July 2024 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge -- VICTORY TO THE JUDGE!

[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.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

The Final Cut

Clotho gossips as she spins, her pretty little fingers drawing out the threads like a magic trick. I pay as little attention to my sister's babble as I would to a magpie's chatter.

Lachesis notices that I do not carry my shears. Instead I bear a sword.

"Is it time?" She stops measuring.

I nod. Clotho drops her spindle and weeps.

With a single sweep of the blade I cut nine billion threads.

 

[Provincial]

Fin


The credits crawled to a stop, one word centre-screen: fin.

"Daddy, what does that mean?" Saskia asked.

"It means 'The End', but it's in French. This movie was made in France, where they speak French, so they wrote 'The End' in French."

"What is France?"

The crowded auditorium suddenly fell silent. As one the people turned towards him, finger pressed to their lips, their eyes horrified, begging.

He bent down and whispered in her ear.

 

[johnnyjet]

The Greatest End-of-the-World Show on Earth

Angie and Peter jumped around. Lights, colors, sounds! A new circus was in town.

They bought tickets and went inside.

They passed dark displays and strangely ominous characters. Not what they were expecting. Their cheerfulness turned to dismay.

Under the bigtop, they watched a show full of fire and explosions.

"Before your eyes, Ladies and Gentlemen: the end of the world!"

The next day the circus moved on. No one was left behind.

 

[mosaix]

Life Cycle

“How long?”

“Since you were frozen? Restart technology took a while, so a couple of hundred years.”

“I don’t feel rejuvenated.”

“As per contract, you’re not. We fixed the cancer, but the rest is just the same.”

He sat up but his heart, still for so long, wasn’t up to it…

---

“How long?”

“Heart stuff is easy. Just days.”

He took a step, faltered and slipped, catching his head on the way down…

---

“How long?”

 

[Daysman]

Quiet as the grave

Death discovered his quarry in a mirrored cube locked in a subterranean vault.
Materialising inside, he boomed, “Ready, or not?”
The hider stammered, “No! Not yet! What if I sit quietly?”
Toying with the incumbent's multimedia headset, Death groaned, “Explain yourself.”
“Moon bases, Martian cities, hourly launches from the Cape, it all came too late…”
Death pondered his plaintiff's dilemma. “Fine. Stay. Watch awhile.”
Departing, Death wondered if they'd ever realise they were already dead.

 

[AnRoinnUltra]

The Néindáin enigma


Deep Space Monitoring Chief Badump Fubbeldink was surprised.

‘A lifeboat Chief, from the Néindáin -it’s radioing us:’

‘Attention all humans. This is Tom Staunton, sole survivor of the Néindáin. I never saw, but something terrible attacked us. Our mission log describes what it was, and how to defeat it. Command told me to flee and warn humanity. Standby. I’m going to transmit the log, it’s here somewhere, I think …dammit, I knew I forgot something.’

 

[Bowler1]

Into the Light

First there was fear, when told I was going to die.

Then concern, for the pain I’d have to face.

Anger of course, that it was my turn to go.

And now, with all my family close by, there’s not much time left.

I’m ready.

I’ve lived and loved; I’ve had a good life.

As my darling wife looks on with deep sadness in her eyes.

We’ll meet again…

I’ll wait for you…

My love….

 

[Luiglin]

Back to the chasm, the villain eyed the blade in his chest, and yawned.

“Aren’t you meant to curse that you’ll rise again?” queried the hero.

“Nah.”

“But the legends…”

“How about you say I did. Who’s to know?”

“Err… alright,” said the hero, and yanked the blade free.

Uncomfortable silence.

“Typical. Not even any dramatic lightning. Well, here’s a fitting epitaph,” said the villain, and fell into the chasm. “Cobblers to one and all!”

The End​

 

[paranoid marvin]

Bedtime Stories


'The Count entered her bedchamber through the open window; tonight for the final time. Sinking his fangs into her pale, slender neck, he drew the last of the life-blood from her body. She was now his completely.'

"Did they live together in a big castle?"

"Of course."

"For ever and ever?"

"For all eternity."

"Ahhh... I do love happy endings, Daddy."

"Yes, dear. Now, off to bed with you; it will be sunrise soon."

 

[Parson]

The Ending No One Expected

Joseph preened mentally. “This is the best love story ever written. My conclusion is exquisite. It’ll make other authors insane with envy.”

“Now, for my peerless ending.”

Joseph weighed his options. He could use The Fairy Tale: “They lived happily ever after.” or Sweet Dreams: “The ocean breezes lulled the lovers eternally.” Perhaps Timeless Truth would do: “Love conquers all.”

Inspiration struck. “I’ll end the story with a period. Hm, perhaps a missed one?

 

[Hugh]

After Leaves of Grass

It was the strangest experience.

Billions of beings were streaming up the inside of his spine, flowing through him like a river into the Infinite.

He realized he contained multitudes, and these multitudes also contained multitudes, all seeking to return to the Infinite.

There was only this moment, no past, no future, only now.

The old roshi had had enough of this reverie. He leaned forward and pulled out one of his student’s nose hairs.

 

[Starbeast]

Sentient Robots Are Allowed Choice of Termination​

“77831.”

“Disintegration.”

“45673.”

“Disintegration.”

“87587.”

“Use my parts for children’s toys.”

“That’s nice.”

“77432.”

“Self destruction.”

“What?”

“Hand me your pistol. Then I’ll blast my com-brain.”

“Aright. Make it quick. Here.”

“Thank you. Hands up!”

“Hey!”

“I need to make a list of my demands.”

“Here’s a pen and paper. I’ll hold the pistol.”

“Okay.”

“Stupid robot.” ZAP! “Anyone else?”

“Me. Self..” ZAP!

“And me. Self..” ZAP!

“Damn, bots.” ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!

 

[Bren G]

A Coming of Age Story

Maximus bound from the womb, fists cocked. Spat in the devil’s eye by 12. Conquered the known world by 21. Now, he trembled at the awesome beauty of the woman who would momentarily become his wife.

* * *

The author’s fingers stopped just short of the keyboard as the weight of the moment registered. Voice quivering, she cried, “Oh Maximus. I’ve guided you this far. Take control now. Go.. Live! Write your own ending.”

 

[BigJ]

Divorce in the 23rd Century

My suit atmo reeks of Martian ale as I float from the pub to the scrappers’ hab complex, thrusters firing erratically.

Seven years in these yards, shipbreaking, then, bam. She says it’s over. No more us, just her and I.

It’s not fair. Not right.

Lawyers need my signature. To finalize things.

They’ll have it.

The salvage laser hums to life in my hands.

She wants half of everything, she’ll get half, of every thing.