JULY 2020 75-WORD WRITING CHALLENGE -- VICTORY TO THE JUDGE!

[Victoria Silverwolf]

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 2020 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 July, 2020
Voting ends at 11:59 pm GMT, 28 July, 2020

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:

ELEMENTS


Genre:

Science Fiction or Fantasy



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! **

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Death on Venus: A Solve-It-Yourself Mystery

Agent X tailed a Martian terrorist, who planned to release deadly chemicals in a major city on Earth, through the famous casino of Venus Town. He felt something sting the back of his neck. Gasping for breath, he fell across the roulette table. With his last few seconds of life, he placed chips on the spaces for numbers fifteen, sixteen, eighteen, and fifty-three, in order to warn Earth.

What city was the intended target?

 

[Margaret Note Spelling]

Fairypower

Snorri Bjornson's latest stardrives are based on the newest element yet: Aetherium, the so-called fairy element. We all joke about thousands of tiny fairies running the engines...but soon we wonder....

Fairypower replaces horsepower. Engineers are called wizards. Bjornson is, variously, the Great Whiz, Oz, or Gandalf. Deservedly so--it's all fuelless starflight now, unless somebody sabotages us. Or kills the fairies.

Saying "I don't believe in fairies" on board is a terrible crime....

 

[Bren G]

The Debacle at Delphi

Booming thunder announced the barbarian’s arrival as he entered the tavern.

Phynius addressed him. “Raining still?”

“Aye barkeep. T’is so,” replied the savage in broken Greek as he removed a massive broadsword. His tunic opened slightly and revealed a tattoo upon his chest. An intricate spider’s web.

Phynius switched languages. “Was you wasn’t it?’

The brute replied in perfect Latin. “Damn Oracle! Thought it said killing the Spider-King would bring endless power – not endless showers!”

 

[Perpetual Man]

Science, Magic, Discover - The Full Monty

“The principle is simple. There are four elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water, but I John Dee, am determined through science and magic to find another…”

The door to the chamber burst open and three men dressed in red robes, gleaming eyes and sharp beards.
“Stop! You are accused of profanity and witchcraft!”

“It’s the Spanish inquisition! I never expected them!”

Thus did Dee find his element; an element called surprise.

 

[Land Under Wave]

"Beginner's Piece"

All my own--my very first. Please say it's nice, I begged silently. Say you like it. My palms were all sweaty.

I watched as her worn fingers studied every inch of its glazed surface. Then she wrapped my hands in hers. "A powerful gift, indeed. The Four to make it, with the Fifth you gave it."

She kissed my head, and I breathed again.

"It's for your bedtime cocoa," I whispered.

 

[Guttersnipe]

"Powers Are Not For Playing"

"Take it back!" the girl cried, fire shooting from her fingertips.
"Never!" hollered the boy, water blasting from his palms.
"Enough!" their teacher chimed in, a wall of stone rising between the children.
"You must control your powers," she insisted, "How else do you expect to stay hidden from
the humans? Now apologize."
The two made amends, the half-dragon girl and the merboy. Then all was as normal as could
be at the Elemental School.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Holy Mass

His pixelrobe’s motif of stylized plutonium atoms mushrooms explosively, then transforms into cities immolated and dying.

“Nuclear fires may again rain, my children. Tithe while you may.”
Images of precious metals and foodstuffs stream across his robe.

“Your wrought iron and hard-earned silver … your carbon-rich grains. Bring forth the Elemental Father’s share!”
The robe-front transfigures into gates opening onto paradise; hymns play from its hidden speakers.
“Heaven must be earned.”
Many shuffle forward.

 

[Provincial]

A Meeting of Minds


“We choose now”, said Mother-of-all.

“The facts are known.

“The Eye Above, despairing, has turned to hate. She conjures demons to consume the land and blinds us with the smoke of her burnt offerings.

“Rain betrays soil, scouring our homelands with first flood, then drought.

“Beneath our feet the land dies - and we with it as, one by one, the invaders harvest us.

“The bees have gone before us.

“Do we follow?”

 

[Elckerlyc]

On A Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Earth nudges a volcano awake. It burps lava, then starts spitting Fire and ash. Crawling downhill, lava scorches both Earth and Air. Fire overtakes the hillside. Now heated, Air sucks in more Air, rousing Water with its gusts. Thundering, waves battle the lava where it reaches the shore. Clouds of steam crown the spectacle.
Another violent eruption shocks Air.
Finally, Chaos startles awake. “WHAT, WHAT?”
“Nothing, dear,“ sighs Aether, “Just the kids having fun.”

 

[Luiglin]

What’s in a word

Medalton became lost for words; the foremost mind in the realm, chair of the Lemniscate Table, bereft of even a rudimentary response.

His gaggle of apprentices looked pleased with themselves. They stood ahead of their haul, all bright eyed and eager.

The wizard reverse cast Mind Mist, clearing the fog of incomprehension which had descended upon their entrance.

He cleared his throat.

The herd of portly pachyderms trumpeted a reply.

“I asked for heavy elements!”

 

[Danny McG]

Lady in red

Eleanor marched haughtily, screams surrounding her as her triumphant warriors slaughtered the city dwellers.

A Prince was under attack, the flames showed his beauty and she called "Stay"to her fighters

She gazed lustfully at him, "I want ever to feel that pretty flesh against mine"

At dawn, her outraged yell brought her shieldmaiden running, the woman scolded the hapless barbarians,

"Imbeciles, skinning him for a cloak was not what Ellie meant!"

 

[Daysman]

A Human Puzzle

On the ridge west of the river, our party discovered a line of cubes, eight in number, roughly twice the height of a human.

The last in line is incomplete, its sculpted top a chaotic sea, as if filled from a waterfall above.

This surface appears made from many smaller cubic elements.

Each complete monumental cube would house a billion of them.

Easily noticeable, high on the side of cube five, an element is missing.

 

[Justin Swanton]

Age's End

Dawes checked the battery gauge. 1%. His jury rig hadn't worked.

“Nothing you can do?” Janine asked.

“Nope. Two minutes and the station shuts down. It's the end of technology. Tell everyone bye-bye electricity.”

“We're the last town.”

Dawes looked around the control room. “Solar was all that was left. It's muscle from now on.”

The lights went out.

Janine hugged him. “C'mon. Back to the elements. We'll manage. We did before.”

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

An Introduction

Hello!

Carbon’s the name and life is my game.

I know, the others think they’re important in the scheme of things, but they’re just hangers on. Without me you'd all be in a soup.

I’m what Universe calls an Ancient. Not quite as old, but what’s a few nanoseconds between friends. For that matter, what came first, the light or the bang?

Think trees, forests, gravity and noise.

You work it out.

Be C’ing you.

 

[Starbeast]

Sword of the Werewolf Queen​

After smashing against a desert mesa, the monster bat transformed back into, Count Yorga. Staggering, he snarled, "Be damned!" Then lunged.

Side stepping, I thrust my sword into his back.

#

"You may keep the sword."

"Your Highness, is very kind."

"Precious metals, including Mithril steel went into creating this priceless sword. Ouch!" Her tiny cut, transformed her into a human, permanently. "I'm mortal."

"Kiss me..........." I awoke by a hard slap from my lovely teacher.

 

[Ashleyne]

OUT OF THEIR ELEMENTS


Is a dragon good enough to maintain a job as a window cleaner?

#

“All I know is, one moment, I was checking my emails. The next, my window was melting.”

#

Can an elf become an MVP in basketball? And, can a wizard change a nappy?

#

BOOM!

“Somebody save my baby!”

#

Learn all this and more in Fairy Land’s brand new reality show, ‘Out of Their Elements’.

Disclaimer: This show is not endorsed by Fairy Land.

 

[BT Jones]

The Last Elemental


The gem shattered. The boom echoed about the stone belfry. The bemused chaffinch chirped.

As now the last mage in the lands following the Europium Extinction, Gilvex especially regretted his teenage profligacy, perfecting destructive or puerile spells – never listening.

He’d listen now. He swept the powder up and deposited it back in the dish.

“Preciosa Carbonicas!” he uttered, eyes closed, wand outstretched. “Father, please.”

<VORP>

Another immaculate diamond. Another furious plutonium blast.

The chaffinch chirped.

 

[Hugh]

What maketh a man?​

I awaken to great Anubis, immense and dark, looming before me. I follow down shimmering corridors, walking into ever greater clarity, as first my earthly ka, then my winged ba, fall away.

Finally we reach the chamber of Maat herself, and my heart, my heart that has loved and hated and despaired and danced, is prepared to be weighed.

I realise the result doesn’t matter. I have seen Maat in her beauty. That is enough.

 

[Stable]

The Element of Satisfaction.​

“Your heatin’ element needs replacin’, faucet’s blocked, air conditionin’ is iced over and your veggie patch has turned to granite. You need a full elemental reconstruction. That’s 1500 gold pieces.”

“That’s outrageous.”

“Do it yourself then.”

“I will!”

One DIY elementalism book from the library, a pure coal piece, virgin ice block, silk fan, and 5 wheelbarrows of compost later, Ginny relaxed in her cool lounge, while a homegrown vegetable soup bubbled in the kitchen.