Week 496 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
- Catherine Verdier | @CatheVerdier
- Silver James | @SilverJames_
- Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
- Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
- Charley | @Lindorfan
- Mark A. Morris
- David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
- Eric Martell | @drmag00
- Daelyn Morgana | @DaelynMorgana
Honorable Mentions
Eric Martell | @drmag00
Tina says: You had me at drawings looking like cat puke. Your word choice and the rising tension of the story had me right there in the waiting room with the characters. I want more! Great job!
Daelyn Morgana | @DaelynMorgana
Tina says: I enjoyed the descriptions, how the characters maneuvered throughout the scene—each with a difference in personality, ord choice, and how they felt. Additionally, how the scene unfolded with rising tensions and a nice twist at the end were just wonderfully perfect.
winner announcement
Week 496 Winner
Tina says: I adored this short snippet. Not only was it beautifully painted, but I felt as if I were there. There you revealed bits of worldbuilding and some of the stakes of the story. I especially enjoyed how you thought about how her loss of a finger would mess with her spellcasting – talk about conflict and raising stakes. An absolutely fabulous job!
She had wondered what else the mage had waiting. She’d known about the zombie hounds and the gorgon behind the mirror. But she’d been caught unawares by the pressure-sensitive floor, the lance that’d shot out pinning her hand to the wall.
The loss of a finger would interfere with her spell casting. She’d have to try to improvise, find a workaround or it would become a fatal handicap.
“You must be getting tired,” the voice said, a face appearing before her. “And the toxin on the blade will slow you down. Then you’ll begin to hallucinate in a few minutes and the loss of your sight will finish you.”
Feng shook her head. She had thought it had only been the glow-globes dimming. The numbing of her hand could be nothing more than trauma, the stump of her finger bleeding through her improvised dressing.
She said nothing. She knew the mage was trying to confuse her. If he could ignite the fear bubbling inside her, he could make her defeat herself.
The mage tried again. A steam-powered samurai materialised before her, a matched clanging of bronze to her rear announcing the arrival of its twin. They both began to advance, katanas scything into a blur, their eyes blazing blue through the gaps in their masks.
“They’re pretty good, aren’t they?” The mage’s head bobbed above her, tantalisingly out of reach. “They’re unstoppable too, or so I’m told. It’s the first time I’ve used them, so you’ll be my focus group.”
~~~~~~~
Congratulations TWENTY-SEVEN TIME WINNER Mark, and Honorable Mentions 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 Twitter, Facebook, MeWe, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂
Congratulations to the winner and HM.
Thanks for a great prompt week ?
? A full 9 years thing tales is impressive. Glad I found this again (I last tied a tale about 6 years ago on the old website ?)
Happy writing all.
Thank you so much for choosing my entry, Tina. And thank you too, Siobhan, for making it possible for us to write each week. Huge congratulations to Eric and Daelyn too. We’re all so lucky to get to do this each week.