December 2019- 75 Word Writing Challenge - VICTORY TO DANNYMCG!

[nixie]

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 2019 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 23rd 2019

Voting ends at 11:59 pm GMT, December 28th 2019


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:

Gift

Genre:

Science Fiction/ Fantasy or Speculative Fiction.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Of Christmas Yet to Come

Beneath the off-green glow of the No-Mess InstaUp TrueSmell HoloTree (™), mother opened the first gift.

“CGElvis’ 104th album!”

Father turned to the children. "What has Santa brought you?"

"Dad, we know he's fakenews. Gimme."

"Check your Faceagram."

"A thousand new friends! Thanks!"

Daughter lifted a puppy. "You cloned Lupa!"

"Not for life -"

"- just for Christmas, I know, you say it every year!"

 

[Danny McG]

‘Twas the night before..

He’d fought sleep for hours and finally he lay in his bed gazing across the room.

“It’s true what they say, you really do exist”

His visitor threw back his hood to show his trademark grin, his booming laugh echoing through the night.

“And what would you like, little boy?”

“You know what I want, I’ve asked for months”

Tenderly, Death swished his scythe and harvested the small soul, then strode unseen from the cancer ward.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

The Anodyne

Felice Delacroix, commander of the Demeter, found the object by accident. It might be mistaken for a small asteroid, were it not a perfect icosahedron with an unusually high albedo. Her scanners told her it was hollow.

Years later, when interviewed about discovering the first known extraterrestrial artifact, she offered her own explanation for what appeared to be an empty shell, without purpose.

"It is the finest of all blessings. We are no longer lonely."

 

[SamMayne]

A Tell-Tale Thaw

Removing the lid, he winced. “What’s keeping her alive?”
“Cryogenics,” came the answer.
Inside the box, blood coated the ice around her heart.
Two hundred miles away, ice coated the hole in her chest.
Jack Frost, the wind whispered.
Jaaaaacccckkk… the cliffs echoed...Frooosssssttttt… the snow replied.
He closed his eyes. “I will return it.”

Two hundred miles later, she awoke gasping as the ice within her melted.
Familiar lips brushed her forehead. “Merry Christmas.”

 

[Karn's Return]

Forever Isn't Long Enough​

“We did it! We finally ****ing did it!” The young woman in the white lab coat danced around, her heavy combat boots stomping the ground as she celebrated.

sentience value=true

Freewill value=true

Awareness value=true

“In the year 3555, on December 30th, Nicole Tesla gave us the greatest gift of all. The gift of immortality.”
- Final Epitaph to the Remains of the Human Race, servers discontinued.

 

[Venusian Broon]

 

[Luiglin]

It's the thought that counts

The Dark Lord eyed up the gift.

“It’s a unicorn.”

The Minion pantomimed a reply.

“Oh yes, it is. There’s the horn, it’s got four legs… and it just whinnied.”

Wriggling fingers countered.

“Oh yes, it is!”

Like a werewolf upon a lone hiker, the present didn’t stand a chance.

He blinked. It was horse shaped — just — and the spoon horn certainly didn’t detract.

A goblin, voice muffled, nickered from the backside.

“I stand corrected.”

 

[Cat's Cradle]

He Sees You When You’re Sleeping

He’d gifted me one night of sorrow before the abduction.
Banished to bed, hearing paper tearing and my siblings’ laughter. Owning nothing I hadn’t before, I’d cried myself to sleep.

Waking on a plain of smoldering coal. Thousands surge around you – children, adults, the aged, bowing incessantly, gesturing each other forward.
“You first!”
“No, you … please.”
A wild-eyed crone grabs you, screams, “I’M A GOOD GIRL!”
Weeping, she whispers, “I can’t get off the list.”

 

[Daysman]

Gifted

New eyes strain to focus as tiny hands dab the touchscreen.

Signing in takes forever… now the product… yes, that model. The tablet slips sideways across the carpet as she thumbs the basket icon. Now the checkout… payment method… done.

Her old account details are slipping away. She's not even sure who John was to her, but feels overjoyed having finally ordered his present.

Giggling, she manufactures a very different gift for her dozing parents.

 

[Calliopenjo]

Gift Without A Price

On this day, my gilded clothes and crystal wand get left behind. Instead, I put on pants that should have been thrown out. A shirt that cannot protect against anything anymore. Shoes, that cannot protect the feet any longer.

On this day, I go to the children’s home to clean, scrub, and repair everything. I tell stories to those who are willing to listen. The one day that I offer the most precious gift.

 

[Hugh]

Tuesday​

In the depths of the ocean he found it, he did, he did.

Golden hero from the deepest sea he came.

Warbled and wriggled, it did, it did,

And rejoiced at the light of day.


On a cushion of mandrakes he brought it, he did, he did,

And offered it to her on her throne all fey.

Placed it on her head, she did, she did,

And they danced with the moon till day.

 

[LittleStar]

The Only Rule


Santa slid the gift under the tree, and fixed the messy string lights. Tiny eyes spied from the stairs, but she wouldn’t see. That was the Rule’s only clause. Ho!
He reached for his nose, his magic escape.

“Abigail!” A woman’s slur from above. “Why the hell aren’t you in bed?” Feet scudded away, followed by a whimper.

Santa’s mirth vanished.

“Why do you always make me do this?”

A scream.

Sometimes rules needed breaking.

 

[DannMcGrew]

The Most Wise

“Love is for fools,” I muttered into my beer.

“No, love is grand!” the young man in the shabby suit and an incongruous gold watch chain chimed as I checked the regulator clock.

“Train’s late.”

Out on the platform when the whistle sounded we reached for our watches. A sadness crossed his face.
But it was replaced by a grin when he bounded to the train and embraced a beautiful girl with a boyish bob.

 

[mosaix]

Secret Santa

I watch.

She's sitting slightly apart, disappointed, her half-discarded present to one side. This isn't her kind of party.

He opens his and reads the single piece of enclosed paper. I know what's written – I wrote it. It's a cell phone number – hers.

If he rings the number it will change his life forever.

Will he ring it? Of course he will. He thumbs the number. Just like I did forty seven years ago.

 

[elvet]

They Who Giveth..........

They watched the blue planet from space, remaining undetected for millennia.

Millions of years ago, they gifted this world the genetic seed for intelligent life. Instead of realizing its potential, this gift had gone sour, and the planet bore the brunt of its failure.

It was time to abandon this effort, to start again elsewhere. Departing, they initiated the fail safe built into the code.

Down on earth, latent human retroviruses began to replicate.

 

[J.C. Scoberg]

Another bouquet.

The Wanderer placed a bouquet of white lilies upon the ground. Then wiped years of grime and growth from the headstone: Agnes Townly, it read. Gone but not forgotten.

A memory flashed vividly of a giggling child eating ice cream beside the sea. Sun kissed and happy. The Wanderer smiled fondly. Time did not diminish loss or love. Time enhanced.

What a gift, rued the Wanderer. Life eternal.

 

[johnnyjet]

Largess

The alien touched my shoulder.

"A gift."

Warmth coursed through my body as security bots whisked him away.

I met the alien Nam while awaiting my flight. We conversed about our different cultures and traditions. I was explaining giving gifts when security arrived.

My body grew stronger; my aches vanished.

I bumped into a limping man; he stood tall.

What was this extraordinary gift?

Moving on, I felt a little weaker than before…

 

[nixie]

On a Cold, Wet Day,
​

Setting out her wares, the cures and charms of a hedgewitch, she was ready for business.

A young couple approached with a baby. The tearful girl asked quietly: “ Can you help our baby see?”

Reaching deep inside she summoned her magic. Her hand gently covered his face; slow removal and the baby opened his eyes with a wonderful smile, a look of awe as he saw for the first time.

 

[Clockworkbot]

What you get for someone who has everything


‘Open it,’ purred Lilith with her soft trickster-god smile.

Gibil was delighted. A whole realm! He wandered its valleys, rowed across its mighty oceans and, as customary for a god, bested every king in the land at wrestling, drinking and eating.

On the peak of a very familiar mountain, he realized something was wrong.

‘Lilith!’ he thundered, storming into the Palace of Heaven, ‘this is the same bloody realm I gave you last year!’