Week 452 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. I’m honored to see all the writers come to tie a tale as we head toward the end of our ninth year. If you’ve been doing it a while, thank you for sticking with us. If you’ve just found us, welcome! May you come back again and write more great flash. Thousand thanks to Stacy Bennett 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:
- Daniel Swensen | @daniel_swensen
- Silver James | @SilverJames_
- Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea
- Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
- Mark A. Morris
- Patty Dump | @pattydump1
- Mark Ethridge | @mysoulstears
- Joseph P. Garland | @JPGarlandAuthor
- David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
- Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
- Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
- Katheryn J. Avila | @katheryn_avila
- M.T. Decker | @mishmhem
Honorable Mentions
Katheryn J. Avila | @katheryn_avila
Stacy says: The mood here was suspenseful and I felt the two characters’ caution. Like any good mystery there were teases of information but not enough to satisfy. I was left wondering about the girl who may have killed her dad (and why), the two “hunters” who were after her, and the other person involved who seemed on par with a mob boss. Good intrigue and conflicting factions. I’d be interested in reading more of this story.
Mark A. Morris
Stacy says: It took me a moment to latch onto the tone of the story but the body in the trunk brought it home. Then, of course there is the strangeness of the other driver which gave me the creeps, letting me know that the body in the trunk was just the beginning. So… what’s your guess? Aliens or zombies? Either way, good job!
Daniel Swensen | @daniel_swensen
Stacy says: This one was fun. Those damned thieves. How the hell are you to know if they are saving the day or just covering their own asses and previous mistakes? Never can trust a thing they say. Daniel paints the relationships and tensions between the three characters very well, boding well for more tension as the story moves on. I’d definitely read more if you wrote it!
winner announcement
Week 452 Winner
Stacy says: Silver gave us such a complete story in so few words. And sometimes that works just as well or better than intriguing ambiguity. This time it worked perfectly. I love the characterization with just a few strokes, the sense of urgency and the hints of the bigger picture. I really enjoyed this smooth immersive read.
Nudging the body with my motorcycle boot, I tried to downplay the situation. “Could happen to anybody.”
Her upper lip curled into a snarl. “But it happened to me.”
I lifted my hands, palms out, as a barrier between us. “Not my fault.”
“Then who’s fault was it, Rook?” Her eyes narrowed into a squint so angry I backed up an involuntary step. “Mine?”
“No, babe,” I hurried to say. “But it wasn’t mine either.”
“So what you’re actually saying—”
“Shit happens.” I cut her off. No time for rants. “And we gotta hit the road.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Yeah, babe, you are.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and jutted out her chin. Cute. But we didn’t have time for cute shit either. “I’m calling the police.”
I stared, not quite sure I’d heard right.
She hurried on. “He kidnapped me! I have to make a police—”
“No cops, babe. Ever. Club business.”
She blinked at me, mouth open on a word that refused to come out. I reached for her, got my hand on the back of her neck and reeled her into my chest before she could react. “Babe,” I whispered into her hair. “The club takes care of our own. This asshole took you. I got you back.”
“And that’s all there is?”
No, that wasn’t all, but I wasn’t about to explain that the Nightriders would be raining fire down on the Hell Dogs. “You’re safe, babe. That’s all that matters.”
~~~~~~~
Congratulations FORTY-EIGHT TIME WINNER Silver, and Honorable Mentions Katheryn, Mark, and Daniel! 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! 🙂
