AUGUST 2023 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge -- VICTORY TO JOHNNYJET!

[therapist]

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 2023 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 August 2023

Voting ends at 11:59 pm GMT, 28 August 2023


We ask all entrants to do their best to vote when the time comes

But you do not have to submit a story in order to vote
as we encourage all Chrons members to take part in choosing the winning entry


The Magnificent Prize:

The Dignified Congratulations/Grovelling Admiration of Your Peers
and the challenge of choosing next month's theme and genre

AND

The option of having your story published on the Chrons Podcast next month!


Theme:

Clothing

Genre:

Science Fiction or Fantasy

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! **​

 

[genelewis]

Fool Me Twice

They tried to sell the Emperor a set of clothes that could only be seen by the wise. The Emperor, who had fallen for that one before, ordered their immediate execution.

The clothes remained on the palace floor for days, tripping up confused courtiers, until a cleaning woman realized what happened.

Very beautiful, she thought. But clothes that so few can see? How impractical!

She threw them in the bin.

 

[THX1138]

To Wear Ones Love.

Scenery coats flow and move in many colors to set the tone and feelings of the narrative being told. Story tellers use them to bring their words to life for their audience.

The coat now grey, he smiled at his love.

“That was wonderful and moving! But why is that sleave still brightly colored?”

Grasped it, “I was thinking of you, my Cherry Blossom!”

She frowned and departed, “Yet now it’s sickly green.”

 

[Omniwhere]

Email Response from Time After Time
Dear Customer,

At TAT, we received your complaints about unexpected lice on your Queen Elizabeth I’s Royal Dress. We apologize and will send our dimensional travelers for immediate replacement. Your feedbacks on our service will be considered in the future.

In the meantime, please look out for our upcoming Chinese New Year Special Sale! Be the first to receive the robe of Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty limited edition!

Sincerely,

Time After Time Team

 

[reiver33]

Aladdin Vain

"A cloak of invisibility?” The Genie arched an eyebrow. “In this day and age? How quaint.” Damn thing looked like Clark Gable, I kid you not.

“It will work? For real?”

“Of course. When you wear it, nobody will be able to see you.” Sardonic smile. “Guaranteed. On the hook behind you.”

I looked and there it was. Looked back and I was alone.

Donned the cloak, checked myself out in the mirror.

Went blind.

 

[paranoid marvin]

History Class

Miss Baxter was nearing the end of the slideshow.

"Why are people in those pictures wearing funny things?" asked Jimmy.

"They were called clothes," answered Miss Baxter. "Remember, that was when humans still lived on land."

"But how could they breathe, Miss?"

"That's a question for your Biology teacher," came the reply.

The bell sounded.

"Don't forget your homework assignments!" Miss Baxter bellowed, as her pupils swam off to their next classes.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Wash On Monday, Iron On Tuesday

"Honey?" George's plaintive cry came from upstairs. "Where's my green shirt?"

"Mom!" This time the voice was little Johnny's. "I can't find my Batman T-shirt."

"Oh. My. God." Brittany's turn. "My aqua dress is missing."

Had everyone gone crazy? Of course, Barbara hadn't seen her own favorite capris in a while . . .

She glanced out the kitchen window. High overhead, thousands of items of clothing flew by in a dense cloud, seeking freedom.

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

The mechanical parable of Flumberdinck Unterwhackle

‘There's a reason we don't allow machines on Mars.'

Flumberdinck leaned on a shovel while his boss pontificated.

'Because we don't want to end up like Earthians.'

Flumberdinck lit his pipe.

'I met one you know. Came here on a rocket. The poor thing was trapped inside a mechanical suit. I had quite the struggle to tear it's body free.'

Flumberdinck nodded.

'Was too far gone to help -died instantly.’

Flumberdink shook his head sadly.

 

[Lacedaemonian]

A breech of confidentiality.

It was Anvil’s second day as the blacksmith’s apprentice, in the small rural hamlet known locally as Storybook. He rolled off the wooden pallet he had been sleeping on and reached for the brass tankard of … he spat the contents out. ‘Disgusting! What the ... was that?’

“Remember us?” his socks said to him.

He looked down. It was then that he remembered he had bought a pair of cursed socks from Kenny the tinker.

 

[Aknot]

Parvenues Beware

Lord Gram invited doctor Todd to dinner. Excited, Todd rushed to buy the recommended outfit.
“It will be a killer”, the haberdasher promised.

Eight sharp he arrived at the estate. As he strode in, hushed silence fell. Todd started forward but something took an iron grip around his throat. The hall rang with laughter as Todd gasped his last breath.
“Jolly good joke!”, Lord Gram told his brother. “Making that upstart buy your Devilsnare costume!”

 

[emrosenagel]

Fast Fashion Feeds

"How do I look?"

"Not bad." Luna stroked her feathery antennae. "Really extends the appendages. What're they called?"

"Daisy dukes." Atlas slid off the shorts and tossed them onto the mound of clothing stuffed into the ship. "This is a great find, Lu."

"Why would they toss all this out? Seems wasteful."

"Humans always want something new. But hey," Atlas tore a sock in two for them to share. "Their greed solves our food crisis."

 

[Daysman]

fashion victim

Another unscheduled pilgrim had emerged from the Temporal Waypoint.
Joining the Tollman beside the body, the Mage prompted, "Past or future?"
"Future," the Tollman replied.
"Evidence?"
"A whiff of petrochemicals."
"Their demise?"
"Mmm… they've no quartz visor, enchanted nose plugs, ether spritzer… or temperature regulating undergarments! Half perished in an age of ice?"
"C plus," the Mage declared, pointing. "Enchanted dart stain, see? Strangely, their cotton shirt carries an ancient Elvish epigram: just shoot me."

 

[Yozh]

Heavy is the Head

The King was getting old. The luxuriant curls which once cushioned me were now just thin oily wisps on a bald pate. His head drooped forward and his tired brain bowed to my slightest suggestion.

He did not notice how the duke with the lustrous golden tresses eyed me, or he would not have met alone. He did not notice, as I did, the almond scent to the mead I urged him to drink up.

 

[Elckerlyc]

'Civilians, however, Must Remain Bareheaded' {from Dictate 722,973b}


Hats caused The Troubles.

Galactic tourists stealthily visiting Earth had seen Humans wearing headdresses, casually, and of an unimaginable variety. It proofed irresistible. Soon tourists came home proudly sporting Earthian hats, openly flouting the Galactic Dictates.

Hats caught on, prompting incensed citizens to forcefully remove them. The conflict deepened, initially on Fermidox, then spread uncontrollably, to finally devolve into the Second Galactic War.

Afterwards, Earth was quarantined indefinitely by Grande Dictate; “Whimsical. Extremely Hazardous.”

 

[Bowler1]

Take me to your Leader!

Talks with benevolent Aliens from space were to be broadcast worldwide for all to see, not a second would be missed.

Which was the problem!

By Alien tradition the Leaders had to be conspicuously visible… and completely naked.

The President felt the lead Alien looked impressive with strong tentacles… unfortunately - the weight of expectation had made the President’s appendages shrink and shrivel.

Agreement would be swift, if only to maintain a semblance of authority.

 

[Rjalex]

AMEILIA’S SHIRT​

The darkness in the sky spread in great spirals across the sun which dimmed to a red orb. The searing air stuck in my throat like a lump of burning ember. Multitudes pressed in around me and we all stumbled forward as a single giant organism squeezing its body to fit across the ramshackle bridge. There was no reason.

In my hand the burnt remains of my lost Ameilia’s shirt.

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Love, Clone, Tailor
(used as verbs)​

Mark loved me so much I wanted to regard myself through his eyes, so I cloned them, replacing mine with his.
I craved hearing my voice through him – I cloned, implanted.
To caress myself his special way… skin and nerve endings followed.
Eventually I wore a suit made of Mark.

No longer needing him I breathed across his vocal cords, "We're through."
I did steal and tailor his tuxedo – they say clothing completes the man.

 

[johnnyjet]

The Cloak of Insignificance

My beloved Penelope was imprisoned in the castle dungeon.

Being frugal, I procured a cloak of insignificance rather than a cloak of invisibility. Essentially works the same.

I threw on the plain gray cloak and walked boldly into the castle, ignored by everyone I encountered.

Unfortunately, Penelope ignored me as well. She ran off with the prison guard.

Depressed, I locked myself in her abandoned cell.

Why does no one know I'm here?

Hello?

 

[MatthewKusza]

Mind Your Manners

Twelve lost, resurfacing dead.

Marinus donned his suit while technicians assured.

“Dangerous, exploring subcrustal oceans. Ganymede killed hundreds. But we’re learning! Survivability’s above sixty percent!”

Aboard the submersible, Marinus meditated, reconnoitering the astral plane.

Colleagues scoffed, but he preferred hailing a world’s denizens before intruding.

After negotiating terms, he removed his suit as the airlock flooded.

Mission Control marveled, monitoring Marinus safely entering warm, salty waters solely garbed in bioluminescent slime to greet new friends.

 

[Guttersnipe]

Something Borrowed

The runaway bride told the runaway groom how her grandmother's dress had told her to run.

"It told me my fiancé cheated. And she never lied."

"What was her name?" he asked.

"Flora Rowbottom. Why?"

A pause.

"This is my grandfather's suit. He told me once how in love he was with a woman by that name. He died overseas."

"My grandmother told me a similar story. What was his name?"

"Charlie Tinker."

They kissed.