Week 275 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. I'm honored to see all the writers come to tie a tale in our fifth year. Thank you. May you come back again and write more great flash. Thousand thanks to Katheryn Avila for judging this week. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Community on Google Plus to keep up with news, etc.

Entries:

• Charles W. Jones | @ChuckWesJ
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Mark A. Morris
• Tina Glasneck | @TinaGlasneck
• Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Cate Derham | @Cate_Derham
• Silver James | @SilverJames_
• Barbe Crabtree | @ComeOnPeopl
• Rose Sharon | @ssogioka
• Kel J. Heinen | @Aightball
• M.T. Decker | @mishmhem
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Kel J. Heinen | @Aightball
Katheryn says: It's an easy scene to picture, and reading it felt like settling into a familiar, comforting setting. The relationships between the characters and their personalities come across very clearly. They feel natural and real, despite how short the piece is.

Silver James | @SilverJames_
Katheryn says: You can feel Zoe's apprehension and nerves, and it's almost like you're in her shoes. I found myself breathing a sigh of relief when Zoe got Mrs. Tate's approval. A fun piece!

Cate Derham | @Cate_Derham
Katheryn says: I'm a sucker for vampires, and this is a take I haven't seen before. The hints of sci-fi and vampires mingling makes me curious as to where this story could go. Alex, Eve, and Sofia come across as fully fleshed characters and I want to know more about them!

“Sylvie, fetch sheets and towels from upstairs.” Petula glanced at her, then moved her attention to Elise. “Would you like privacy while you undress him?”

Elise shook her head as her trembling fingers unbuttoned her husband’s shirt, finding sweetness in the quick assessment of the woman’s normal gruff exterior.

“If you’re unafraid of seeing mortal wounds and a nude man,” Petula said to Daphne, Minora, and Felicity. “Stay, otherwise…” None moved. “Felicity, fill the pot on the stove from the well.” Fear flickered in the young woman’s eyes; she didn’t blame her for not wanting to go outside alone. “Daphne, help her.” They disappeared from the room. “Minora, his boots.”

Petula’s husband and Dr. Avery burst into the house, then the room where Conrad laid on the table, blood oozing from him.

“What the hell happened?” the doctor asked.

“Bear attack,” Petula answered, confident with the lie. “The girls and I had finished our bible study when we heard a rumble of growls, then screams.”

“Pretty late for that, isn’t it?” Dr. Avery glanced at Elise.

Petula gave him a sharp look, continuing, “They’ve been awful this year.”

Once he’d stitched up Conrad, and told Elise how to care for the wounds, the doctor left the house as the clock struck three.

“Your families must be worried sick,” Elise said.

“We told them we’d be late with Petula at church,” Minora said.

“You’re staying the night?” Elise stared at the woman, the group had serious problems with the truth.

Congratulations Winner Charles, Kel, Silver, and Cate! Don't forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it!

Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked. Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing! And now we’re in our Fifth year! This is Week 275 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Want to keep up each week? Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook and the Community on Google Plus.

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.
• The prompt must be used as is. It can be split, but no intervening words can be inserted or tenses changed.

 
Rules to the Game:

• This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250.
• The story must be new writing, not a snippet from something published elsewhere with the prompt added.
• 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 8 PM Mountain 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, etc.

Our Judge for Week 275:

Computer programmer and writer, Katheryn J. Avila.

Katheryn on Facebook
Katheryn on Twitter
Katheryn on Goodreads

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“You’re staying the night.”

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!

Week 274 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. I'm honored to see all the writers come to tie a tale in our fifth year. Thank you. May you come back again and write more great flash. Thousand thanks to Emily Drew for judging this week. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Community on Google Plus to keep up with news, etc.

Entries:

• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
  
• Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea
• Lisa Carter
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Mark A. Morris
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
• Cate Derham | @Cate_Derham
• Daelyn Morgana
• Silver James | @SilverJames_
• Siren X Star | @sirenstar

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Ruth Long | @Bullishink
Emily says:
What I liked: I was intrigued by the storyline, especially with it starting with a man running the bordello, and a woman nervously holding him at knifepoint but apparently not ruffling his feathers at all, as suggested by his dialogue and his boots placed casually on the table (great showing instead of telling!). This hook made me want to read more, to figure out what was going on. The story continues with intrigue on whether Josiah Fitch or Edina (who apparently needed “a convergence of bad intentions” to solve her problems) are good characters or villains. This complexity kept me reading, as did the reveal of more storyline at the end – these would be interesting characters to follow further in a story. The dialogue also felt very natural throughout.
Intrigue: Great!
Vivid detail: Good.
Grammar/writing style: Good.

Silver James | @SilverJames_
Emily says:
What I liked: This short had lots of obvious tension between the two characters. It starts the story right in the middle of a discussion, making it immediately interesting, and its physical details (saliva pooling, trembling hands, humorless laugh) allow the reader to experience the scene and guess the characters’ emotions even before they know what the characters are talking about. And the last two paragraphs make the wait worth it, there’s an interesting story going on here for sure! I liked the “not if I kill them first” ending line, the story ends with a punch!
Intrigue: good
Vivid detail: good
Grammar/writing style: good.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

The voice in his ear startled him, making him rock forward onto his toes. The hand on his shoulder pulled him back.

The man behind him was no-one he recognised. His voice was unfamiliar too. His eyes...his eyes were engaging, overriding his instinct to break away, to leap forward and lurch out into the street.

Into the path of a yellow cab. Or a city bus. Or in front of one of the limousines that never stopped for anyone.

The fingers gripped him tighter. There was to be no escape.

At least, not the one he’d been planning.

“I live close to here. Follow me.”

The stranger turned him away from the kerb, steering him back onto the footway.

Alex led away from the intersection, the hand applying a subtle pressure to direct him. The other man had gone quiet, the questions in his own head keeping him company. Where was he taking him? How long would it take to get there? And what did he have in mind?

The two of them walked away from the busiest streets; the buildings becoming shabbier and the pavements quieter. The numbers of limousines and buses and taxis dwindled, beat-up cars replacing them, many of them looking like they’d not moved for weeks. The light began to fade. A set of steps appeared to their right and they slowed, the hand becoming claw-like again.

“We’re here,” the man said. “You’re staying the night.”

Congratulations Two Time Winner Mark, Ruth, and Silver! Don't forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it!

Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Just a reminder: there will be NO #THURSTHREADS NEXT WEEK because I'll be at a writing event. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)