DISCUSSION -- April 2016 300-word Writing Challenge (#21)

[Cathbad]

@Juliana !​

 

[Juliana]

How exciting! Thanks everyone for the votes, shortlistings, and lovely comments. I'm really thrilled. This was one of those months where I really, REALLY liked my story, and to see it hit a note with so many people was fantastic.

Going to bed happy!

 

[Phyrebrat]

Congratulations, Juliana! 21 votes... Gotta be some kinda record! I imagine you've just leapt to the top of TJ's challenge stats.

pH

 

[Droflet]

Congrats Juliana. A huge win.

 

[Droflet]

Maybe this month's 300 should have been called Game of Bones?

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Congratulations, Juliana, on a great story and victory! I can see why you liked this story so much!

 

[mosaix]

Congratulations, Juliana!

 

[Starbeast]

Thank you so much for the votes, Farntfar and Beasty! What an exciting month.

Absolutely Juliana. And......CONGRATULATIONS. You were one of three disturbing entries I found intriguing and enjoyable.

The votes from Phyreba-Ba-ba-dook, dook, dook...

Strangely (for my tastes) this month saw me shortlisting comedy entries!

Many thanks for the shortlistings, and blesséd assurance of intense thanks to Ihe, Perp and Cathbad for the votes! pH

You're welcome Phyrebrat. Keep up the great work.

okay, time to get my a into g and do some votin' before i have a glass of whiskey... first, a big thank you to @Starbeast for the mention (and to anyone else who mentioned my story - i have been a bit slack on here as of late), and a huge couple of thank you's to @Moonbat and @Mad Alice for the votes! much appreciated

so a shortlist:

@farntfar
@Jo Zebedee
@Ihe
@Glen
@Cascade
@Starbeast
@Phyrebrat
@DG Jones
@Moonbat

You're very welcome for my mention of you, Mr Orange. And a big THANK YOU, for listing me. While you're drinking, I'll raid your fridge.

Firstly, thank you @Starbeast for saving me from a no votes no mentions month!

I know talent when I see it. Stay awesome, HazelRah. I'm glad you joined the Pool Party and submitted an entry.

 

[Remedy]

Congratulations Juliana! Really excellent story.

 

[Mr Orange]

Congrats Juliana, a very worthy winner

 

[crystal haven]

Congratulations, Juliana!

 

[Luiglin]

Congrats @Juliana - one of my 3

Thanks to @DG Jones and @Mr Orange for the votes plus comments and to the mentions folks.

I'm about a third of a way through a Dark Lord novel and it's all going downhill for him.

 

[Wruter]

Congratulations Juliana, it was a very good piece, glad to have voted for it

My thanks to The Judge, Moonbat and HazelRah for the votes.

 

[Shyrka]

Congratulations to Juliana, definitely the stand-out entry for me. Early on, when we were level-ish on votes, I briefly considered voting tactically to improve my chances but then I read the entry again and before I'd finished I knew it had won my vote.

On a personal note, eight votes is amazing, more than I could ever have hoped for. Thank you to everyone for all the votes and mentions - it's really encouraging in the moments when I find myself staring at my computer and thinking 'I'm no good at this'.

 

[Venusian Broon]

Fantastic Juliana! Well done.

Many thanks for the votes - in no particular order from these lovely people - johnnyjet, David Evil Overlord, StilLearning, Mr Orange, TitaniumTi and Duttster. Also a big shout out to everyone else that mentioned me in their runners up, shorts list or just a passing mention.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Huge congrats, Ju! Well deserved.

Much thanks for the vote, Victoria, and for the various mentions. Poor Boney-b is not that happy and currently wondering how to apply his criminal mastermind skills to internet forums...

 

[Perpetual Man]

Congratulations Juliana!

 

[Glen]

Congratulations Juliana! Nearly half the votes! Boom!

Thanks for the votes willwallace, StilLearning, and for the mentions Victoria Silverwolf, Cascade, Venusian Broon, Cathbad, Shyrka, Starbeast, Mr Orange, Cat’s Cradle. Very happy with that haul.

 

[J5V]

Congrats to @Juliana! These 300-worders demand a higher commitment, so it's tough to win these.

My votes are for Juliana, Wruter and J5V

@HazelRah, thanks for that vote just before the end! Most unexpected, as I'd not made it to anyone else's shortlist (I thought I was in for a duck!)

I'll think more carefully about verse next time, and do a better job. Lesson learned

 

[Phyrebrat]

In the absence of 'Improving our 300 challenge entry threads' I hope it's okay to post this here.

I was whining about which of my stories to post. Missing Stock seemed better in terms of story so I went with that. This was my other. I'm wondering if I would have done better with this.

Giants
Sam stared at Liberty Island, jostled by other onlookers, surprised how shiny the plinth was minus its statue. France was offended at the removal of their gift and didn't believe the Americans were clueless as to its whereabouts. Not that they had the best relationship with France since Trump got in.

Then news broke that the Eiffel Tower had gone missing, too, and the French abruptly shut up. Just like here; there one minute, gone the next. Sam laughed when Britain came clean: Nelson was missing from the top of his column, as was the Angel of the North. Actually, from the look of that horrendous thing, the Brits were blessed.

Over the next few hours the media was crammed with details of missing Buddhas, Lincoln, The Sphinx, and countless Greco-Roman statues. Museums - with CCTV - had been plundered with no evidence of how the crimes were committed. He switched channels. A stuffy Brit with graveyard teeth bemoaned the loss of his Henry Moores, whoever that was. The screen changed to a dam in a desert and the words 'Aswan - Abu Simbel' appeared at the bottom of the screen. The image flicked to some ancient monument showing four seated pharaohs or gods before switching to the same view minus the statues; just their sandstone thrones. Then: a cliff he half-recognised. He increased the volume but the story changed. All he heard was 'Rushmore'; that was enough.

Outside purple clouds bruised the sky and the imminent storm was giving him a headache so he called it a night.

At some point he woke to sirens.

At 11am he woke again. It was twilight, the clouds having dispersed, but the sun was nowhere to be seen.

He flicked on the TV.

Static.

On the radio all he got was one word:

'Nephilim.'