Week 378 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. I’m honored to see all the writers come to tie a tale as we start our eighth year. If you’ve been doing it a while, thank you. If you’ve just found us, welcome! May you come back again and write more great flash. Thousand thanks to Liv Therese Dalin 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:
- Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
- Tina Glasneck | @TinaGlasneck
- Terry Brewer | @Stories2121
- Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
- Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea
- Jo Hawk | @JoHawktheWriter
- Cynthia Hudson-Keane | @AuthorCAKeane
- Teresa Eccles | @TeresaMEccles
- Richard Gibney | @ragtaggiggagon
- Silver James | @SilverJames_
- Mark A. Morris
- David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
- Kel J. Heinen | @Aightball
- Torn MacAlester | @Torn_MacAlester
- Patty Knowles
- Atticus Stryker | @TAFORU
- M.T. Decker | @mishmhem
Honorable Mentions
Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
Liv says: The descriptions were fluid and organic, immediately setting the scene and world without any la-di-da. Truly well done!
Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea
Liv says: I like my zombies terrifying, but I appreciate the brave choice and fun setting. It was well delivered and explained the world quickly.
Richard Gibney | @ragtaggiggagon
Liv says: I enjoyed the slight disarray of voices, background and ultimate conclusion of setting. It has a comical sense of dread I find to be unique
Kel J. Heinen | @Aightball
Liv says: Golden star with glittery sprinkles for how you convey emotions with memories. It made me believe it had happened.
winner announcement
Week 378 Winner
Liv says: The scenario felt so genuine, it made me feel a little uncomfortable. I had to stop and think, read it again, and appreciated it more the second time as the scene sunk in properly, both now as a parent and the memories of being a confused teen. I enjoyed the ending, which promised an interesting twist and explanation further down the line. Great job!
Congratulations Winner Terry, and Honorable Mentions Cara, Bill, Richard, and Kel! 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! 🙂
He’s Barely Alive
They didn’t know he could hear them. Night after night they’d sit in the kitchen and talk about him. “What’s wrong with him?” “He just sits around all day dreaming.” “He’s barely alive.”
He was sick of overhearing. He was sick of the worried looks and the forced smiles they gave him when he walked into the kitchen to get a glass of milk or a snack. He knew they’d be shaking their heads when he was gone.
He tried so hard to be what they wanted him to be and he failed. He was not the athlete his father envisioned. Nor did he have an artistic streak her mother pined for. He was just him. Not the overachiever his parents, two overachievers themselves, expected would come from his mother’s womb.
They never asked “what is it you’re dreaming of son?” Which was probably for the best; he didn’t know.
Until he did. He stayed closeted in his room as before. His parents didn’t realize it, but he was more alive than he had ever been. Numbers. He saw numbers. Each morning he awoke with a brain full of numbers and calculations. His world suddenly made sense. His world.
~~~~~~~