The Seventy-Five Word Writing Challenge Roll of Honour

[Culhwch]

NOVEMBER 2011

THEME: REDEMPTION

GENRE: Fantasy

WINNER:

The Cust-Ogre is always right
by Moonbat

Marvin the shop wizard peered past the coupon at Grantarg the bewildered, and gulped.

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Bronze battle axe,
Hairy Goblin teeth, Stinky Troll's foot,
Jabberwocky jowels*
Wizard hat, Black cat**, Ancient scrolls,
Newish scrolls,
Dragon's breath (5ml bottle)***​

*Limited to one per customer
**Available on mystical Mondays only
***Not for sale to anyone under the influence of dark forces.
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[Culhwch]

DECEMBER 2011

THEME: TOYS

GENRE: Steampunk

WINNER:

Naval Engagement
by HareBrain

‘Miss Featherhill,’ said the Iron Admiral, ‘Your little brother’s Aeolus is splendid.’

The boy pushed the yacht out onto the park's boating pond.

‘And your own model, sir. Wonderful.’

‘A perfect replica of the steam dreadnought Warspite.’

‘It’s — good heavens! On deck?’

‘Miniature clockwork sailors. I said, perfect.’

Tiny turrets swivelled towards Aeolus.

‘Sir! You would not be so cruel.’

The Admiral’s metal arm slid through hers. ‘And you’ll join me for tea, my dear.’

 

[Culhwch]

JANUARY 2012

THEME: WHAT LIES BENEATH
http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/foru...nge-january-2012-victory-for-springs1971.html
GENRE: Weird Western

WINNER:

Sadly Missed
by springs1971

R. I. P.​

HERE LIES​

RUSTY THE​

BEST DOG IN​

THE WHOLE WEST. WE FOUGHT TOGETHER WHEN WE CONQUERED THE ALIEN INVASION​

OF 1871 AND SAVED EARTH FOR THE GOOD GUYS. WHEN THE ZOMBIES OF 74 CAME WE ​

DID FOR THEM. THE VAMPIRES OF 78 GOT HIM AND DRAINED HIM UNTIL HE WAS DEAD.​

PA AN’ I LAID​

HIM HERE IN ​

GOOD GROUND ​

I MISS HIM ​

JOEY BOLON​

1878 DALLAS​

 

[Culhwch]

FEBRUARY 2012

THEME: DEVOTION

GENRE: Speculative Fiction

WINNER:

THE DEAD CAN WEEP
by Teresa Edgerton
​

In the ruins of New York, the dead walked, ghosts haunting ghosts. The wind wailed along the streets of broken buildings. The ghosts spoke in whispers.

Two met amidst the twisted girders.

“I loved you forty years,” he said, “but never dared to speak.”

“And I loved you.”

A heart that doesn’t beat can still be broken. “A lifetime wasted!”

The dead speak; they cannot touch. She smiled behind her tears. “Now we have eternity.”


SECOND PLACE (TIEBREAKER):

THE RAILROAD MAN
by Bob S. Sr

"Me and paw was kicked back, catfishin' down by the river".
"Most devoted family man I ever seen, he and his missus fed 'leven kids, he never missed a day at the switchyard." Paw was talkin, about the dark figure with the lunch pail, crossin' the trestle.
"Kin I ask him if he has kids my age?" I begged.
"Wouldn't pay", paw said, "that man was kilt by a train more'n fifty years ago".

 

[Culhwch]

MARCH 2012

THEME: THE UNCANNY

GENRE: Magical Realism

WINNER:

Make-Believe Wings
by Culhwch

An odd shiver along my spine as she runs into my study, giggling.

‘Daddy!’

‘Hi, hon.’ I look up from the screen, rub bleary eyes. ‘You’re home from school early. Where’s Mummy?’

‘I’m not home, silly.’ She crashes into me, throws pudgy arms around my neck. Cold arms. Another shiver.

‘Where did you get these make-believe wings? I’ve never seen them before.’

‘They’re not make-believe.’ She smiles. ‘Love you, Daddy.’

The phone rings.


SECOND PLACE (TIEBREAKER):

Plain Brown Wrapper
by Pyan

Bored, I scan the shelves, the rows of glossies.
"Occult Girls", "Tarot Weekly", "Oracle"...

Shop's nearly empty. I take a chance, sidle over to the counter.

"Keep anything more...specialised, mate?"

A sideways glance round the shop, and his hand dips under the counter.
"Expensive, yes, but worth it..."

Wallet much lighter, I flee to my room, lock the door, rip open the covering.

Practical Electronics! And this month's, too...

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

APRIL 2012

THEME: PROMISES

GENRE: Post-Apocalyptic


WINNER:

Broken Things
by digs

"The moon's beautiful, Alice."

I've called her after my daughter, dead by now, I hope.

"A comet!"

A missile flares through the dust and smoke.

"And listen: a party down the hall."

Their howling is growing closer.

"You look lovely today, honey."

The girl is so withered it looks as though the life-support machines are feeding on her.

I take her little hand, and for once I don't lie.

"I'll be right here, Alice."



SECOND PLACE (TIEBREAKER):

Horsemen
by HareBrain

Four came riding out of hell-dust. Bethany gripped the farmhouse doorframe.

‘You’re all that’s left? Where’s David?’

‘Dead,’ Ruben said through his kerchief. Sunglasses mirrored devastation. ‘He made us promise not to let you suffer.’

He drew steel. Bethany quailed, but imagined the approaching alternative. ‘Quickly then.’

‘Oh, we shan’t be keeping that promise.’ Ruben removed his kerchief, revealing the diseased grin of the Converted. ‘We gave the Flesh Lord a very different one.’

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

MAY 2012

THEME: COLOUR

GENRE: Science Fantasy

WINNER:

For Display Purposes Only
by The Spurring Platty

For our species, touch can be the most intimate of communications.
With the Glith we quickly learned it was colour.

Negotiations were going well. Our pale skin and drab suits gave off a non-threatening aura.
We advanced past the tricky formal gift stage (the replica peacock a huge success).

Then our sanitation engineer entered the room - unauthorized.
Who knew safety orange, reflective tape, and a yellow hard hat could mimic Glith mating displays?

…

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

JUNE 2012

THEME: INNOCENCE

GENRE: Science Fiction or Fantasy

WINNER:

Knowledge Gained = Innocence Lost
by The Judge

– How do you plead?
....“It’s her fault. She did it.”
........“I didn’t know what would happen.”

– The middle of the arboretum is under interdiction.
....“She went there, not me.”
........“That snake in the grass said it was OK.”

– You were told. You disobeyed.
....“She led me on.”
........“Put some clothes on and shut up.”

– Your punishment is exile.
....“That ain’t fair. She tempted me to eat it.”
........“And I didn’t even like the bloody apple.”

 

[Culhwch]

JULY 2012

THEME: JUSTICE

GENRE: Myth/Legend

WINNER:

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
by RcGrant

"That's not fair," I complained, as Father closed Cornish Legends. "Why did the giant have to die?"

"He betrayed his friend by stealing his wife." Father stood, pushing his fingers underneath his spectacles to rub his eyes. Wrinkles spread from the corners like lines on a map. It was hard work being a single dad.

"But you're not dead," I pointed out.

"It's a story, go to sleep." Father shut the door with a click.


RUNNERS UP (TIEBREAKER):

Gruff Justice
by alchemist

Gruff the tragic dragon lived in a tree,
'Cos pirates burned his castle and most of his family.
In the cold, wet forest, he caterwauled all day,
Until he dried his tears and left Dracoshenora Bay.

Gruff the angry dragon searched o'er the sea.
He cremated the killers and burned half their home city.
His wings were rent and broken, the shoreline all aflame.
He died, and now the dragonfolk revere and sing his name.


Urban
by HareBrain

A friend’s friend did the perfect crime, knew he’d do no time, but the victim’s sis was mistress of rhyme and put out a track, got her own back with magic black, he heard it, the word it got to his brain, made a tumour, the rumour was he saw the boy he'd killed every day, every way accusing this loser until he tried to waste him; the police faced him. One shot aced him.

 

[Culhwch]

AUGUST 2012

THEME: UNREQUITED LOVE

GENRE: Fairytale Fantasy

WINNER:

Fairy Farewell
by Perpetual Man

We are Sidhe. We danced in your groves, praised Sun and Moon, worshipped this world long before you walked it. But we saw you.

Loved you.

Sang for you.

And you raped us. Cut down the ancient oaks, butchered our siblings; raised chimneys of choking smoke; rendered our world, poisoning with foulest science; murdering magic and wonder.

So we withdrew to the lands of Forever Summer.

We watch you still.

Love you still.

And weep.

 

[Culhwch]

SEPTEMBER 2012

THEME: DINOSAURS

GENRE: Humorous Science Fiction

WINNER:

Monster Sale
by paranoid marvin


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SECOND PLACE (TIEBREAKER):

In the Beginning
by FeedMeTV
Louis was 20 feet tall and smelled faintly of kippers. He was sat on a small mound of earth, dangling his claws into the sea and sulking.

“Sorry, old chap!” Noah yelled above the roar of the Ark’s plasma engines.

Louis scowled.

“We could have made it work you know, put you in the hanger bay, maybe given you a bath. But rules are rules and eating Big Foot just wasn’t on. Best of luck!”

 

[Culhwch]

OCTOBER 2012

THEME: TO THE STARS

GENRE: Open

WINNER:

Origin of Parish Byelaw 428
by HareBrain

Others endlessly gazed heavenwards, lost in awe and frustrated desire, but Bezel’s crooked neck hurt to look up. The villagers mocked his downcast life. What joy could there be without the wonder of the constellations?

One night, passing a pool, Bezel saw stars: not up, but down.

He couldn’t fly, but he could fall, and be first to reach them.

They found his body floating, stars all around. They erected a sign: No Swimming.

 

[Culhwch]

NOVEMBER 2012

THEME: FIRE

GENRE: Tudorpunk

WINNERS (TIE):

The First (and Last) Voyage of the HMTM Medina Sidonia
by TheDustyZebra

Our destination was the Spanish Armada's great victory.

It wasn't our fault our controls got firebombed. Eventually, we got everyone back to when they belonged, but ...things happened.

This guy da Vinci drew everything he saw, and Mercator copied our map.

Copernicus, Galileo and Brahe fought over the window view in orbit.

Somebody stole our calendar.

That fellow More went exploring in 2435, and another dude wouldn't stop spouting poetry.

Muse of fire, my butt.

-------

Lady Jane ​

by Hex​

"So romantic!"

"When Guilford's body's brought by--"

"Wikipedia says, she screams his name."

"Lovely."

I stand, willing my hands not to tremble. "Are you... angels?"

"Can she hear us?"

"Shh!"

"Please help me." Mayhap they'll alter time, save my poor Guildford.

Blue fire lights my prison room. Two plump women waver into it and vanish.

Outside, the cart creaks past, laden with my husband's body. I close my eyes and cry his name.

 

[Culhwch]

DECEMBER 2012

THEME: CHRISTMAS

GENRE: Vampires

WINNER:

Moscow-7
by reiver33
The star atop Spasskaya Tower was a gigantic festive decoration, standing out against the night sky. Frost burned my exposed skin, but I reveled in the exquisite pain. A figure in fur coat approached, her boots crunching on the new snow.

She smiled, displaying prominent canines that rivaled my own. “Konrad.”

“Greta. Merry Christmas.” The body lying behind me groaned.

“A gift?” She displayed her body, naked beneath the coat. “And I brought only myself.”

 

[Culhwch]

JANUARY 2013

THEME: CHANGES

GENRE: Cyberpunk

WINNER:

The Colour Of My Days
by mosaix

Starting to wear off now. Time to choose today’s reality. Today’s drug. Today’s pill. Yellow, white, blue? Which nanobot swarm to let loose? Uppers, downers, psychedelics?

Anna, lying beside me, watches and waits. She’s wonderful – beautiful, loving, funny, intelligent, but most of all she understands me – a crutch in my chemically-induced life.

I turn towards her. “You choose.”

“Blue,” she whispers with a smile.

She always says blue; she’s only ever here on blue days.


SECOND PLACE (TIEBREAKER):

Jacked. Hacked. Cracked.
by The Judge

Wannabe cracker looking for the big one – wet-ware hacker job, no probs, all fun. Low rent whacker-man took him with a neur-gun.

Med teams lined up; brain-net opened up; surgeons fixed him up.
His cortex gyral, got hit – viral. Downwards spiral.
More tech. Triple deck.
Train wreck.

Surgical daring; pallium tearing.
Synaptic wiring; nothing firing.
Experiments tried. Axons died. Brain deep-fried.

Started human. Medics said “New man.”
Ended dead man.

 

[Culhwch]

FEBRUARY 2013

THEME: LIFE

GENRE: Science Fiction or Fantasy

WINNER:

Life
by Culhwch

By the time they ended my insurrection, I’d been responsible for the deaths of some four million people across thirteen sectors. A court of war sentenced me to life.

I wish it had been death.

Each morning they strap me in a chair, insert a neurojack into my temple. The collective grief of some four million families is fed straight into my brain for fourteen hours.

Tomorrow, they’ll do it again.

And again.

And again.

 

[Culhwch]

MARCH 2013

THEME: HEROES AND VILLAINS

GENRE: Contemporary Fantasy

WINNER:

Impossible Relationships
by TheDustyZebra

So, I'm all, like, dancing, right, with this totally hot prince charming? So fly!

But then my phone rings, cuz it's, like, midnight, and I gotta bounce -- my shoe falls off, and I'm like, the godmother is gonna murdalize me!

So today, the doorbell rings, and it's, like, the prince, with MY SHOE! I know, ewwww, right? Total stalker-- how do they find me? --and a shoe fetish!

Oh yeah, I called the cops. Busted!

 

[Culhwch]

APRIL 2013

THEME: KITTENS

GENRE: Tall Tales

WINNER:

The Mewling
by HareBrain

‘They calls it … The Mewling,’ whispered Portentous Pete, hunched over his ale.

‘We could have guessed that,’ said Alan. ‘Tis the title.’

‘Redundancy, that,’ said Bert. ‘Waste of words.’

‘Well, how many we got left then?’ said Pete.

‘Thirty two,’ said Alan.

‘Twenty eight, now,’ said Bert.

‘Be quiet, you two!’ said Pete. ‘Or I’ll not have room to tell of the terrible things that result when a kitten is taken over by … The Mewling.’


SECOND PLACE (TIEBREAKER):

CAT - A - STROPHE
by The Judge

Taller than a tree, taller than a house,
Taller than the tallest cat that ever frightened mouse.
Whiskers formed of silver, as wide as the Atlantic,
Ears and paws, teeth and claws, everything gigantic.

Regrettably he’s clumsy, especially in his play,
When he slopped his milk bowl, he formed the Milky Way.
A kit of great intelligence, inventor of the prism.
But never try to tickle him, the result is cataclysm.

 

[Culhwch]

MAY 2013

THEME: LEGACY

GENRE: Science Fiction or Fantasy

WINNERS (Tied):

The Last Sunset
by David Evil Overlord​

‘Mummy, will our star go never?’​

‘Nova, little one. And, no.’​

‘But their star did.’​

‘Yes, it did. They knew they were ending, so they broadcast their genes to the universe. Their gift taught us how to rebuild all that once lived on that lost world.’​

‘And the people?’​

‘Maybe one day we’ll know which ones were the people, little one.’​

We entered the Dead Alien World Zoo.​

‘Mummy, I want to see the humans!’​

_____​

A Mother’s Last Will and Testament
by The Judge​

... and to my beloved daughter...​

The notary taking down my words looks at me, startled.​

My beloved daughter. Killed – by a law permitting only one child, by a husband wanting a son.​

I fought to have the law changed, my husband punished. I failed.​

But I had her corpse, and I have not been idle in my laboratory these seventy years.​

I am dying now. And at the instant of my death...​

... I give life.​

 

[Culhwch]

JUNE 2013

THEME: TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

GENRE: Science Fiction or Fantasy

WINNER:

The Needle worker
by SleepyDormouse​

The tricky bit.

Months of work are at stake.

Seas, mountains, plains and forests have been carefully woven together. Textures, tones and patterns painstakingly applied in hand embroidery.

Her golden needle carefully gathers up the ends and cautiously pulls the shimmering thread tight.

Edges crumple, then smooth and disappear.

Smiling, she releases the globe with a graceful spin of the wrist and watches it drift to join the solar system.