepare for. “Be ready at dark.”
I got my spoonful of peanut butter, and my soda. I’d consume them when it got dark enough. I put on my bone conduction earphones, and grabbed my phone. I had over 600 songs on my phone. Songs that made me feel better. Songs that made me feel lighter, happier.
Most people have a zillion pictures on their phones. Selfies. Flowers. Sunsets. Friends. I had music. That music helped me feel alive. Whereas pictures were just pictures. Memories maybe got associated with them. But memories were something I didn’t really like.
“Be ready at dark. That’s when the bad stuff comes out of the shadows in the corners.” Depression was funny like that. It was predictable in a lot of ways. Like how I knew it would spike with the sunset. That’s the thing. If I paid attention, and didn’t let the ache I felt get in the way, consume everything else, I could figure it out. How it worked. When it spiked. Why it spiked at that time.
As the sun set, I put on the music. I set the phone to play random songs. Even though I knew most of them by sound. I had some of the peanut butter. Then washed it down with soda. “Bring it, darkness. You don’t scare me.”
~~~~~~~
Congratulations TWENTY-FOUR TIME WINNER Mark, and Honorable Mentions Eric and K.R.! 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! 🙂
