Week 698 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 Katheryn J. Avila for judging this week. Follow Siobhan Muir on Bluesky or check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction server on Discord or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc.
Entries:
- Bill Engleson
- Siobhan Muir
- Mark Ethridge
- David A. Ludwig
- K.R. Van Horn
- Silver James
- Alex Minns
Honorable Mention
Silver James | Website
Katheryn says: My curiosity is piqued. Despite how short the scene is, the world feels fully fleshed out and the stakes are clear. Definitely want to read more!
winner announcement
Week 698 Winner
Katheryn says: I really loved this piece! It encapsulates the weird feeling we all had meeting in public right after restrictions were lifted, and how badly we all needed to reconnect. The characters feel extremely human, and the interaction between the speaker and the mom felt very real.
Rock Around the Block Party
Covid had wrapped up…I mean, still there but apparently manageable. A few community minded neighbors decided to throw a massive post-Covid, get reconnected block party.
Seemed harmless so I signed on. They blocked off one whole street… two blocks over, and said, we’ll barbecue the weenies, you bring the fixin’s.
Slapdash, I thought but what the hey, so I said, “potato salad my thing, let me take care of that.”
There we were, a somewhat undefined neighbourhood, hundreds of pandemic weary humans wandering over to McCaulay Steet, clutching our pot luckeries, collapsible chairs, our humanity, you might say.
After plopping down my contribution, hauled over in a wee wagon I use, I sat down next to a woman clutching her baby. Cute thing, maybe a year old…and we’re sitting there watching the proceedings and she says, “do you mind…I forgot the diapers…and she hands me the kid and scurries off.”
I’m thinking, “Lady, I look harmless but I could be …” but I shut up, bounced the kid on my knee, and observed the community chaos. I even say, “Pretty darn chaotic?” to nobody in particular. I then ask the kid, “Do you know what chaos is?” smiling at my own witty ridiculousness…and the kid says, swear to god, “”Too much kissing.”
Lips hadn’t moved but the voice came from the kid.
Then the mom popped up smiling like a secret ventriloquist.
“One of my Covid projects,” she said.
Got me good,” I admitted.
~~~~~~~
Congratulations FORTY-TWO TIME WINNER Bill, and Honorable Mention Silver! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it!
Pass on the great news on Facebook, Discord, MeWe, Bluesky, Mastodon, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂
