Tag: #ThursThreads

Week 609 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 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: Katheryn J. Avila A.J. Walker Bill Engleson  Sheilagh Lee Miranda Gammella Mark Ethridge  Alex Minns David A. Ludwig  Siobhan Muir  Cara Michaels Eric Martell Daelyn Morgana David says: I was really glad to see so many participants this week and have such a difficult time choosing a winner and honorable mentions. It was great to see how deeply some writers integrated the prompt into their stories, or creative they got in spinning it away from the missing person it started as. Honorable Mentions Cara Michaels | Website David says: I love inferences based on lack of evidence, so the well-timed “That is literally not how evidence works, jackass” made me laugh. I appreciated weaving the prompt into the analysis of the Jeep, rather than have it be about a person. Eric Martell | Website David says: I particularly liked the flow of this one, the way it meandered while building to the prompt as a climax, then settled back to meander again. It felt completely natural to me. Daelyn Morgana | Website David says: I appreciated having the “Twigger Warning” going into this one. I found it hauntingly powerful, relatable, and the prompt was the heart of the piece all the way through. winner announcement Week 609 Winner Miranda Gammella David says: Using the prompt as the pivot point for an intense tone shift really stuck with me. Details, like playing the melancholy music on a Steinway specifically, or shattering a decanter of Macallan, grounded the piece powerfully for me. I was completely immersed by the emotion of the scene all the way through. The missing body and appearance on the balcony culminate in a particularly enticing mystery. The preparations for her celebration of life continued around him. Calling it a celebration felt like a punch in the gut. He answered questions when they were posed to him robotically, barely remembering his responses as soon as he uttered them. Except when they asked about music. There would be no pre-recorded music played through speakers to fill the background noise. No, he would play one final time for his love. Alone again, he sat at his beloved Steinway and let the music flow through him as his hands swept up and down the keyboard. He played familiar songs, some of her favorites, then segued into something new but never to be heard again. The music discordant and melancholy echoing his emotions. His cell phone vibrated across the top of the piano, distracting him. He answered blindly, then stood abruptly, pushing the piano bench back with a screech. “What do you mean, she’s missing? How do you misplace a body!?” The answer he received infuriated him more. “That’s my wife you lost, you incompetent imbecile! Find her!” He threw his phone across the room, not caring that it broke on impact. Pent up full of fury, he roughly grabbed his bottle of whiskey. As he turned to the balcony, the decanter slipped from his fingers, shattering on the ground. The expensive Macallan whisky splashed over his shoes and pantlegs, but he paid it no mind. She was staring back at him from the other side of the balcony door.~~~~~~~ Congratulations Two Time Winner Miranda, and Honorable Mentions Cara, Eric, and Daelyn! 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! 🙂

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Week 608 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 Daelyn Morgana 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 Miranda Gammella David A. Ludwig Nellie Batz Siobhan Muir Daelyn said: Tough choices this week, real tough. I had ties for the winner and HM going for a long time before I picked just one each. It was a close call. All the tales had aspects that I loved and lines that were perfection. Honorable Mention Miranda Gammella | Website Daelyn says: There is something so profound in this piece that it makes my heart hurt. So many lines were like a sucker punch to my gut. I especially loved: “She wasn’t sure if she envied them such a connection or pitied them.” The only piece of dialogue in this being part of the prompt was a fitting touch to end on, leaving us with a lingering sensation I’m sure we’ve all felt before at one time or another. Beautifully done. I could absolutely see this being accepted into a flash fiction lit mag. winner announcement Week 608 Winner David A. Ludwig Daelyn says: There is something about this tale that just flows perfectly, like a well-oiled machine. I can picture the scene vividly with spot on descriptions, hear the character’s voices clearly with each dialogue tag. Plus it’s just plain fun to read and humorous despite the stakes/backstory. I’m not a big superhero, sci-fi girl, but this makes me want more. Major props for achieving that, well done. Also, the touch of adding Gemini to the title is gold. I hope it stays even if the title changes overtime. “Have you duplicated?” the other Helen Harper asked. Helen in gym warmups nodded, but couldn’t help grimacing at the other’s sickeningly frilly pink dress. Other Helen noticed and smiled wanly. “Yeah, pretty ridiculous, huh?” “Why are you wearing that?” Frills sat with a sigh and patted the couch next to her. “We were still pretty new to the superhero thing when we first faced the Dixons. We cut a deal with them to leave one of us to be their living doll every year in exchange for the release of their other hostages and promise to stop taking people against their will. This is far from the worst thing they’ve had me wear.” Helen’s mouth opened and closed in mute horror. What the hell had she gotten herself into? “It’s not all bad,” Frills continued. “This is kind of a perfect way to store a backup in case something happens to the hero. Which I’m guessing it has.” “She, she’s missing.” Frills took a bracing breath. “Okay. Absorb me. Then you’ll know everything she knew a year ago, can leave a new duplicate for the Dixons, and decide what you want to do from there.” “Absorb you?” Helen squeaked. “Yeah, the duplicates you made aren’t still out there, are they?” “No, but they only lasted a few seconds! This feels different.” “So what do you suggest?” “I don’t know! But there has to be some other option.” “We haven’t found a better one in the last ten years.”~~~~~~~ Congratulations TWENTY-THREE TIME WINNER David, and Honorable Mention Miranda! 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! 🙂

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Week 607 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! 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  Siobhan Muir  Teresa Eccles Mark Ethridge  Mark A. Morris Miranda Gammella David A. Ludwig  Daelyn Morgana Honorable Mentions Miranda Gammella | Website Eric says: We might wish that one loss didn’t precipitate another, but grief can do that all too often. A nice exploration of just that in a way that felt real. winner announcement Week 607 Winner Daelyn Morgana Eric says: I really liked the way you wove the prompt into this one, twisting it just slightly. And while excerpts from WIP sometimes feel lacking to me in a flash context, relying too much on worldbuilding not seen within the piece, this balanced it nicely. “Kailyn, stop!” The younger witch yanked her wrist out of Matt’s grip with a look that could have killed, literally. “Don’t tell me to stop and breathe!” He sobered. “I didn’t ask you to breathe.” Somehow that gentle, caring tone only made her blood boil more, causing dark magick to crackle around her frame. How can he be so damn calm?! It’s infuriating! He should be just as pissed as me. “You were about to say it,” Kailyn growled. “Perhaps… But we both know going in there with demands and weapons drawn will not solve anything.” An abrupt laugh spilled from her lips. “So what do you suggest? Play nice? Like that has ever worked for me. I don’t need answers or explanations. What I need is my Coven member released. The Council wants to mess with me then they will mess with me, not them.” A dangerous edge slipped into her tone, and she saw right away how Matt stiffened his shoulders. He may never admit it and hardly show it, but sometimes, she knew her power and penchant for crossing lines scared the hell out of him. Good, it should. Matt swallowed hard. “It will only make matters worse. You know that. The Head Councilor will look for any way to back you in a corner. That’s exactly what this is. What we need to do is see Eammon first.” “Eammon can’t help anymore, and I am tired of playing games with people who hide behind laws.”~~~~~~~ Congratulations Thirteen Time Winner Daelyn, and Honorable Mention Miranda! 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! 🙂

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Week 606 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 Mirra Alure 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  Siobhan Muir  Andy Walker Joe Hesch Sheilagh Lee Katheryn J. Avila Kelly Heinen Eric Martell Mark Ethridge  Louisa Bacio  Miranda Gammella David A. Ludwig  Daelyn Morgana Mirra says: The winners used “it’s quiet” as a part of setting the scene and that’s important to me in any story and the honorable mentions usage of it in conversation kept me on my toes to see where they’ll insert it.  Honorable Mentions Miranda Gammella | Website Mirra says: Miranda’s story reminds me of how grief will have you question everything. Remind you of memories you thought lost to you. The company of a ghost lingering around providing the only comfort when a lost one transitions. I like that this reminds me that though all different we experience loss sometimes so similarly. Daelyn Morgana | Website Mirra says: Daelyn’s story seemed like a smash up of realities. Unless there is another mortician I know I immediately began thinking of the Addams family’s. And this perceptive is new and something I would’ve never thought to do. I also enjoy hearing stories about Greek gods and to see fan fiction surrounding the gods. That drew me in and then the ending gave me a small feeling of foreshadowing. Joe Hesch | Website Mirra says: Joe’s story reminds me of home. A snowy day through after fresh snows fallen and everything is crisp and white and still. Right before the morning beat continues like everyday and feet ruin the picturesque scene. His tale painted that scene of a winter romance. Something I think everyone should experience even through reading. winner announcement Week 606 Winner Eric Martell Mirra says: Eric Martell, set a scene. He put me there next to him. Something about the way he wrote this descriptive short tale gave me a sense of melancholy. Makes me want for enjoy the stillness of this scene with him to give focus to my hands and see if I notice something brand new. Well done. It’s quiet here, this place I come to. It’s not silent. Silence is scary. My mind fills silence with thoughts and thoughts lead to questions and questions lead to other questions that don’t have answers. I don’t need answers. I don’t want answers to all the questions. My gods, the responsibilities that would come with that. But the questions without answers – that demand answers – those questions. Those turn into monsters. There are no monsters here. It’s quiet here. I choose a flat, smooth rock to sit on. Not perfectly smooth; nature doesn’t do perfect. There are cracks and chips and fissures for my fingers to play with as I watch the wind play with the water. No storms are blowing in today. Maybe tonight, the radio says, but for now, it’s just a steady breeze. The water pushes forward and pulls back, leaving itinerant pools and eddies that will vanish with the next inflow. The air does the same thing, all unseen. I feel it around me, in the space between a susurration and a murmur. It’s not that irritating sibilance of a too-distant whisper that draws your attention but provides no resolution, but the comforting quiet of white noise. I’m by myself on the beach, but I’m not alone. Being alone tends to make me sad. My family is back in our room at the hotel giving me space to be by myself. To be with myself, as long as I need. I breathe. I exist. It’s quiet here.~~~~~~~ Congratulations TWENTY-NINE TIME WINNER Eric, and Honorable Mentions Miranda, Daelyn, and Joe! 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! 🙂

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Week 605 of #ThursThreads was an outpouring of love for a lost colleague, and y’all didn’t disappoint. Thank you to everyone who stopped by and wrote – for your love, for your stories, for your understanding. You make this a special place to be each Thursday, especially this Thursday. If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Patricia Oak 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 A. Morris Eric Martell Nellie Batz  Louisa Bacio  Siobhan Muir  Daelyn Morgana Miranda Gammella Mark Ethridge  David A. Ludwig  Teresa M. Eccles Richard Eccles Kelly Heinen Patty Dump Patricia says: I love judging this contest as much as I dread it. There is always so many great writers that enter I wish I could just pick all as winners. So many told stories that touched the heart and the soul and that is what makes great stories. Honorable Mentions Louisa Bacio | Website Patricia says: This story is the very reason that Ms. Muir does this thread weekly. It has brought a group of people together who probably never would have met and make us a family. Daelyn Morgana | Website Patricia says: Another story that spoke to me. I have never been good at saying goodbye to anyone. Even if I prepared to do so. Especially that final goodbye. But reading this story made me realize I just do it my way. Richard Eccles | Website Patricia says: I loved dance between Death and the writer. You were just waiting for death to swoop down and take the dancer. Then …..the doctor chases Death away. I love endings like that. winner announcement Week 605 Winner Eric Martell Patricia says: This story is the one that touched every part of me. Just the fact of not walking on graves and the respect that the writer showed to the people who are buried there. But what really did it for me was the line “I hadn’t bothered to “say goodbye or do whatever other people do when people die” describes me perfectly. For Mary I walked past the gravestones, trying, as I was taught, not to step on the earth that covered the bodies. I wasn’t sure why it mattered, not really. Those people were dead, some for a few months, some for a century or more, and who knew if there was any of their…soul, for lack of a better word, around to care what happened to their rotting meat sack. It just seemed respectful, is all. I probably worried too much about that, but all it meant here was watching where I put my feet. Like trying to avoid stepping on the cracks (or you’ll break your mother’s back) on the sidewalk, only with corpses. Regardless of how one felt about walking through a cemetery, I wasn’t going to step on your body. You’d been cremated and scattered years ago. I hadn’t bothered to “say goodbye” or do whatever other people do when people die. The rest of my family didn’t like that, to put it mildly. I didn’t like them, so I guess that was a tie. I don’t really know how to say goodbye, when it comes down to it, or even why. Would saying goodbye get rid of the memories? Whether I want to say goodbye or not, you’re gone, and I’m still here. I sat down on a tree stump – a grave marker of its own kind – and took out my lunch. It’s quiet here. If I listen closely, maybe you’ll say hello instead of goodbye.~~~~~~~ Congratulations TWENTY-EIGHT TIME WINNER Eric, and Honorable Mentions Louisa, Daelyn, and Richard! 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! 🙂

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