Week 612 of #ThursThreads was a success, and y’all never disappoint. Thank you to everyone who writes each week. You are why we’re still doing this.
There will be no #ThursThreads next week as I’m visiting with family.
If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Silver James for judging this week. Follow Siobhan Muir on Bluesky or check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc.
Entries:
- Bill Engleson
- Cara Michaels
- David A. Ludwig
- Patty Dump
- Miranda Gammella
- Mark A. Morris
- Siobhan Muir
Silver says: Once again, you Threaders have made the judge’s job so very difficult! Such excellent tales this week and I wish I could just give everyone an honorable mention. All of you have written worthy tales and I thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of them. However, Siobhan is a stern mistress and she says only one honorable mention and one winner. So….
Honorable Mention
Bill Engleson | Website
Silver says: This easy-going tale uses excellent descriptions to set the stage. I’ve been on writers’ panels like this one so I totally get Gronsky. I also liked how the prompt was used–not quite the way one might consider utilizing this phrase.
winner announcement
Week 612 Winner
Silver says: Talk about a cliffhanger! Which I hate but dang! This tale gives a real sense of character in few words while thrusting the reader into a story filled with tension, urgency, and both regret and a sense of duty. I truly want to know what happened to him! That last line is a killer! (No pun intended. Okay, maybe a tiny intention…LOL)
He watched the clock, anxious to leave, but the call came in.
To him, innocent lives mattered. By answering the call, he became responsible for them. His experience and skill forced his choice even though he’d promised Julie a celebratory dinner out tonight. Would she forgive him for doing just “one more” job before he walked away from his chosen profession?
Maybe, if he survived.
His supervisor pointed at the bomb’s clock. Only one minute remained. Damn!
Wordlessly, Matt knew what had to be done. Even though the ticking bomb seemed to be laughing at him and his brain screamed for him to get away, his heart begged him to act.
Forty-eight.
He blinked to concentrate.
All the wires were one color. Julie would be mad that he’d chosen the job over her – again. As his light examined the wires, he remembered tracing wires with his father every time a vehicle needed work.
Forty-four.
Choosing a random wire, he carefully followed it around several bomb elements to a neutral post.
Thirty-three.
He traced another wire to ground.. No time to send Julie a text. She would be mad – again.
Twenty-one.
He traced a third wire to a different ground. Did the bomb have more than one ignition switch or was this wire a red herring?
Ten.
Three wires remained. He knew the end was coming. Julie had given him a choice: her or the job.
Five.
He cut the line closest to his heart and prayed Julie would forgive him.
~~~~~~~
Congratulations Two Time Winner Patty, and Honorable Mention Bill! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it!
REMINDER: No #ThursThreads next week.
Pass on the great news on Facebook, MeWe, Bluesky, Mastodon, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂
