Week 380 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. I’m honored to see all the writers come to tie a tale as we start our eighth year. If you’ve been doing it a while, thank you. If you’ve just found us, welcome! May you come back again and write more great flash. Thousand thanks to Teresa Eccles 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:
- Charlene Mertz | @rrats1231
- Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
- Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea
- Silver James | @SilverJames_
- Jo Hawk | @JoHawktheWriter
- Mark A. Morris
- Terry Brewer | @Stories2121
- Richard Eccles | @recclesMD
- Kel J. Heinen | @Aightball
- Richard Gibney | @ragtaggiggagon
- Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
- David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
- Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
- M.T. Decker | @mishmhem
Teresa says: Competition was tough, as there were a lot of excellent stories submitted.
Honorable Mentions
Kel J. Heinen | @Aightball
Teresa says: This is a beautiful picture of a mother being called home by her daughter. If anyone were to succeed in coaxing me over, it would be my family.
Terry Brewer | @Stories2121
Teresa says: Terry tells an interesting story. I got a good feel for the ME’s personality in a few words
M. T. Decker | @mishmhem
Teresa says: The word-choices in this story convey the despair felt by Eva. I especially like how the author made repeated references to the colors of life.
winner announcement
Week 380 Winner
Teresa says: January, though long-lived (immortal?) is a relatable character. Her battle between being alone and seeking companionship is one many people face. The fact that she chose relationships over being alone three times is telling of the true nature of January’s character.
January walked away again. She had friends, but she preferred to remain aloof, passing though her lives without a ripple. The man she’d just seen buried had been a lapse, a mistake she’d wandered into, their relationship thriving despite her neglect.
She wished she could be colder, more inhumane.
She’d done this before: three times, in fact. She’d vowed ‘never again’ the last time and she’d do it again, tearing up her dance card and throwing the pieces away. But her life was a habit she couldn’t give up. There was no way out for her, it seemed.
Loneliness was the cruellest of companions, but it was the one she sought.
“Ma’am?” The gentleman with the umbrella stepped closer, shielding them both from the weather. The rain hadn’t stopped all day and the footway was wet, water sluicing down it like a millrace. Her feet were cold and she was miserable. She should turn away. She should shake her head and say nothing, denying him an opening into her world.
“Ma’am?” He continued to walk alongside her, matching her pace. He was a little taller than her, dark haired and with a swarthy skin that made him look tanned. She shouldn’t look his way, she shouldn’t make eye-contact, she shouldn’t say a word to the stranger. That was the way relationships started. Three hundred years was an eternity when death took everyone else.
People would say she was lucky to live so long.
But she considered it a curse.
~~~~~~~
Congratulations Fourteen Time Winner Mark, and Honorable Mentions Kel, Terry, and M.T.! 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! 🙂
