Week 568 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. A thousand thanks to David A. Ludwig 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:
- Joseph P. Garland | @JPGarlandAuthor
- Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea
- Silver James | @SilverJames_
- Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
- David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
- Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
- Eric Martell | @drmag00
- Daelyn Morgana | @DaelynMorgana
- M.T. Decker | @mishmhem
Honorable Mentions
Daelyn Morgana | @DaelynMorgana
David says: I’m very intrigued by the Dark One and the offer of alliance–sounds like a classic “the bad guys aren’t as bad as the ones who defined, or are taking advantage of the definition of, what is good and what is evil.” Personal genre preferences put this one over the top for me in a close field.
winner announcement
Week 568 Winner
David says: I loved the sensory details in this piece, the opening with the snake pulled me in immediately. And the “star pupil” bit really sealed it for me in a context I was already enamored with the conniving young killer. I also enjoyed the narrator’s voice, analytical and even appreciative of a deadly situation. The prompt was seamlessly integrated and I just like how all the pieces fit together.
The snake slithered around my neck, its scales soft and dry against my sweaty, sticky skin. I don’t know what it thought I was, but as long as it didn’t think I was food, I was happy. Eventually, it climbed back up into the trees to do whatever enormous snakes did.
Unfortunately, the guy who’d tied me to the tree didn’t do me the same courtesy.
He didn’t really do much of anything, really, except be extremely thorough in his knot-tying. He never spoke, he didn’t grunt with effort – hell, I wasn’t sure if he breathed.
When he was done, he walked away from me and disappeared into the forest, having done his job remarkably well.
I should know. This was my sixth, no – seventh time she’d left me for dead.
The first time was after I’d forgotten to bring her the bike she’d wanted for Christmas. She didn’t leave her mom’s side the whole day, and the next day I’d woken up under what felt like every blanket in the house. It wasn’t as good an assassination attempt as leaving me tied to a tree in a forest filled with venomous creatures, but to be fair, she was only seven.
Each time had gotten more dangerous, more difficult to escape from. This time though – this was her best. I knew she thought I should have been there to see her every morning as she grew up, but she didn’t understand, not yet.
Still, she was my star pupil.
~~~~~~~
Congratulations TWENTY-SIX TIME WINNER Eric, and Honorable Mention 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! 🙂
