Week 562 of #ThursThreads, and y’all never disappoint. We’re more than halfway through our tenth year and the time is flying. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc.
Entries:
- Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea
- Silver James | @SilverJames_
- Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
- Mark A. Morris
- Mark Ethridge | @mysoulstears
- Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
- David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
- M.T. Decker | @mishmhem
Honorable Mentions
Silver James | @SilverJames_
Siobhan says: I really liked the ending. Here are these rough and tough men able to take down other such men, and they’re all yanked into line by “the finger”. Fun tale.
M.T. Decker | @mishmhem
Siobhan says: It took me a moment but I started to see the pattern of the lyrics from various songs. Very clever.
winner announcement
Week 562 Winner
Mark A. Morris
Siobhan says: Oooh, nothing like a ticking clock and high tension to get the blood flowing. I loved Kent’s confidence until the question at the end. Great tale.
The red light continued to flash. The timer kept running. They’d less than five minutes. What’d started as a joke had become a matter of life and death.
“So, it’s just like hot-wiring a car,” Donovan said, sweat beading his brow. “Only, instead of getting an engine to fire, you’re trying to do the opposite.”
“Aye; it’s no big deal. Don’t worry. We’ve more than enough time. We’ve eliminated one pair of wires – our odds just got better.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You’re behind that wall of sandbags. Another mistake; you get a dose of earache. The consequences are a little worse for me.”
“You need to keep calm,” Kent said, his voice measured. Reassuring. “These devices are like Buicks; they build them on a production line. Consistency is our friend in these circumstances.”
“So, what’s next? Which wire? Is it the green? Or the mauve?”
“The mauve?” Kent sounded confused. “No, don’t pull on that one, whatever you do. There ought to be a blue, a red, a green and a black. I don’t recall them ever using any mauve wires. Not ever.”
The suicide jacket was getting heavy, and using the mirror to see what he was doing swapped his left with his right. The timer seemed to be running at double speed. However you saw it, there wasn’t time to waste.
“Tell me,” Kent said, doubt colouring his voice for the first time. “Is there any chance you were ever diagnosed as being colour-blind?”
~~~~~~~
Congratulations THIRTY-FOUR TIME WINNER Mark, and Honorable Mentions Silver and Mary! 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! 🙂
