Welcome back to the home of #ThursThreads. Wow. Year 11. Holy smokes! Y’all kept with me past a decade. I’m astounded.
Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing, like we have for the past 11 years. I had no idea when I started it would keep going! This is Week 597 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Want to keep up each week? Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook and the Group on MeWe.
Need the rules? Read on.
Here’s how it works:
- The prompt is a line from the previous week’s winning tale.
- The prompt can appear ANYWHERE in your story and is included in your word count.
- The prompt must be used as is. It can be split, but no intervening words can be inserted or tenses changed.
Rules to the Game:
- This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250.
- The story must be new writing, not a snippet from something published elsewhere with the prompt added.
- Incorporate the prompt anywhere into your story (included in your word count).
- Post your story in the comments section of this post
- Include your word count in the post (or be excluded from judging)
- Include your social media handle or email in the post (so we easily notify you)
- The challenge is open 7 AM to 8 PM Mountain Time
- The winner will be announced on Friday, depending on how early the judge gets up.
How it benefits you:
- You get a nifty cool badge to display on your blog or site (because we’re all about promotion – you know you are!)
- You get instant recognition of your writing prowess on this blog!
- Your writing colleagues shall announce and proclaim your greatness on Facebook, Bluesky, MeWe, and Mastodon, etc.
Our Judge for Week 597:
Slightly past-it Canuck and word chucker, Bill Engleson.
Facebook |
And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.
The Prompt:
“She knew what had happened here.”
All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Comments do not represent the views of the host and the host reserves the right to remove any content. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck!
Declan had Mick by the throat. Desperation poured off of him thick as the blood gushing from his chest. “Mine,” he growled.
“Yeah, yeah, boyo. Let’s get you to Ronan’s. Doc’s on his way.”
Claws dug into skin. “Mine,” Declan roared. “Do you understand? Mine!”
The light bulb went off as Mick glanced at the woman who frantically tried to stem the blood flow. “Aye, Declan. I got it. Yours.”
Ronan and Devlin appeared. Declan’s hand fell away as Dev gathered him up like a small child. Ronan ignored the woman, his attention focused on his wounded pack mate. He followed Dev, murmuring to the wounded Wolf.
Mick held out his hand. “Mick O’Connor.”
Maggie started to shake before she realized her hand was covered in blood. Mick grabbed it before she could pull back. “You’ll be comin’ to Ronan’s now, cailín.”
Unable to quite remember how it happened, Maggie now pressed against a wall in a bedroom in a townhouse just down the street from her own, shocked these people hadn’t called EMTs or transported Declan to a hospital. A man purporting to be a doctor held an urgent conversation with Ronan.
“He needs to change.”
“Then he will,” Ronan assured.
Maggie gasped as Ronan barked commands. Declan’s body contorted. And a wolf took the man’s place on the bed.
Horrified, she could only stare, but she knew. What had happened here defied all explanation but she knew, deep in her heart, that she had just witnessed a miracle.
****
250 Moonstruck Mafia WIP words (that will be at least 1K more — LOL)
@SilverJames_
“Hey, Deshawn. What can I do you for?” A short, red-headed white man with laughing green eyes and freckles across his nose appeared behind the glass counter. He had a moustache and goatee with silver shot through them.
Deshawn gestured to Grace. “Not for me, Owen. I’m here to help the lady.”
Owen’s green gaze swung to Grace and his russet eyebrows went up. “Oh, aye? Well then, what can I do for you, milady?”
Normally, she’d roll her eyes at the clumsy attempt at Old-World charm, but for some reason it fit Owen to a tee.
“This morning my kitchen faucet exploded and when Deshawn stopped by, he said there wasn’t any fixing it, just replacing it.” Grace grimaced but Owen’s twinkling eyes shot to Deshawn.
“He did, did he? Well then, I have a few kitchen faucets on the shelf, but if ye don’t find what you want, we’ll just order it, yeah?”
He sauntered from behind the counter and led the way down one of the aisles between the well-stocked shelves. Grace followed as they traveled deeper into the store which seemed longer than the actual building. She glanced back over her shoulder and the shelves had swallowed up the view of the front. This wasn’t a big box store as far as she knew. What had happened?
“Here we are.” Owen pointed to the boxes of faucets on the shelf. “Are ye looking for ones with sprayers or just the standard arm?”
246 ineligible #Sirens words
@SiobhanMuir on Bluesky
It was done. Tenko took a deep breath and allowed her doubts to run themselves ragged before petering out in the absence of any actions to take or decisions to make.
“Tenko-kun?”
The nasal hum of the spectacled scholar from the council chamber pulled the younger scholar from her thoughts. His support had been instrumental in convincing the council.
“Hoshi-senpai,” she bowed deeply.
Hoshi’s burnished wire-frame glasses and dark council robes cut a sharp image. An effect undermined by his not-recently-enough shaved head.
“It seems our master’s dream is on its way to reality, thanks mostly to you.” Hoshi pushed his spectacles back up the bridge of his nose. “I had been surprised when I heard that Master Makoto had taken another apprentice. Now that I’ve met you, I understand why he did.”
“You honor me, senpai.”
Hoshi turned his gaze across the hall, but Tenko could see in his diamond-clear eyes that he was looking at the same future as she was.
“Elves are on the cusp of taming the skies and all they encompass.”
Tenko pursed her lips.
“In his later years, Master used the word ‘nurture’ more than ‘tame’.”
“Rulership is a responsibility not to be taken lightly.” Hoshi allowed. “I trust you know what you have set in motion.”
She knew. What had happened here was unfortunate, but necessary. The world would be forever changed.
For the first time in living memory, the elves were about to go to war.
244 Tale of Tenko words
@davidaludwig.bsky.social
I was scared and yet in some way also elated. She knew what had happened here. Stephanie was a dear friend she wouldn’t turn on me , would she? Friend or family that loved you could be counted on helping you hide the body.
“Steffy…”
“Don’t Steffy me!!You killed Jimmy.”
“Are you mad at me? I had to, it was him or me.”
“I’m not going to turn you in. Paddy, but I was never here.”
“How can I get rid of the body by myself? You’ll help?”
“They are pouring the foundation of that new apartment building next door they’ll never find him if we can just get him past the security guard who patrols, ”Steffy answered.
We gathered up the body and carried him to the apartment complex going up next door. Waiting for the security guard I shivered hoping we wouldn’t get caught. I couldn’t let Steffy go to jail for helping me.
Finally, we managed to get the body in the right place, where it would be covered in cement tomorrow. It’s been years now, Stephanie married me and the body has never been found; as the building is still going strong. Some residents have claimed to see Jimmy’s ghost roaming the halls, but no one has ever believed them. As for me? Why am I telling you this? Because I’m on my deathbed, I want you all to know that labor leader Jimmy is dead, he lies within the cement in…
247 Words
@SweetSheil
First Impressions
The first thing that struck Detective Samantha Collings was the desolation of the scene. Murder, while not unheard of in San Souixie, was still something of a novelty. She’d expected a circus but found the quiet rain to be her only companion.
Her partner hadn’t arrived yet, so she could walk the scene and take it all in before he came and derailed her thoughts with his measurements and unending stream of consciousness.
She could close her eyes and feel the breeze against her skin. It gave her time to organize her thoughts and feel the emotions that echoed through the park.
Looking at the body without touching it, she knew what had happened.
‘Here,’ she thought as she studied the prone form. ‘This is where she fell.’
She sighed as she heard her partner’s radio blaring as he pulled into the parking lot above the pathway. He was listening to yet another neo-punk band, and to her relief the radio died as he shut his car off. She wanted to think while she still could.
She’d have to wait for the coroner’s report to be sure, but from what she’d seen, the victim had been pushed. She stepped aside, letting Jonesie record his first impressions. She usually ignored his personal recordings and waited until they were back at the station before they compared notes, but something in his words sent a chill up her spine.
‘The last thing to strike Detective Collings was a 4×6,..”
247 words, not including title
@mishmhem
#ThursThreads is now CLOSED. Thanks to everyone who wrote this week and I hope to catch you next week.