Welcome back to the home of #ThursThreads for Week 655. Year 12! What a fantastic testament to the writing community. Y’all rock!
Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing on #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 US.
- 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 655:
Her Royal Hotness, historical and contemporary romance author, Sabrina York.
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And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.
The Prompt:
“I was laughing at me.”
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!
Yelapa Daydreaming
After their morning swim they lay on the rocks and let the sun dry them. He couldn’t believe his good fortune. Or hers. Just being there, the sun bouncing off the quiet blue sea.
“It’s a beautiful setting. How did you ever find it?” he asked. Besides the Palapa just above the water, she lived in a two-room adobe home further back on the property. Adjacent to the house was an outdoor shower and ablutions area.
“It found me, I suppose,” she said.
He rolled over on the rock, looked at her, touched her, said, “that sounds…mysterious isn’t the word I’m seeking…”
“No,” she laughed that great laugh, enjoying the moment, and then said, “And I wasn’t laughing at you. I was laughing at me…which I truly enjoy…and it’s not any great mystery. You remember…I was …lost, you were too…but I was looking beyond where we were…I could have gone to India, I suppose, or Canada, which was fairly close and full of kids our age looking for a different sort of freedom…but…I landed here. Maybe I hoped Dylan would come back…”
“But this house, your home…wonderful oceanfront…?”
“Ah, a history lesson is needed. I offer thanks to some Spanish King for that gift to me. It’s a long walk along the bay. The people here, for the most part, like living close. Everyone owns the community. I lease…I guess that’s the word…so, not mysterious, just magical…”
He nodded, clearly aware that he had a lot to learn.
250 mostly WIP
@billmelaterplea
@sterlings-son-2.bsky.social
Stumped, Sade stared at Caleb. Nope. No insight there. She shifted her gaze to Sinjen. They were hunting things that only came out to play at night. Could these creatures be some variety of vampire? Except there were no visible marks on the victims. No signs of violence. No trauma. Lost in thought, she missed the exchange of glances.
A master vampire, Sinjen could be considered the King of Night Play. She capitalized that in her head and yes, her brain went there. She chuckled because it occurred to her that if it wasn’t for the gutter, her mind would have no place to go.
A noise sounding very much like ahem refocused her thoughts even as the old-fashioned attention-getter made her laugh. Jeez but she needed sleep.
“You gonna let us in on the joke?” Caleb wasn’t amused.
She curled her lips between her teeth though her shoulders still shook. Finally able to speak, she said, “No joke. I was laughing at me.”
“You aren’t funny.”
Sade gave her best withering look. Neither Sinjen nor Caleb was impressed. “You’re right, Sinjen. I’m not. I’m going on forty-eight hours with no sleep. Coffee has abandoned me. I’m in fu—frickin’ Rochester, New York. Ari’s in trouble and I can’t do a damn thing about it. The only advice you two can give is that I shouldn’t quit my day job to become a comedian.”
“Good to know you’re smarter than you look.”
“Shut up, Caleb.” She didn’t hit him.
****
249 Penumbra Papers WIP words
Silver James https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSilverJames/
A group of men make themselves comfortable around the dinner table, devices scattered over the surface. I know why they’re here and I plan to ignore them. Ghost hunters are exhausting and annoying.
“Clara? We’d really like to talk to you tonight.”
Clara is my youngest daughter. She died with my husband and I in a car crash about thirty years ago. She’s all grown up now and about to get married, god help me. I thought wedding planning was stressful when I was alive!
“Mom, can I talk tonight? Please?!”
Rolling my eyes, I give her a LOOK. “Must you?”
“I’ve talked to these guys before. They think I’m still four.”
“Just don’t invite them to the wedding.”
My husband and I bought this house in 1992, right after Clara was born. Our oldest son owns it now. I think he knows we’re still here, since the grandkids lose things and he asks us to find them. That’s not really my job but here we are.
Laughter catches my attention and I turn back to Clara, watching the investigators. They’re silent as can be as she giggles again, a perfect imitation of a young child. Their recorders light up like Christmas trees.
“I was laughing at me,” she says, grinning. “I tried to touch that box and it beeped!”
“The Rempod. That thing is fun to set off. Let me try!”
It beeps and lights up and I laugh. Maybe these ghost hunters aren’t so bad.
@Aightball
250 words (new shiny idea!)
The King would ask me to be his queen. I should say yes and raise my position. I didn’t want to be the next bride who lost her head, but how do you refuse a King? He could bed me without the minister to say words of marriage. He needed someone who could stand toe to toe with him keep him thinking he was in charge, produce an heir (if not royalty then no one would know). I’d accept the proposal. People misjudged me for years; I could act sweet and supportive. My plan, I would slowly poison the King’s food with arsenic and when I had my son, and we could be protected, I’d deliver the final poison and I would be free to rein until my son came of age.
I thought it was all going to plan when the first blackmail came after my son’s first birthday from the man who could be his father. I hid the blackmail note but the King found it, he raged and ordered the immediate death of Trevallyan.
“Why are you laughing? Have you no soul? “The king asked me.
“I was laughing at me, because I cannot tell why you killed Trevallyan, but I know you will kill me next.”
“I don’t understand you laughing!”
“Trevallyan lied, he is your heir. Raise him well, for I have taken a poison which will now rid you of the woman you wronged.”
The King looked devastated. I’d had the last laugh indeed.
247 Words @sweetsheil.bsky.social
“Daddy! Daddy! Guess what?”
Aisling let herself out of the back seat and rushed to the house almost as soon as her mother parked the car. Dr. Meredith would typically be downstairs in the living room at this time, if he wasn’t out on a call, but he had gone upstairs to get something. His six-year-old daughter ran straight to him.
“I thought of a funny joke in class! I was laughing at me! Then I could hear everybody’s heartbeats!”
“Is that right?”
Dr. Meredith raised an eyebrow. His wife joined them behind Aisling in the doorway as the girl nodded emphatically.
“Mrs. Werner had a second heartbeat! She’s gonna have a baby!”
Aisling’s teacher was only ten weeks pregnant and had indicated she wasn’t ready to tell anyone yet. The doctor looked to his wife, who nodded confirmation of what he’d just heard.
“That’s not all,” Mrs. Meredith added. “Aisling was counting the ants on the trees on the side of the road as we drove home.”
“Well,” Dr. Meredith sighed. “I guess we knew she was going to be special.”
“I think it’s time we told her.”
“Told me what?”
“You remember that we adopted you right after you were born because your birth mother was very sick and died?”
“Uh-huh.” Aisling nodded.
“Well, right before Mommy helped deliver you, your birth mother arrived on Earth through some kind of portal.”
“Like an alien?”
“As far as we know, yes.”
242 Lord Pembroke and Dream Girl words
@davidaludwig.bsky.social
Corbin moved the chair and stood beside Wahlberg, an expectant look on his face. Martin tried to ignore him, but his heartbeat increased along with anxiety. What if he fell in front of Corbin? What if he let him down?
What if I actually walk?
Would Corbin leave?
Stop borrowing trouble and fuckin’ concentrate.
He gritted his teeth and thought about moving one foot ahead a little. To his surprise, the foot moved. A little sluggishly, maybe, but it moved ahead on the walkway. He thought about how to move with it, and leaned forward, sliding his hands on the bars.
They moved! His eyes widened and he shot Wahlberg an incredulous look.
Corbin nodded, his expression hopeful.
“Good,” Wahlberg said. “Try another step.”
Martin concentrated on making his feet work while someone came in to talk to Corbin. He tried to ignore the interaction, but when Corbin laughed, he damn near lost his footing.
“You gotta quit doing that.” His voice came out strained as he clamped his hands to the bars.
Corbin glanced at Wahlberg then around the room at some of the others. “Who? Me?”
“Yes.” Martin tried to focus on moving his feet again.
“What? Because I was laughing?”
“At me. You were laughing at me.”
“No, I was laughing near you. Big difference.” Corbin grinned. “And if it had anything to do with you, it’s because I’m thrilled you’re up on your feet. Look at you! Making strides after weeks—only weeks!—in bed. That’s amazing.”
250 ineligible #StainlessSteelSEALs words
@siobhanmuir.bsky.social
#ThursThreads Week 655 is now CLOSED. Thanks to everyone who wrote this week and I hope to catch you next week.