April 2018 75-word Writing Challenge -- VICTORY TO HOOPYFROOD!

[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


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



All stories Copyright 2018 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, 23 April 2018​

Voting ends at 11:59 pm GMT, 28 April 2018​

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



Theme:

Identity


Genre:

Open



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]

JUST THE THREE OF US

"I can't breathe. There's too many flies.

"Save us, Bianca.

"It's too late.

"How can you just sit there with maggots eating me and your father?

"You deserved it. What he did to me... You never listened.

"You enjoyed it, Bianca. It was our secret."

She rocks back and forth, eyes sore, coughing out the fumes of a ferociously raging fire. The room spins, her parents' corpses a blur.

"You made me do this."

 

[Culhwch]

Best Kept Secret

All supes have secret identities. Everyone knows that, especially since Ultro got outed.

That’s what got me thinking about Katherine.

Unexplained late nights.

Business trips on short notice.

Suspicious bruises.

Occasional bloodstains.

Singed hair.

Was I married to a superhero?

I started snooping. I wish I hadn’t.

I found her suit.

Miss Sinister. The villain of the piece.

Now I have my own secret to keep. If not, I know how the story ends...

 

[Joshua Jones]

What's in a Name?

Moses asked the fiery bush, “If they ask, 'What’s his name?’ what should I say?”

“I have no name; names define. I am Definer. I am pure existence, pure power, pure causality, through whom you exist. I am Aleph and Tav, transcendent and infinite beyond mortal imagination. I cannot be summarized with words. I am what I am.”

“So,” Moses stuttered, confused, “I AM’s your name?”

“Seriously? Did you just miss… fine, whatever. Just go!”

 

[Cat's Cradle]

A Niggle then a Wiggle then a Niggle

Is this a mirror or a window? Is that me or a stranger? Am I a man with thinning grey hair, expressive blue eyes, and a nose that must dominate conversations when wielded with proper aggression, or is such a man looking in on me?

I’ll wiggle what is undeniably my own nose (as recognized via cross-eyed stare), to see whether this visage does the same. …

It’s me!

Now – who the hell am I?

 

[jackwin]

" EL FOLDO "

He was a legend in poker rooms all over the world. He would only play in one tournament in one room one time.
The blinds and antes would come around, he would quietly post them and check til the first bet. He then mildly tossed his cards into the muck.
He never said a word, would just smile if anybody commented. When his chips were gone he elegantly rose and departed.
He is " EL FOLDO "

 

[Hugh]

Matters of the Heart​

It was raining toadstools and tapioca …..


“I wish I knew” the Walrus said

“Exactly who I am,

And if the world of inner space

Is nothing but a scam.

My voices tell me many things

But leave me in a jam.”

“No worries”, said the Carpenter

“Let’s take your brain apart,

And look for fish and flying cats,

And mulberry cream tart,

Then maybe we can serenade

The pearls within your heart”.

 

[nixie]

Confession


• Police Reception Desk.

“Officer, I need to speak to someone”

• Incident Room.

“Sir, can I have a word?”

• Interview Room.

The inspector's eyes widened when he saw his witness.

“ Take a seat, the desk sergeant said you have some information on the death of Mr Alex Trey”.

“Yes, I killed me”

“You killed him?”

“No, me, I am Alex Trey"

 

[Phyrebrat]

Your Place or Mine?
It happened again this morning, in the bright chill freshness of early spring sun; someone staring at me. When I looked around, it looked away quickly, like I didn’t know what it was doing.
It moves when I haven’t.
It’s not the change of direction in the light.
It’s not my imagination.
It’s bored of following me, defined by the randomness of light.
It’s had enough just being my shadow.
It’s trying to steal me.

 

[Cathbad]

I Think… but Am I?


I stand at the bathroom mirror to shave and…

Scream.

I’ve no reflection!

I run and call Cheryl, my ex.

“Cher. I’m telling the truth!”

“I don’t know a Trevor, but whoever you are, see a psychiatrist!” She hangs up.

I call my best friend. Mark calls me nuts, hangs up. My boss doesn’t recognize my name!

I go to the foyer mirror. Still no reflection.

If I can’t see myself, do I really exist?

 

[mosaix]

Who’s Who?

“So, how do you do this identity theft thing?”

“Well, first I get background info – family and so on.”

“How?”

“Easy, I read minds.”

“Oh really?” A smirk.

“Sure. Now let’s see… detective for 13 years, married, two girls. Eleven and nine.”

“Now just wait a minute…”

“Of course it also helps that I can change my shape – maybe to yours…”

“What the hell!!”

“And yours to mine…”

“No! Please stop!”

“Be seeing you…”

 

[D.A. Xiaolin Spires]

Manure Magnet

“Good job. Boardwalk’s impeccably clean.”

“Thank you, sir. But, really, thank my designers.”

“Well, all the beachgoers see you and thank you.”

“Yes, sir.”

But, if you’re wielding a mop, why wear one on your head?”

“Sir…?”

“Your wig. You wish to be human?”

Seagulls soar overheard.

Splatter.

Droppings slide down Boss’s bald spot. He curses.

Bot smiles. “No, sir. I’m content with my identity as Cleaner05968. Just not with my shiny metal head.”

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

The Heist

The thieves wore holographic body suits. Identification was impossible. Their eyes hid behind one-way contact lenses. They disabled the bank's AI with an electromagnetic pulse gun and threatened the human employees with hand lasers. The robbery lasted less than one minute. They made their getaway on stolen drones.

The President of the Atlantic Union called it the Crime of the Century. The bank lost more than one thousand minds waiting for new bodies.

 

[Heijan Xavier]

THEY'LL BE CHECKING ID


Our Governor is an idiot.

Don’t say that word.

What? idi…

Shhh!!! It’s now called ‘iddy its’

Iddy? Is that a word?

Sure. Full of id.

Oh, our Govern…

Shhh!!!

What’s going on?

He’s banned all words larger than two beats.

You mean two syllab…

Shhh!!! 'Silly balls' we say now.

Silly Balls?

Silly Balls.

Why are we going along with this? What have we become?

Iddy its with two silly balls.

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

Crisis
My eyes flicked open. Looking around the unfamiliar room, I asked the obligatory "Where am I?"

"You're safe."

I turned to the speaker and recognised Doctor Chawman, then realised that was all I could remember.

What's my name?
Where was I from?
How old am I?
Who're my parents?
Am I good?
Evil?

Just who was I?

"Doctor, I think I'm having an identity crisis."

"Stop worrying," smiled my creator, "I haven't installed one yet."

 

[Perpetual Man]

Dementia

Do your memories define you, are they part of that elusive mix that make you ‘I’?

If those memories start to fade away until there is only a vacant shell?

How do I talk to you then? Are you in there somewhere?

And us, those memories we shared, has your half gone?

That voice that laughed, cried and played with you, is still deep inside me, howling as I look at the empty shell.

“DADDY!!!”

 

[Mr Orange]

Bunny goes to a Play


Toad thought it was funny
When poor little Bunny
Got confused
About which door to use,
When he wanted to visit the dunny.

Bunny was awfully tired
Of the comments, nasty and snide,
Because kids you see
She didn't just want to wee,
But to be who she felt deep inside.

So she bought a big Beretta
And wrote a suicide letter.
She took out ten,
All remember when
Bunny went nuts at the theatre.

 

[Pedro Del Mar]

The World’s First Fully Bionic Man

Who am I? I constantly question myself. I’m not who I used to be that’s for certain. Since the car accident when my heart and brain stopped the new nanotech reconstructors completely rebuilt me with biotitanium. I’m faster and stronger than I was. I still look like myself in the mirror and still think the same thoughts but is it still me? Do I still love my family? Is it my soul? Who am I?

 

[Danny McG]

Disguise free Superhero.

Mid twenties: “Nope, I don't need no secret identity, why be a quiet geek in a dull job?
This here is how I enjoy it, women, respect and high living. My life rocks dude!”

Mid fifties: (muttering) “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm coming. Why can't you all needy people just give me five minutes to myself? I swear I'd do anything at all just to be left alone for a day”

 

[Dan Jones]

The Ministry of Identitarian Maintenance

“I’d like to buy back my date of birth,” Alezhimov stuttered.

The clerk snatched Alezhimov’s papers, and snootily inspected them. “I see you lost it – and your surname – at the end of the previous Identitax year.”

Alezhimov winced. “I’ve maintained payments since then.”

The clerk’s expression remained inscrutable. “Dates of birth are Level 3 forms of identity. How will you pay?”

Trembling, Alezhimov produced another crumpled paper from his pocket. “My wife’s middle name.”