Tag: #ThursThreads

Week 467 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. What an amazing feat we’ve pulled off. Nine years! If you’ve been doing it a while, thank you for coming back each week. If you’ve just found us, welcome! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Nicola Cameron 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: Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Catherine Verdier | @CatheVerdier Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Silver James | @SilverJames_ Cara Michaels | @caramichaels Mark A. Morris David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig M.T. Decker | @mishmhem Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil Louisa Bacio | @Louisabacio Honorable Mentions Louisa Bacio | @Louisabacio Nicola says: Good pacing, nice delineation of character voices. But I’m not sure who’s being referred to in the second sentence — is Serena or Thyme handing America a crayon? Mark A. Morris Nicola says: Great imagery, but I was a little confused until I got to the end and realized what was going on in the story. Also, it’s Waldo in the States instead of Wally so that threw me off a bit as well. winner announcement Week 474 Winner Silver James | @SilverJames_ Nicola says: Great story, hooked me from the first paragraph. I was a little confused as to who was speaking in the second half — some name tags would have been helpful. The woman stood in the front entrance, the very picture of outrage. Puck hesitated on the steps. Kathleen didn’t blame the big goof of a dog. She paused mid-step as well. “What are you doing?” the woman hissed. Regretting the fact she’d ever given her best friend a key to the house, Kathleen trudged on up the steps. “Good morning to you too, Mary Pat.” The petite woman didn’t budge. “Kathleen! That man—” “Move, Mary Pat. Puck needs a drink.” She steered the Newfoundland around the other woman and barged into her own house. “Kathleen!” “Mary Pat.” She held onto her patience by a slender thread. “That’s Devlin O’Reilly.” “And?” “And? Do you know what he does for a living?” And wasn’t that a loaded question. He worked for Brian O’Hara and Ronan O’Connor. They led Boston’s Irish mob. She decided discretion would be smart at this point. She kept her mouth shut. “He’s in the mob, Kathleen.” “How do you know?” “People talk.” “He’s nice.” Mary Pat threw up her hands. “But you don’t know him.” “Neither do you, Mary Pat. You don’t know a thing about him.” “And you do?” What could she say to that? She knew him. Knew he followed her, knew he did small things to make her life easier. Knew that Puck adored him and the Newfie didn’t like all that many people. And she also knew that he’d very likely put a bullet in her dirty-cop of a husband’s head. “I do.” ~~~~~~~ Congratulations FIFTY-ONE TIME WINNER Silver, and Honorable Mentions Louisa and Mark! 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! 🙂

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Week 473 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. What an amazing feat we’ve pulled off. Nine years! If you’ve been doing it a while, thank you for coming back each week. If you’ve just found us, welcome! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Tina Glasneck 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: Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Cara Michaels | @caramichaels Silver James | @SilverJames_ Louisa Bacio | @Louisabacio Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Mark A. Morris Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig M.T. Decker | @mishmhem Tina says: The competition was tight this week. Thank you all for your wonderful takes on this week’s prompt (which was not an easy one, for sure). It’s always a pleasure to see how each writer comes up with something different. You did not make it easy for me. Honorable Mention Louisa Bacio | @Louisabacio Tina says: I loved the hook at the end of the story, making me want to read more. The scene was vividly painted, where I could easily visualize every nuance, and the emotional punch was felt. When you add in the high stakes, it sits perfectly. winner announcement Week 473 Winner Cara Michaels | @caramichaels Tina says: After reading Cara’s story, one line stayed with me —Sooner or later, death comes for us all. I thoroughly enjoyed the tone, characters, and reaper trope (and want more, please). Shae seems like a formidable character, and this story has great legs. “You’re seriously going to fight Carr?” Shae trailed after Jack through the woods. This wasn’t a hunt, so no one bothered with stealth. All around them, the mix of human and wolf voices bounced among the trees. “I’m seriously going to fight Carr.” “Jack.” Shae managed to get a hold of his shirt and slow his steps. “I know I don’t really understand this whole pack alpha thing.” “That’s right, you don’t.” Ouch. “But you don’t know him.” Her thoughts tangled, fear crowding around the edges. Snaking into the spaces between. “If—he won’t pull his punches—” “Neither will I.” He grinned, teeth already more wolf than man. “It’s as simple as that.” “You could get killed.” “Sooner or later, Death comes for us all.” “That doesn’t mean you have to directly challenge Her to make it sooner, jackass.” “Shae darlin’.” Silver threaded the deep brown of his eyes as the pack began to howl around them. He pulled free of her hold. “You’re far too well acquainted with both Death and Carr to see clearly here.” “Idiots actively courting Death do not get to call me pet names.” “You’re a reaper, right?” “I’m a reaper, yes,” Shae said. “So if you haven’t gotten the memo about my impending doom—” He jogged into the clearing ahead, lifting his fist high as the pack greeted him. Don’t do this. Please don’t do this. “I’m a reaper,” Shae said, but no one listened. “That doesn’t mean I’m your reaper.” ~~~~~~~ Congratulations THIRTY-FIVE TIME WINNER Cara, and Honorable Mention Louisa! 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! 🙂

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Week 472 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. What an amazing feat we’ve pulled off. Nine years! If you’ve been doing it a while, thank you for coming back each week. If you’ve just found us, welcome! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Miranda Kate 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: Katheryn J. Avila | @katheryn_avila Silver James | @SilverJames_ Miya Kressin | @miya_kressin Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Patty Dump | @pattydump1 Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Kelly Heinen | @Aightball David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil Miya Kressin | @miya_kressin Miranda says: I liked the priestess’ thought process on this. There was enough here for me to grasp the bigger story too. winner announcement Week 472 Winner Katheryn J. Avila | @katheryn_avila Miranda says: It was a fast paced, succinct little tale that was exciting and made me want to read more. My lungs burn with every breath, and I hate that I’ve spent the last ten minutes dodging or blocking his attacks. His magic isn’t particularly strong or even clever, but he’s so fast. I can hardly think of a spell before he’s shot three my way. It’s barely begun, but there’s no denying I’m losing this match. “Come on, sister!” Celeste’s voice, only somewhat distracting, calls to me from the edge of our makeshift arena. It takes everything I have not to yell back, ask her to switch places. This was all her idea anyway. “Kick his ass!” But before I can do anything, a lightning bolt shoots toward me, the crackling static making my hair stand on end. With a wave of my hand and a muttered spell, a tree erupts from the ground in front of me to take the hit. The impact shakes the earth, and a moment later the tree is on fire. Maybe it’s the adrenaline, but the very real threat he poses sends me into a rage. If he won’t pull his punches, neither will I. Using the burning tree as cover, I keep myself out of sight. I only have a moment, so I need to make it count. Behind me, the void opens as I conjure a pair of daggers and let myself fall back. For a moment, I hover, the space a comforting envelope around me. In a blink, I reappear behind him, finally catching him off guard. ~~~~~~~ Congratulations Thirteen Time Winner Katheryn, and Honorable Mention Miya! 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! 🙂

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Week 471 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. What an amazing feat we’ve pulled off. Nine years! If you’ve been doing it a while, thank you for coming back each week. If you’ve just found us, welcome! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Eric Martell 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: Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Mark A. Morris Silver James | @SilverJames_ Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil Kelly Heinen | @Aightball M.T. Decker | @mishmhem Honorable Mention Silver James | @SilverJames_ Eric says: Silver knows how to build a world in 250 words. Even though this story is part of a larger tale, you don’t need the rest of it to know something about these characters, their lives, and how they feel. Very nice work! winner announcement Week 471 Winner Mark A. Morris Eric says: It’s hard to do that much worldbuilding in 250 words – you need to carefully choose words that say a lot. Mark did a great job of that. I could see the soldiers, I could see their enemies, I could see the scorched Earth. Excellent job. The bells in every church tower across the country rang out, their peals ragged and lacking form. It was a final effort from the few of us who remained. A defiant gesture of resistance and courage. “Don’t believe what the government tells you,” Manson said. The war isn’t over yet. It’s barely begun.” He polished his binoculars, an analogue pair that looked like a museum exhibit. They were bound with leather and had lenses made from glass, lacking the electronics of the surveillance devices we used before the world turned upside down. “But we’ve beaten them. No one’s seen a mole-man for months. The only ones left are breaking rocks in prison camps. And even then, they’ve been de-clawed and neutered.” Manson shook his head and came back from the window. The scars on his cheeks looked like farmland furrows, deep and irregular. It was unlikely that they’d heal; the velveteen scourge was riddled with diseases, the barbs they used to hook their prey equipped with venom sacs. A simple scratch would become a wound in under an hour, and if it wasn’t cauterised quickly, it would continue to spread. The slightest break in a victim’s skin could become fatal. It was this that been their deadliest weapon. That and the fact they could appear from anywhere. The mountains had been the only places where we’d been safe. “The rumblings in Osaka have begun again,” Manson said. “The seismographs are all wrong. They’re coming back to finish what they started.” ~~~~~~~ Congratulations TWENTY-THREE TIME WINNER Mark, 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 Twitter, Facebook, MeWe, 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 470 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. What an amazing feat we’ve pulled off. Nine years! If you’ve been doing it a while, thank you for coming back each week. If you’ve just found us, welcome! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to George Varhalmi 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: Joseph P. Garland | @JPGarlandAuthor Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Katheryn J. Avila | @katheryn_avila Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Silver James | @SilverJames_ Miya Kressin | @miya_kressin Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig M.T. Decker | @mishmhem Catherine Verdier | @CatheVerdier Honorable Mentions Silver James | @SilverJames_ George says: Great emotion and setup with the dialogue. I found the dialogue to be good but I had no sense of where we are which may be result of the snippet being in the middle of a larger scene. I needed a little more context. Miya Kressin | @miya_kressin George says: Fun little tale about play. I liked the BDSM element to the story that ended with the opening to the next scene where the action was heading to. There could have been more to the dialogue but it was good within the available word count. winner announcement Week 470 Winner David A. Ludiwg | @DavidALudwig George says: I liked the flow of the tale. It had some emotion and the snark was great. A little more dialogue would have been nice to add a little more depth. Overall, it was a great tale and my winner. Lord Kader scowled over his steepled knobby fingers and across his impressive stone table. His blood hadn’t boiled like this in centuries. Anger was politically disadvantageous. But the presence of a booster seat in his grand study was damn near enough to send him into a rage. The human looking coolly back at him didn’t make maintaining his composure any easier. The sultan’s puppet. “As a patriot,” Kader rumbled like approaching thunder. “I am in complete support of our mighty navy. However, your proposed budget takes us back to wartime level expenditures. How can you justify that under current geopolitical conditions?” Even with the booster seat, Sword Admiral Jasna Saifullah couldn’t reach the surface of the stone table and so kept her hands placidly folded in her lap. “The war isn’t over yet.” Insolent whelp! Kader could rip her limbs from her body with a mere thought, and yet she acted like she was in control here. He stabbed the papers laid before him with an emphatic finger. “Why are we funding a lunatic’s research?! Her former captain repeatedly reported on the danger of her ideas and her unreliability!” Was that a hardening of the human’s jaw? “Captain Rashid has the intellectual capacity of basalt. I’m not in the mood for games; we didn’t develop the most advanced ship in the Known World to sit on our hands while the other powers carve up Elementia. We need a gun worthy of the Djinn Castle, and Saffi Bashar can develop it.” ~~~~~~~ Congratulations Ten Time Winner David, and Honorable Mentions Silver, and Miya! 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! 🙂

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