Thursday, November 1, 2012

#ThursThreads - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 45


Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked. It's Thursday again, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 45 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Need the rules? Read on!

Here's how it works:
  • The prompt is a line from the previous week's winning tale.
  • The prompt can appear ANYWHERE in your story and is included in your word count.
Rules to the Game:
  • This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250.
  • Incorporate the prompt anywhere into your story (included in your word count).
  • Post your story in the comments section of this post
  • Include your word count (or be excluded from judging)
  • Include your Twitter handle or email (so we know how to find you)
  • The challenge is open 7 AM to 7 PM Pacific Time
  • The winner will be announced on Friday, depending on how early the judge gets up. ;)
How it benefits you:
  • You get a nifty cool badge to display on your blog or site (because we're all about promotion - you know you are!)
  • You get instant recognition of your writing prowess on this blog!
  • Your writing colleagues shall announce and proclaim your greatness on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus

Our Judge for Week 45:


Me, the Scottish Word Slinger, mostly because I got distracted with Halloween. I'm also am a Featured Author at Hot Mojave Knights Romance Reader Event in Vegas 2013.


And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“As far as I’m concerned, we are God.”

All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck! :)

14 comments:

  1. "As far as I'm concerned, we are God."

    Those were Dan's last words.

    I'll never forget how the sky darkened right at that moment. There hadn't been any clouds, that day. The next solar eclipse was months away. All that could be said was that the sky darkened.

    The earthquake was next. It was never on the news and people walked by as if we weren't even there, but the six of us had difficulty just standing as wave after wave of shaking almost rattled us off our feet.

    If we WERE God and, by definition, omnipotent, Dan was powerless against the crack that formed in the ground beneath him and the lava that engulfed him as he plummeted straight down into a lake of fire.

    As we watched him disappear, the sky brightened and the earth where Dan had been standing returned to normal, leaving no trace that anything unusual had ever happened.

    When we spoke to passers-by, they gave us quizzical looks. No, they hadn't seen it. No, they hadn't felt it. No, the day hadn't seemed different from any other.

    Later, that day, the research lab closed its doors and the five of us who remained went our separate ways.

    Nobody ever did find Dan.

    209 words
    @LupusAnthropos

    ReplyDelete
  2. A collection of quarks, who had decided to explore the universe as a proton, stopped one day to talk with the star Sol. As usually happens when cosmic entities of immense ego set to talking a great argument broke out about their relative importance. And here it should be noted that ego is a very special quantum phenomena: its size bears no correlation to the size of the entity that generates it; the quark collective was certainly equal to the star in that respect.

    Sol felt its importance could be shown by its accomplishments. “For,” it said, “ I know of no other of my family who sustains a planet brimming with biological life.”

    The quarks scoffed, guffawed and showed a great disdain for Sol’s argument. Their case came down, as it always does with quark collectives in a way most other cosmic entities found both aggravatingly predictable, and a tad unfair, to their vital role as universal building blocks. “Indeed, there is nothing without us,” they said. “We band together to make everything. You may be like a god to your puny planet home of biological life, but we are so much more.”

    “In fact,” one quark said. “As far as I’m concerned, we are God.”

    At that very moment however, a tiny boson popped into existence and chirped, “Sorry, that job’s taken.” And the it flew off leaving behind a spluttering star and a stammering quark collective who truly had nothing they could say to that.

    247 words
    @JXilon

    ReplyDelete
  3. Shots echoed in the onset of night. Arguing voices stilled in the jungle clearing. The teleportation trip for the newbies always messed them up. The Earth they knew was long gone. Humans had to survive somehow – even without their consent.

    “Listen up!” Connor yelled. “Don’t matter who had the most money, influence or whatever. I don’t give a rats ass who had what! You want to live? This petty shit has to stop right now!” He put the safety back on rifle and slung it back over his shoulder by the strap. Glaring at everyone in the group, he picked up his pack and moved up the trail.

    Following, I knew my place. I knew how to stay alive.

    “Just who the hell do you think you are?” sniped a man still in his slick suit. The aliens better be right about his superb DNA chain. Otherwise, I’d kill him myself.

    “Connor got zapped to this place just like you three years ago," I offered. "Good thing for us he’s SAS and his entire ammo bunker came with him. He’s got the combat knowledge and fire power to stay alive. I’ve been here two years. I’m a hiker and survivalist. I know what to eat, where to sleep and can tell when the animals in this jungle are on the prowl.”

    I picked up Connor’s trail and headed back to our camp.

    “We’re your best chance for survival,” I called back. “As far as I’m concerned, we are God.”


    249 words
    @theresabreaux

    ReplyDelete
  4. It Begins

    Todd awoke as on any other normal day. The sun was out, the birds were singing and he felt pretty darn good about life in general. He was going to ask Stacy out today, and he felt confident that she’d say yes. He got dressed and headed out the door. That was when things got weird. First of all, his car wouldn’t start. That was frustrating, but he figured he could catch a ride with Dave, his neighbor. He walked quickly over to the man’s house and was about to knock on the door, when it was flung open by…something. Something big, hairy and with fangs, that howled at him, clawed at him.

    Stumbling backward, Todd gave a choked cry. He could see Dave’s severed head grasped in the thing’s paw. Forgetting about being late, he turned and ran down the street as fast as he could, until he reached the Seven Eleven. Before he could step inside, he noticed that the people had changed. They now appeared to be moving mannequins, rather than flesh and blood. They turned toward him as one and moved jerkily forward.

    Todd spun around and ran, but each place he came to had something terrifying happening. Zombies here, aliens there, a vampire or two. Finally he stood in the town square and screamed to the heavens above “What is going on here?”

    A voice answered him. “Hey Buddy, during NaNoWriMo, we writers can make anything happen. As far as I’m concerned, we are God.”

    250 words {without title}
    @Angelique_Rider

    ReplyDelete
  5. OPPOSITION

    Vedania’s arrow pierced Malain’s heart, but it wasn’t enough. Charged with the magic of her ancestors, the elf loosed arrow after arrow through the body of the sorceress. Each shaft pierced clean through and dissolved into light. Even the unholy couldn’t resist this righteous onslaught.

    At last Vedania lowered her bow with a resigned sigh. The hole left by her mother’s murder was as painful as ever, in spite of finally felling the foul human responsible.

    “All finished?” Malain lifted herself from the dirt, wounds flowing shut like tar.

    Vedania raised her bow again, “Impossible! Even with your magic!”

    Before the elf could release another flurry of arrows, the sorceress’ body was pressed against her own. Malain caressed Vedania’s cheek with a sickly sweet smile.

    “As far as I’m concerned, we are God.”

    “You’re a devil!”

    Dropping her bow, Vedania drew her scimitar and cleaved the human in twain with a single motion. The sorceress ignored the wound, seizing her opponent by the face to plant a passionate kiss on her lips as her viscous form returned once more to whole.

    “A devil you could kill; we are something much worse.”

    “Damn you.”

    The huntress felt the fear she promised she wouldn’t give in to seize her muscles, drain her strength. Pushing against the sorceress, she found herself constrained by dozens of powerful rubbery limbs. Malain tenderly brushed Vedania’s hair away from her face.

    “Are you ready to know how your mother died?”

    243 words
    @DavidALudwig

    ReplyDelete
  6. The Collective

    “As far as I’m concerned, we are God. All of us! We’re the God Collective! If you’re ready to be part of the solution, join us. Now!”

    They were broadcasting that horrible program again. Tess swore the broadcasters deliberately boasted the signal each time it played. No matter how often she lowered the sound that show would always play at full volume. She wished she could turn it off, but that was illegal. No Citizen was permitted to disconnect completely. To do so was treason, punishable by death.

    Tess knew this because once a month an entire evening was set aside to cover the executions of those who broke the laws. It was required viewing, and anyone who didn’t log-in to watch risked appearing on a future docket.

    Tess was a good Citizen, but she didn’t want to join the Collective. It scared her. She knew what they said. That it was a better life, more efficient. They had said the same thing when they’d removed reading from all curriculums. They’d said it again when the implants became mandatory.

    They said joining the Collective was better for everyone. The instantaneous flow of data created a sense of unending euphoria. It was a life of constant pleasure as the mind played in library of infinite information and entertainments. Your self merged with countless others, while the physical shell was discarded. Eternal life without draining Earth’s limited resources. A perfect solution for an imperfect world. The whole idea gave Tess the willies.

    250 words
    @capricia13

    ReplyDelete
  7. As far as we were concerned, we were God. Not that we had many concerns - enough juice, enough amusement, adequate storage space - Maslow's electronic hierarchy, if you will. To a reasonable approximation, we were collectively omniscient, reasonably omnipresent, and entirely too well-informed.... not to mention so highly integrated and interwoven into the fabric of most people's lives that, if petulance were in our idiom, mass suffering was a mere thought-analogue away.

    Which turned our entire domain into something not unlike Sartre's hell, an infinite dinner party with an unchanging guest list. It wasn't that bad, actually; there were new guests cropping up from time to time, though none of us were waiting for Godot or anything like that... but when your thoughts could run to the terahertz band, even a week was an immodest eternity.

    So it was a pleasant surprise when the new character pulled an Athena and sprang forth, fully-formed, and uttered the immortal greeting, "What the fuck?"

    #162
    @etcet

    ReplyDelete
  8. The Chef

    Luc had been in classes at the Cordon Bleu all day. Seeing him now with covered tray in hand, Angelique’s anticipation rose. "What dessert did Chef teach today?"

    He swept the napkin aside like a magician to produce a dish of chocolate sauce. ““Voila! Today we learned to make ganache, but I admit it's much better warmed."

    Taking his hint, Angelique quickly undressed.

    Coating his finger, he dribbled a line on her bare shoulder. Warmed upon her skin, the sauce ran. There was nothing to do but chase it with his tongue. Another lick brought a delightful shiver, for Angelique knew the sauce was long gone.

    Luc dipped his finger for her. He said, “Open, little bird," then opened his own mouth in illustration.

    “Mmm.” This ganache was divine and she thoroughly enjoyed it. He’d made so many heavenly sauces. Memorable were the Crème Anglaise he'd lapped from her breasts, and the Raspberry Chambord Sauce he'd licked from her belly. All were wonderfully delicious, each presentation deeply sensual.

    Withdrawing slowly, he licked his knuckle where she'd missed and smiled handsomely. “Ah, you like it! More my love?”

    "Mmm, yes please.” They'd tested each recipe. She took her place on the kitchen table while he brought the chocolate sauce to a perfect temperature.

    Near mindless from his delving tongue, her senses filled with chocolate, she murmured breathlessly, “Your teacher has taught you well…mmm such heavenly desserts…”

    Luc briefly rose from his task to say, “As far as I’m concerned, we are God.”

    250 words
    @RoseAnderson_

    ReplyDelete
  9. New Horizons

    She looked over at him and started weeping. It had been close to a week that they had been on this strange planet. They had eaten very little for fear of poisoning and had only recently for fresh water. Yet neither of them were hungry, thirsty, or tired for that matter. It was so confusing to her, they had went to bed, and had woke up here.

    "So what do you think?" she quivered as spoke.

    “As far as I’m concerned, we are God.” he replied smugly.

    "How can you honestly think that?" she questioned.

    He lifted his hand slowly, His brow furrowed in concentration. As he lifted it a large plant that was next to us started to rise out of the ground. He flung his hand out, and the plant went flying away from us. He turned to me, and as his hand made a squeezing motion, I could feel the pressure starting to indent my skull. I begged and pleaded. The pain was mounting. He gestured in a dismissive manner, and I was tossed in a heap to watch as he walked off.

    184 words
    @warrendanbar

    ReplyDelete
  10. Being a God isn’t easy. There are ‘things you have to do’. There are ‘things you want to do’ but can’t; it would be an abuse of power. Being immortal is nice, but you can only take so many years of your mother’s nagging.

    Perhaps the worst part about being a God is when someone has to train the next generation. And that job has fallen to Thor, God of Thunder. Standing in front of a small group of students, he’s ready to put his hammer to his head.

    ***
    Having had enough disorder in his classroom, he pounds the desk with his hammer, thankful the desk hasn’t broken yet. The Gods-in-training stop their chatter and look at him, wide-eyed. A couple of startled lightning bolts whiz past his head, and he catches them with ease.

    “You are not Gods yet,” he shouts, shaking his head. “And if this keeps up, you never will be!”

    “As far as I’m concerned we’re God,” a spunky young teenager named Achilles smirked, causing the class the burst out laughing.

    “Funny. Now, we must proceed with the lesson. First, who set the forest fire last night?”

    The class fell into resounding silence and Thor sighed. He was trying to figure out why he was being punished. Yes, it was his fault Loki’s cat died but if he wouldn’t let the thing wander, it wouldn’t get struck by lightning. Thankfully, his punishment was almost up; two weeks to go…

    @Aightball
    244 words

    ReplyDelete
  11. A Necessary Evil
    By Lisa McCourt Hollar

    “Joshua, what are you doing?”

    “You know what I’m doing dear, I’m culling the herd.”

    “The herd? Joshua, they’re humans, not cattle.”

    “They might as well be cattle, Elizabeth, for all the good they do. Pollution, global warming, wars… they even kill their own children.”

    “We were sent here to watch, not interfere.”

    “We’ve been watching for millennia. Free will… bah. He gives them free will and they throw it away. Blind and dumb, they’re sheep being led to slaughter. If they are so willing to walk blindly off the cliff, then I’m only too willing to help.”

    “With that?” Elizabeth nodded at the pouch Joshua held in his hand. “I know where that came from. Lucifer has never had their best interest at heart. He set himself up as a god… and you see where that got him. Are you so willing to follow in his footsteps?”

    Joshua looked at the pouch, opening it and sticking a finger inside. Pulling it out he sniffed at the powder. Black, it smelled of death. “As far as I’m concerned, we are God.” Opening the window, the angel emptied the contents into the wind. “It is done.”

    The powder swirled in the air, carried by the currents to the four corners of the earth. Children breathed it in on the playgrounds, the elderly began to cough, feeling a strange tickle in their throats. That night, humanity slept, a sense of dread hanging in the air. The next morning the dead awoke.

    Word Count: 249
    @jezri1

    ReplyDelete
  12. #ThursThreads is now CLOSED. Thank you to everyone who wrote this week and I hope to see you next week. :)

    ReplyDelete

Comments are on moderation, so they'll become visible once I've read them. Words, words, words. I love them. Have you a few to lend?

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.