December 2017 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge -- VICTORY TO PETER V!

[chrispenycate]

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



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


All stories Copyright 2017 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, December 23, 2017

Voting Ends at 11:59 pm GMT, December 28, 2017


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 next month's theme and genre

This month's was chosen by mosaix, who isn't here right now, so I did the honours

Theme:

Present

Genre:

Science fiction, fantasy or any other speculative fiction.


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, as long as it doesn't involve the author explaining the plot.

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

 

[Ashleyne]

MITTON'S CHRISTMAS FAIRY TALE

The big ones keep Mittons fed and watered, give him a pillow to rest his head, hugs to keep him warm.

This morning they gave him paper to play with, bright, beautiful paper. He'll find them a gift, pay them back for accepting him into their family.

#

Amy asks, "What is that?"

"It looks like a fairy", says Mum. "Where did you find it?"

"It's covered in blood. Get it away from me."

"Bad Mittons!"

 

[SilentRoamer]

Concepts 4 4D Beings

Attempts to grasp physical concepts flowing back and forth, energy across lightyears, seemingly random, but deeper than 4 dimensional experience there is meaning.

"They have no understanding of anything outside of their cognizant temporal experience, they experience time linearly", the last meaning wavered - attempted understanding of concepts that are embedded in 4D spacetime intelligence are always difficult concepts for multidimensionals. The past, the future, the present - concepts for 4D beings.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Moments of Home

The puppy’s red bow nearly overwhelms it, and my heart swells with Chelsea’s laughter. ”The terrier’s named Procyon,” Joanna says. Chelsea’s wearing another gift – a space marine’s teal uniform, just like daddy’s.
Then Joanna’s in frame, glowing in December’s slanting sunshine. “Merry Christmas, darling.”

For a month’s pay I’d purchased hypercast time to share my family’s Christmas; tomorrow, near Procyon, I’ll fight so they’ll have another. And to earn more credits. My birthday’s coming soon.

 

[Luiglin]

Festive Cracker

A trumpet fanfare heralded Tinder, Advisor to the Royal Bedchamber.

"Your Majesty," he announced. "I've swept east and west to find a suitable festive adornment for the Royal Bedchamber. May I present, Dirk," Tinder said, bowing aside to reveal the perfect bronzed form of a man, eyes vacant of intelligence and wearing a large red ribbon that failed to cover his modesty.

"Oh goody," squealed the Queen, dribbling in anticipation. "Can I pull him now?"

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

The Universal Roll Call

"Talbot?"

"HOWWWWWL!"

"Not so loud. Griffin?"

"Here."

"Funny, I can't see you."

"That's a very old joke."

"Sorry. Frankenstein?"

"Present."

"Frankenstein's monster?"

"GOOOOOD!"

"I'm glad you approve. The monster's bride?"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEK!"

"Try to calm down, madam. Dracula?"

"COUNT Dracula to you."

"Save it for the peasants. Black Lagoon Creature?"

"BLOOOOP."

"Here's a towel. Imhotep?"

"UHHHHHHHHHH."

"Next time go easy on the tanna leaves. OK, folks, let's go out and get those people colorizing your movies!"

 

[Calliopenjo]

Something From the Heart

Each side of paper creased as careful as possible. Secured with clean adhesive to be sure it stayed in place. Ribbon wrapped around the package, to hold, to decorate the item.


Placed with care and love, under a winter tree adorned with lights and symbols of the holiday season. It sat and waited to be unwrapped.


Each side unfolded then the top lifted to reveal what lie underneath. Something special given with love.

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

The Lament Configuration

The small parcel had sat under the Yule tree for days, wrapped neatly in brown paper and string.

Rex had been waiting patiently to open the present. A few days was negligible compared to the decades he’d searched.

The wrapping removed, Rex held the beautifully lacquered and masterfully created puzzle box.

Careful twists and turns.

Slowly opening, musical chimes ringing.

From behind him a deep gravelly voice intoned ‘We have such sights to show you.......’

 

[Perpetual Man]

Paradoxical Present

Schrödinger hated Christmas, always the same thing. A box wrapped in festive paper, allegedly a cat in the box.

Dead or alive? An indeterminable state, until opened.

Did that state begin the moment the box was sealed? If, indeed there was a feline in the container, was it trapped in the past until freed?

He tore the gift open.

Dead, alive, past, future, all rendered irrelevant: the cat was in the present.

 

[nixie]

The Clock on the Wall
​

Tick
Knife selected.
Tock
Sharpness tested.
Tick
Victims chosen.
Tock
Heads removed.
Tick
Bodies sliced.
Tock
Heads disposed off.
Tick
Cook the sliced bodies and disguise the taste.
Tock
The meal is ready.
Tick
Hopefully the evidence is hidden.
Tock
Child enters.
Tick
Screams ring out.


"But mum you know I hate carrots".
Tock
Dinner ruined.

 

[chrispenycate]

Ask Me for Anything but Time

The future, present and correct,
Passed seamlessly to 'now',
Needs minimum of intellect
Before its exit bow.
Past attracts in retrospect
Flawed memories we slough.

Presenting gifts to fertile crescent
Yuletide oriental mages'
Message to monarch and peasant
Centuries of war presages.
Mankind, brutal and unpleasant
Must inherit all sin's wages.

A xenophobic Xenophon
Says duration is illusion,
Gelded, incensed Myrrmidon
In disaster scale Malthusian.

Celebrating new year's birth
With catastrophe on Earth.
​

 

[ASleepyGiraffe]

As The Clock Ticks


Able sat in his rocking chair, rubbing the condensation from his spectacles.

Nim wriggled in his lap and grabbed the glasses off him.

‘They’re fine, grandpa.’

She gently rested them back onto his crooked nose.

Able squinted as Nim held the book up close for him to read.

‘And the dragon gave the brave princess the greatest gift of all.’

‘What was it?’

Able smiled.

‘Time, dear girl.’

He held his granddaughter close.

‘Just time…’

 

[D.A. Xiaolin Spires]

The Present Is the Present

It descended, tangled knots of luminescent twine. The package unfurled, layer by layer, shedding skins of history. I felt the cold plunge of civil wars, despots, famines, colonial powers, destructive weapons. Each layer more wrinkled, more gnarly, twisted.

It landed. I scooped it up. What remained was just the kernel. I saw our present condition, all past layers shed.

It presented us a future, one we could shape.

We’d layer bright materials, gild our tomorrow.

 

[Shyrka]

Savour the Moment

“A Moment of Clarity.” The old sorceress held out a crystal vial. “My gift. Drink it and that second’s memory will be forever preserved.”

The queen recoiled, cradling her newborn daughter protectively. “When would she use such a thing, mother?” She spat the name.

“Not her, you. As for when, believe me-” The sorceress glanced wistfully at her granddaughter. The babe nestled lovingly against her mother and gurgled.

“-there is no time like the present.”

 

[Talysia]

Blessings

‘Why, Mum?’
‘So an angel can bless us at Christmas.’
‘I’ll give her a present, then!’

That was forty lonely years ago. He still put the tattered angel atop the tree, along with a gift of sugared almonds, even though times were hard.

On Christmas morning, there was a present sitting beneath the tree. Usually, there was nothing. Inside it was love, light, and warmth.

Awed, he looked up at the angel.

She winked.

 

[Cathbad]

One Life


From the stairs, father and I watched the children open presents from under the tree. Jimmy got the locomotive he’d wanted, Suzy the dolly she’d loved.

Snow fell outside the picture window.

I hugged my husband close.

A loud bang made me jump.

I find myself sitting on the floor, holding a raggedy blanket. A police siren shrills.

I look around the apartment. Food wrappers decorate the room.

Fighting tears, I reach for my syringe.

 

[jackwin]

Steak n eggs,baked potato,key lime pie,chocolate milk.

Ordered last meal. Library trustee tosses plastic-wrapped postage-paid postcard on my cot with instructions on a yellow post-it; Mail this to yourself at any time in your life. "IT WILL ARRIVE" !!!

"I'm MeYou. I've messed up real bad.
Noon tomorrow the State will Fry us. Our blood will boil, our eyes will collapse.
DON'T LEAVE LITTLEBORO! TREAT MARYBETH RIGHT! LIVE HONORABLY or YOU' WILL LIVE TO REGRET IT!"
YOU'RE OUR ONLY HOPE!

 

[Danny McG]

PURGE:

As he and his fellow ‘traitors’ stood awaiting their doom, Flod couldn’t help wondering who had turned him in, his wife? The kids?

Great Leader was unprecedented in his paranoia and thousands of innocents were executed weekly.

“Present Arms”

“Take aim”

Just before they fired Flod spotted Great Leader, white beard shaking as he chortled “ho,ho,ho” over his mulled wine, red robes standing out amidst the grey.

Then Captain Elf bellowed “Fire!”

.......oblivion......

 

[DragonAether]

The Last


“Raziel, there is a present for you from Earth’s council.”

“As if a present could be enough to forget the fact that they banished me on this colony ship.”

He played the audio track of the present.

“It’s a while that we don’t talk, I hope you will look after our present.”

Raziel opened the box. Inside there was a bonsai, with a name tag “The Last”.

Raziel burst out into tears.

Earth was gone.

 

[John K]

Feast not Swords

“My Queen, a gift for you on this auspicious day. I present my Joy.”

“A wonderful gift Knight-General, I have a gift to help with the trials to come, my Patriotism.”

“Magnificent Queen, I finer gift I can’t imagine. Your armies stand ready, should I give to order to march? We shall crush the Brastians.”

“Stay your hand good knight, I have lost my appetite for war. Prepare a feast, invite the Brastian ambassador.”