July 2024 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge -- READ FIRST POST!

[The Judge]

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 2024 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 2024

Voting ends at 11:59 pm GMT, 28 July 2024


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 possibility of having your story published on the Chrons Podcast!


Theme:

ENDINGS

Genre:

OPEN

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! **

​

 

[Cat's Cradle]

When it Failed

The priestess caressed the ancient prayer stone, whispering incantations, entreaties. From concealment she watched the demonic army advancing towards her village.

“Please Goddess, help your people.”

Her invocations had once obliterated invaders, the stone a conduit to her Goddess's retribution. Now, with a mind clouded by age, her intuitive connections to Divinity seemed tenuous… unattainable.

Weeping, she abandoned prayer and stepped from hiding to face the nightmare, her only weapon a smooth stone for throwing.

 

[RTGR]

Joy

I woke up slowly, with a sparkle in my eyes and happiness. My smile lit up everyone. The more I spun, the more people read books, accessed "Chronicles", and became happy. They eat, work, pray, watch TV. I began to feel sad, eyelids closing until darkness. Then she arrived. Welcome, night!

 

[Guttersnipe]

The Un-Survivors

A macabre tragedy. Twenty-four souls lost. Then a miracle. The ones who died come back. Not zombie-like. Not immaterial. As they were before they died. Embraces. Tears of joy. Thanksgiving. Then along comes a spider. A brimstone preacher, silver-tongued. His speech causes good people to think bad things about the Revived. "They are demons! Kill them all!" This proves no big feat. The revelation: An innocent prayer from a girl that families would be reunited.

 

[THX1138]

It All Starts with a Beginning…

My time on Mars came to an end with the changing of political tides. My arrival on Earth signaled a new time of despair; the life I was accustomed to was no more as hate soon followed.

They called me, ‘Unwanted traitor.’ ‘Off world scum.’ ‘False Martian.’

All new beginnings come from endings, which lead to new endings again. I survived their Genocide War through experimental Cryogenics, now I’m hoping the power doesn’t fail.

 

[Lacedaemonian]

The Great Unkende

Go now my beautiful friend, off into the greater unkende
If I dain’t see you soon, we’ll meet at tethers end
Between mischief, where quiet lights wend
And the margins of all yesterdays yenned.

If god exists, tell her we plan to cheat!
Your laughter, the forest crumbs to guide our woebegone feet.
Cut a path straight through this final defeat
Say to the universe, on the strength of our friendship, we will not retreat.