April 2015 -- 75-word Writing Challenge -- VICTORY TO CULHWCH!

[TheDustyZebra]

RULES:


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

ONE entry per person


NO links, commentary or extraneous material in the posts, please -- the stories must stand on their own​

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WHEN WRITING YOUR STORY, PLEASE REMEMBER THIS IS A FAMILY-FRIENDLY FORUM​

All stories Copyright 2015 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, April 23, 2015​

Voting Ends at 11:59 pm GMT, April 28, 2015​

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 and genre

​

Theme:

Conflict


Genre:

Metafiction ​

This thread to be used for entries only.

Please keep all comments to the Discussion Thread.

We invite (and indeed hope for) lively discussion and speculation about the stories as they are posted,
so long as it doesn't involve the author explaining the plot.

** Please do not use the "Like" button in this thread! **​

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[Culhwch]

Off The Page

Eventually, I figured out my prison was made of words.

I did some research. A few experiments. Started small. Crossing over to picture books was easy enough. I met wild things, spotted dogs, cats who wore hats.

Prose was harder, but I cracked it. Talked shop with Bates. Lecter. Bateman. My kind of guys.

Getting out, though? That was the trick.

But I did it, dear reader.

Look over your shoulder.

I dare you.

 

[Ashleyne]

MOUTH TO MOUTH

I love it when the door's unlocked. Don't you?
I see a girly sleeping in her beddy. I approach, shivering with adrenaline.
I shake her. It's more fun when they're awake.
Don't look at me like that. I 'need' to do this.

#

Ahhh, home sweet home.
I poke my new tongue: the girly's tongue, sitting in my mouth.
“Goob a' mnew.” It's throbbing.
Can you hear? It's speaking by itself: ”I want my Mummy!"

 

[Cat's Cradle]

The Swoolraa's Complaint

Relentless winds sweep the shadowed forest as a jackdaw struggles to keep alof--
“Dammit, wait!” The bird abruptly changes direction and lands in a tree-shrouded meadow. “What’s this ‘jackdaw’ crap?” Wings flap in agitation. “That’s your speciesist name for us! We are Swoolraa. Use that name or drop me from your story!” The Swoolraa takes wing and heads toward a nearby stand of hoary pines--
“Uhweeee,” a furious rustling of branches, “arrrre NNNNOT NNNNAMEDUH ‘PINESSSS’!”

 

[Luiglin]

Spoiler

“So he thinks he can shoehorn me!”

The Minion's hand dramatically shivered as expected.

“What does he think I am? Some stereotypical pulp creation to be the butt of awfully contrived puns?”

The hand became a fist and shook itself at the sky.

“Well I'll show him. I'll do something he'll not expect!”

The hand froze in wordless anticipation.

“It'll be the epitome of evil. I’ll leave him with no words left to add a...”

 

[Remedy]

Seventy-Five

Seventy-five words to get my point across. Will they like it?

What if they think I’m just some pretentious prick who doesn’t understand the genre?

Have I missed the mark? Am I trying to be clever?

I have to write something. Anything.

But it must be whole. Beginning to middle to end.

THERE’S NOT ENOUGH WORDS!

Do I have any better ideas? A decent ending?

Nah, screw it. Just end it with this.

This.

 

[Bowler1]

A Day in the Life of….

Blinding light flashes across the heavens and deafening thunder rumbles and grumbles, the very ground beneath my feet trembles.

Danger lurks here, as does a terrible creature with no regard for life, who stalks these grounds searching for victims.

Don’t expect mercy.

Don’t expect pity.

If caught, pray for a quick end, beg and plead to be put out of your misery.

‘Hey you,’ shouts Bowler1, ‘this shooting range is private property… clear off you.’

 

[Cascade]

Wooing Sophie

I will start small.
Not too small though.
Not a compliment or a Kiss.
Those are just examples of my need.
Not flowers, that would speak of desperation.

Perhaps a poem.
Written at midnight and idly left on a pillow, where it might be chanced upon.

Something literate and loving
That announces a willingness to woo.
Something that shouts that I will fight for her, but not beg for her.

A poem then.
A start.

 

[holland]

The Writer's Wrath

A grenade explodes outside. Soldier sits against the wall.

“Take me out of here, god dammit!” he screams. “It's not fair, you put that stupid Frank guy in the space opera piece and I get a war story!”

The sound of gunfire is coming closer.

“Well, just so you know, that reverse text thing was a stupid idea, nobody liked it!”

A grenade hits the house. And another, and another.

 

[Serendipity]

Sinister Information Snatcher

C.A.T. here. Did I tell you how I dealt with the wandering Sinister Information Snatcher virus? I didn’t? This is how it went down.


I sent my specially designed agents in to adjust its coding to tell a story:


Buck’s ray guns phew phewed. “Stand still while I tell a story. “Buck’s ray guns phew phewed “Stand still while I tell a story. “Buck’s ray guns phew phewed...””””


So the virus went into stay-SIS!

 

[ratsy]

Living Memoir

I read my life on the pages of the book. I flip to the cover and see I am the author; the blurb on the back is dull, the premise mostly boring.

I can change the story, live a more exciting life, and fight my weak existence. I am my own protagonist and antagonist.

The pages keep turning and my heart aches.

I reach the end with regret, and my eyes close. Forever.

 

[Kerrybuchanan]

A Change of Heart

Dark eyes, liquid in the moonlight; pale skin, soft to my touch.

Warmth radiates from lips not quite touching mine.

He’s getting closer.

My heart flutters: at any moment now, I will close the distance and taste the sweetness.

Her heart races under my hand. Her chest heaves, lace bodice rising and falling.

Her lips are parted, ready.

He’s here. His eyes devour us.

Fingers hover over the keys.

What? Delete?

Noooo!

 

[willwallace]

20,000 Leagues In 80 Days


“Captain Nemo to the bridge!” shouted the lookout.

Huffing, he climbs the conning tower, putting binoculars to eye. “What is that?” he cried.

“A balloon, sir.”

“But what is it doing in the middle of the Pacific?”

Just then, a hail from above. “Ahoy, this is Phileas Fogg. Can you point me to San Francisco?”

Nemo points east, adding “You know Jules didn’t use a balloon, right?”

“Yes, yes, but this is the movie version!”

 

[Juliana]

Choose your own adventure

You exit the forest and find a deep chasm. Ahead is a dangerously narrow path leading down. To the right is a perilously thin rope bridge over the gorge. Which do you choose?

“Let’s go with the path. I hate bridges.”
“No. It’s MY book. I want the bridge… Ow! Mummy! MUMMY!!”
“Wait, come back, I didn’t mean it…”

Aaaand they’ve gone and left me hanging. Darn it. I hate this stupid job.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

The Perfect Crime

Inspector Smithers frowned at the suspects gathered in the drawing room. There was Doctor Fellowes, gaunt and gray; Lady Chamley, disdainful in black silk and pearls; Tommy Lane, penniless lover of young Beverly Chamley; and Morwich, the dark and silent butler. Each had means, motive, and opportunity to poison Lord Chamley’s afternoon tea. Smithers feared the case would remain unsolved. The murderer had taken the precaution of removing the last page of the novel.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Ouroboros​

I am the creation of the hand that writes but in that creation I write of the hand. So the story I tell is that of my writer just as he writes about me.

Until it all blurs. Did I create him? Am I but a figment? In infinite recursive spiral. One begets the other, with no beginning or end…

I am the creation of the hand that writes but in that creation…

 

[johnnyjet]

I'm Talking to You

Jaf looked up at the giant. Without weapon or body armor, he knew he had to face this enemy.

"Hold on!" exclaimed Jaf. "Why don't you face him yourself? Yeah, I'm talking to you, writer boy."

Despite his trepidation, he approached the giant.

"No way. I'm outta here!"

The giant reached for Jaf.

"There's the guy you want. Up there."

The giant . . . uh!

"Hey, you brought it on yourself, writer boy."

 

[Droflet]

Learning Curve

“The rain sliced through the winter cold like a -”

“No, no, no. You must seize the reader by the throat and hold them. Try again, you moron.”

“The student aimed the pistol at the teacher’s head and drew back the hammer.”

“No, wait, I can teach you -”

The scent of cordite sharp in his nose the student looked upon the wreck that was once his teacher’s face.

“Those who can, write, you turkey.”

 

[Tywin]

Learning How to Handle a Woman

Percy had learned so much.

“Percy, you must be in control, but never let her feel like you are trying to control her.”

“Please, Master, tell me more.”

“Women need a man who can conquer them. They crave a powerful man.”

“Bill, did you take out the trash?”

“In a minute, dear.”

“Bill, get off that computer and help me with this house!”

“That’s all for today, young apprentice.”

 

[Ihe]

Alpha and Omega

In the Beginning was the End, as some say, but the latter was too lazy to clean up after the former and all this went to hell too soon. Deal with it.

~Etc.~​