75 WORD WRITING CHALLENGE -- November 2012 --TDZ and Hex share the Victory!

[HareBrain]

Rules:​

Write a story inspired by the chosen theme in no more than 75 words, not including the title.​

One entry per person.​

All stories Copyright 2012 by their respective authors, who grant the Chronicles Network the non-exclusive right to publish them here.​

The complete rules can be found at Rules for the Writing Challenges.​

Contest ends at 11:59 pm GMT, November 23 2012​

Voting Ends at 11:59 pm GMT, November 28 2012​

You do not have to submit a story in order to vote -- in fact, we encourage all Chrons members to take part in choosing a winner.​

The Magnificent Prize:​

The Dignified Congratulations/Grovelling Admiration of Your Peers and the challenge of choosing the next month's theme or genre.​

The Theme for November:​

FIRE​

The Genre:​

Tudorpunk​

Good luck!​

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Plagiarism policy



"Wills!"

"Kit! What's that?"

"Latest New World fashion. Care to try?"

"How exciting!"

"There's a chap. Here's salt; lick it - "

"Are you mad?"

"Never less so.... Put your folio down, 'tis strong stuff. Now shout 'fire in the hole!'"

"In the....?"

"Hole. Good lad. Drink."

"Ye gods, 'tis worse than potatoes..."

"Now the lime....Another?"

"S'wunnerful..."

"Indeed, my learned friend. Waiter! See Master Shakespeare gets home. I have a play to produce; Hamlet, by Marlowe."

 

[Juliana]

Brave Marianna​

The Marianna left to range the seas
Following the upstart Genovese
To blaze a trail from West to East
The spice trade beckons, wealthy feast
Her solar sails gleam in the sun
Columbus’ loss, she’s surely won!
But something happened to delay:
Atlantean splendor along the way
Entranced, the brave ship lingers on
Her quest forgotten, a sleeping swan
Till one day tremors shake the ground
The fires burn high and sailors drown.

 

[stormcrow]

Rotten luck for a time-traveller

Transported there by thaumaturgic angels, Lydon stands central in the market square. In her palace, resplendent in silks, lace and fur, ‘Bloody’ Mary coolly receives news of his death.

Around him, a ragged crowd backs away from the searing flames, baying: “Heretic! Antichrist!”

Bedecked with chains and pierced all over: studded collar about his throat, Lydon closes his eyes and tries to block out the pain, whispering with cracking lips “…she ain’t no human being...”

 

[reiver33]

White Rose, Black Heart

Richard the Third took a deep breath. “You say that on the morrow I fall in battle and Henry Tudor becomes king?”

“He already is. As Henry the Seventh he dates his reign from today, so all who oppose him are guilty of treason.”

“And this ‘history’ of yours is fixed?”

“The body must die, but your soul can conquer his.”

Richard smiled with grim satisfaction.

I smiled in return. “We call it neural cloning.”

 

[Interversus]

Unquisition
Thomas tarried in a cell as deep as the city’s seep; his revolutionary theory the only comfort.

Unlatching, the guard allowed through a flamboyantly dressed mosher.

“I’m Reader Sid, doin’ your case. You know of what you’re accused?”

Thomas didn’t look up, “Heresy?”

“Yeah. Do ya renounce your recordings?”

“I report what I see.”

“Wot is?”

“That the Universe is the work of God!” Thomas exclaimed.

“If ya reject science tommorrer, yool burn,” Sid sneered.

 

[Luiglin]

Correspondence

Dear Derek,

You stole my pump, crank and flying machine designs. You’ve even stolen my name; flowering it up with extra da’s and di’s.

Let me tell you, outrageous Italian accent or not, I still remember Derek the gong farmer.

As you can see in my enclosed sketches for a Thunder Fire Stick powered by steam I’ve beaten you.

Yours sincerely,

Leonard Vincy

~~~

Dear Leonard,

I’ve called it the Architonnerre.

Yours truly,

Leonardo da Vinci

 

[paranoid marvin]

Heir Today


Of all pretenders to the throne
King Perkin took the Crown
Announced his claim unto the world
And brought poor Henry down

The secret of the rise you see
To which he did aspire
Was sailing off into the East
And bringing back Greek Fire

King Henry's reign went up in smoke
Old London Town alit
The Yorkist rose once more in bloom
The history books re-writ

 

[FeedMeTV]

Remember, Remember

Guy Fawkes’ heavy boots thudded onto the streets of London once more. The buildings loomed in on him from every side, suffocating him, watching him. He refused to look to the end of the street to where the ‘great men’ of London brought wretchedness and God’s own fury to England. He spat and tipped his hat to look back to the gutters, thinking of flames and sparks and the righteousness of man.

 

[ratsy]

Ashes

Hank stared into the fire, remembering that day.

He and Beth were visited by a stranger who spoke of blood and time travel. After they had him hung for lunacy a note was found on the body.

It spoke of dying roses and a birth bathed in red. The night was cold but the hearth blazed hot. Crumpling the parchment, he threw it in the flames

It wasn't until years later he understood.

 

[Abernovo]

A Smooth Succession


Statesman and philosopher sit down beside the hearth.

"You have it, Francis?"

"Delivered this morning. Sir Peter writes, 'King James accepts such terms.'"

Robert breathes out. "And the missive was not intercepted?"

"They followed my serving girl instead. We even gave them something to find – jewels, in a bundle, under her dress."

"Then how...?"

Francis smiles. "One of Dee's perpetual motion devices. Nobody suspects a rowing boat."

"Burn the evidence. While Bess lives, 'tis treason."

 

[prizzley]

Aftermath

‘Once and for all, I am not invading England!’

‘Jamie, lad, Henry played his lute and sang while London burned. The mob didnae like it, so they killed him, his queen and the young princess.’

‘Och, that’s different. François will be busy with his Italian wars, so let’s get on wi’ the avenging.’

The double crown was heavy. Naetheless kilts and pipes soon replaced ruffs and virginals, and consumption of porridge and haggis spread south.

 

[The Spurring Platty]

November 5, 1580

Edward reflected on the Constable’s visit.

Second time in a month he was asking about Guy and his friends.
Someone dissolved saltpeter and sugar in hot water. Poured it slowly down a chimney, letting it set and harden to the inside.
They lit the fire and ran.

Smoke and flame spewed for better part of a day.

Surely he’d grow up.

Do something great. Something to be remembered.

He was a Fawkes, after all.

…

 

[amberwaves]

not really an entry:

What's that you say you churlish little girl?

"No such thing as TodorPunk!"

You'll fry in the eternal flames of hell for that one.

 

[BigJ]

The Black Un-Death

“Steady, men!”

The Black Death had struck fear into the world, but this new plague was doing more than kill.

“Steady!”

Monarchies had crumbled in its wake, aristocratic excess was no more, and the church had fallen as the people lost their faith.

“Hold!”

My band of soldiers had quickly established martial law in our small village, which was now under attack. Arquebuses quivered and matchlocks burned as the risen dead closed to range.

“Fire!”

 

[Lucky_Lola]

From the Immolating Diary of Inigo Jones

_an epiphany. My revels_____masques delight___________
still___felt unfulfilled. ______ at my wits' end,
despondent_________wanted____ bring more light to_____ court theatre.
I______ winding the clock______struck me______ bolt from heaven.


___for months____________ I finally have finished. My master work
call it the clockwork firefly________ shall debut
________fortnight ______Majesty's birth. Jonson and I
​

* * *
​

“What of these... metal bees, Lord Protector?”


Oliver Cromwell watched the heretic's library fall into ashes. “Papist witchcraft. Burn them, too.”

 

[TacticalLoco]

The Red Witch
​

The inquisition would burn her for witchcraft. As they had done her sisters, her mothers.

Techno-heretics. They don't understand.

So when they came for her, she was ready. The pyro-bellows concealed under her shirts, her leather garments themselves fire resistant. The hoses and nozzles threaded though bodice sleeves.

All she needed was a source of ignition and the whole church would burn with transforming revenge.

They say, God shall provide.

A torch bearing priest approaches...

 

[Perpetual Man]

OIAD LAIAD OL ANGELS​

In a dark glass I see the black ignite,
A glorious fire – Heaven’s light,
In a moment all things are known,
The fall of my Queen to my death at home,
I see again my loss of pride,
The sharing of my bride.
I who had the ear of Queen’s,
Was in my trust too naive,
Wish by Mary had been burned alive:
In my glass true Uriel sighed,
For in truth false Kelley lied.​

 

[kshRox]

Stress Management:

The flanges fluttered emptying the emergency reservoir into his primary pump as Faisel was dragged before the brass throne.

Pressure built exponentially as the Queen turned her glittering metallic gaze upon him but he dared not vent the excess steam to display his nervous guilt.

Pointing her fashionably chromed finger she screamed, “Burn him on…“

BOOM!

Steam, water and metal chips flew everywhere as his head exploded.

“Oh My!”, the Queen quipped, “never mind “.

 

[Bowler1]

Wise Woman

The calls went up after dark – ‘Bring out your dead.’
Carts piled high with bodies.
We all lived in fear of the Black Death.
When the ‘Wise Woman’ promised salvation, the poor and the desperate flocked.


The evening call is now – ‘Lock up your dead.’
We live in fear of the Walking Dead.
That no cart can out run.
The cursed ‘Wise Woman’ we burned – yet the dead still walk.