2nd Annual Flash Fiction Contest

Flash Fiction RULES!!! And right now Cherie Reich is hosting this fabulous contest. Check it out, enjoy a few quick, fun reads--but be sure to leave comments and let the writers know you love them *ahem* us.

Mwah-ha-ha

Lightning flashed. Power surged into the tower laboratory, heating organic power cells, emitting a green glow. Sporadic white tentacles swirled about the human-sized tubes, plasma humming.  

An old man wearing black goggles ducked into the room. He pulled on elbow length gloves with a smack and smoothed back his erratic white hair. “Igor, prepare the switch!”

A hunchback hobbled in behind him, shuffling toward the lever.

The scientist drew a hand over an inanimate lump at the center of the chamber. “Your time has come, my beautiful creation.”

“Ready, Master,” the hunchback slurred.

“Pull the switch!” The command echoed off brick walls, switch, switch, switch.

Igor gripped the handle and jerked downward. It didn’t budge.

He gasped and tugged again. It wouldn’t move! He wrapped his arms around it and hung on the beam. It remained still. Perspiration dripping down his forehead, he climbed onto a nearby platform and leapt at the lever. It crashed down under his weight.

Silvery electric threads shot out of each tube. They jolted into the lifeless creation. The mass vibrated.

“Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!” The scientist raised both arms to the sky.

Lights flickered in and out. The room shuddered. All went dark.

“Arise, my creation!” the old man commanded.

The circular hulk shifted.

Igor ducked behind the lever, trembling.

It twisted. It sat upright, its round frame catching the starlight like a miniature moon.

“I’ve done it!” The old man collapsed to his knees before the cot.

“Oh, it’s so beautiful!” Igor hissed, still hiding.

“Where am I? Who am I?” The lump shook. “What am I?”

The old man snatched a crumb off the thing and threw it into his mouth. “The first ever living cheese wheel. Delicious!”

Made of Awesome Blog Contest

They come in twos.

I swear this is the last blog contest I'm going to enter for a while, but this one by Shelley Watters is all about strengthening the first 250 words of a completed novel, and I have one story with 4 different beginnings that could really use a few external opinions.

Title: Dark Moon, 90K words

Genre: YA Historical Fantasy

Blurb:

Devonshire 1768. Noble-born Alexia has never been “attractive.” Far from. Avoiding Father’s push toward betrothal (before the unfortunate prospectives catch sight of her and think better) has been the only concern of her dull existence…until the night she meets him, the night she witnesses an unbelievable murder, the night her own impossible beauty stares back from the mirror, the night she realizes her entire life is a facade. Now she has a choice: step blindly into the unknown, toward him, or spend the rest of mortality wondering about red-eyed wraiths on moonless nights. 

I pushed myself off the ground. Dizziness rushed upon me in waves. The swelling in my ankle had returned, only now it throbbed in agony.

The hedges guarding the house from the road blotted Miles from view. He wouldn’t return even if I screamed for him, and I had to return to the house, to safety.

I turned.

A shrouded form stood between me and the lighted doorway. I fumbled backward, staggered, tripped on my skirts, and rolled.

Another creature appeared from around the side of the house, black robes limp in the absence of a breeze. More raven forms surfaced in the night following the first, murderous eyes, a great rolling tide of black.

I had only one course to follow.

Scrambling blindly away on hands and knees, I veered to my right, to the left, landing on my elbows, tearing my skirts.

Why hadn’t they overtaken me? They could move so much faster! Did they enjoy my flight? Perhaps they mocked me with the hope I might escape?

I lunged between gateposts that marked Father’s property and froze.

Multiple crimson pupils burrowed into me from the wooded shadows—hungry, piercing. How many? Forty maybe?

Miles stood only a couple paces ahead of me, whimpering in terror.

They circled us, eyes crushing down.

This is how it would end. I had seen it a hundred times in the prophetic nightmare, but never wanted to believe…

Thank you for reading! Suggestions?

Oh yes, before I forget...now for the random cheese fact of the week: Did you know there are over 1000 types of cheeses in the world? In fact, there are 400 types of French cheese alone.

Anyone who would like to read the final entries to this contest, go here.