FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: A STORY IN SEARCH TERMS

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This blog post was created for Chuck Wendig’s FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: A STORY IN SEARCH TERMS. The idea is to tell a story by listing the search history a user would have generated by using a web search engine (like Google).

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Search History:

samus aran

copyright claims on search terms

maximum fine for copyright infringement

copyright lawyers

affordable copyright lawyers

pawnshops near me

how much can i get for my body

how likely am i to go to hell when i die

how to make a deal with the devil

crossroads near me

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The image in this post was used without seeking permission. I believe its use falls under fair use. If it is yours, and you feel its use is inappropriate; please contact me and let me know.

FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: POKÉMON MEETS LORD OF THE FLIES!

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This blog post was created for Chuck Wendig’s FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: IT’S X MEETS Y AGAIN! The idea is to randomly pick two concepts and write a story reflecting a mashup of both. I ended up with Pokémon and Lord of the Flies.

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Upon opening her eyes, the young girl was greeted to the sight of a beautiful blue sky framed by the leaves bamboo trees. Underneath her, she could feel the cool, and relatively flat dirt of the forest floor. Turning her head to the side, she caught a glimpse of something small and blue moving through the trees; but by the time she struggled to her feet, whatever it was gone from her view.

FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: “Lucifer was right, you are a monumental douche.”

This blog post was created for Chuck Wendig’s FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: PICK AN OPENING SENTENCE AND GO. The idea is to write a story starting with an opening sentence someone else provided the week prior.

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“Lucifer was right, you are a monumental douche.”

FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: RADIOACTIVE ARTHROPODS FOR EVERYONE

This blog post was created for Chuck Wendig’s FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: SHARE AN IMAGE, WRITE A STORY. The idea is to write a story based off of an image someone else provided. I picked two images that I merged for the below effect:

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“Oh my God-Jeannie!”

Jeannie looked up just in time to see the giant arthropod about to wander into the road. Instinctively, she slammed on the brakes; whipping both women back like willow brances when the Ford Pinto Fusion came to its full and sudden stop.

FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: 99 WORDS

While he waited, he tried to sleep but sleep never came. Around his neck, he wore a collar; the symbol of his bondage.

In the small, cramped space; he curled up into a ball. He made himself small.

To fit.

To hide.

Breathing in and out, he continued to listen and wait. When he heard the heavy foot falls approach, he shifted himself into position; ready to pounce.

His owner jumped and screamed as the keenly honed claws sunk deep into the man’s flesh and rivers of crimson blood poured forth. “Ow! No! Bad kitty. No claws. No claws.”

FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: BOURBON SOUR

This blog post was created for Chuck Wendig’s FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: RANDOM COCKTAIL CHALLENGE. The idea is to randomly select/generate alcoholic drink and use that drink’s name for the title of the story. 

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Bourbon Sour

• 2 oz Bourbon
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp superfine sugar
• 1 orage slice
• 1 Maraschino cherry

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Cafe 88 wasn’t much to look at, but it did pretty good business. From the outside, the dive bar was a plain, narrow, windowless, unmarked, grey, poured concrete building on a small field of red-brown clay. On the side of the building facing away from the factory sat the bar’s entrance. It was an old steel door painted black and located in the center of the building. It didn’t even have a parking lot.

FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: TEN RANDOM SENTENCES

This blog post was created for Chuck Wendig’s FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: TEN RANDOM SENTENCES. The idea is to write a story including at least one of ten random sentences. I included se7en of the ten.

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“The memory we used to share is no longer coherent.”

The old man’s wizened visage looked long at the faces surrounding the table before resuming his speech.

FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: The Hand That Wields (The Final Cut)

This blog post was created for Chuck Wendig’s FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: THE FOUR-PART STORY (FINAL PART).

The basic idea is that everyone who is involved this week will wrap up stories other writers developed in the previous three weeks.

I chose to finish to the short story The Hand That Wields started by Matthew X. Gomez and extended by lisoeta1 and then Cameron Mount. If you click on the aforementioned author’s names, you’ll be able to read part one, two, and three of the story on the respective authors’ blogs. I’ve also included the entire text of the story below. My additions start under the heading Part Four.

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Part One

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“Wake up Otto! Visitor here to see you.”

Otto rolled over on his pallet, cracking one reddened eye open. “Why would anyone come see me?” he mumbled, his tongue heavy from sleep. Sitting up, he opened his other eye and scratched at his tangled beard.

The guard shrugged. “They don’t tell me these things. All I know is the magistrate said to let them see you. So I’m letting them.”

Otto grinned through the iron bars of his cell, revealing teeth filed to points. “Some days I’m surprised to find anyone even remembers I’m down here.”

FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: WASTELAND (PARTS ONE TO THREE)

This blog post was created for Chuck Wendig’s FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: THE FOUR-PART STORY (PART THREE).

The basic idea is that everyone who is involved this week will extend stories other writers developed in the previous two weeks, and that those stories extend this week may be expanded upon in the next week.

I chose to add to the short story Wasteland started by Angela Cavanaugh and extended by Kristian Thoroughgood. If you click on the aforementioned author’s names, you’ll be able to read part one and two of the story on Angela’s and Kristian’s wordpress blogs, respectively. I’ve also included the entire text of both authors’ works below. My additions to the story start under the heading Part Three.

Should anyone choose to further extend this story, I’ll update my blog to include their additions and links to their content. Similarly, any author who further extends this story may feel free to repost my additions on their site and/or link back to it.

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Edit: Matthew X. Gomez decided to pick up the story where I left off. My thanks go out to him for his time and effort! You can find his blog where he posted all four parts of this story here. Also, I’ve updated this posting so that her addition appears under the heading Part Four.

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Part One

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They didn’t count on me surviving. Of course, if those fools could do anything right then I wouldn’t be walking through a desert right now. The once green ground is now completely scorched, and I haven’t seen the remains of a building for miles. The only upside is the clouds. Those fallout clouds block out what would otherwise be an intense noon sun.

FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: STOPPING BY WOODS ON A SNOWY EVENING (PARTS ONE AND TWO)

This blog post was created for Chuck Wendig’s FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: THE FOUR-PART STORY (PART TWO).

The basic idea is that this week everyone involved will extend other writers stories from week one, and that those extended stories will be expanded upon in the next two weeks.

I chose to extend the short story Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening by Peter MacDonald/pikabot. If you click on the aforementioned link, you’ll be able to read part one on Peter’s tumbr blog. I’ve also included the entire text of Peter’s work below, save the very last line. I omitted that line because I think its absence helps with flow and pacing. My additions to the story start under the heading Part Two.

Should anyone choose to further extend this story, I’ll update my blog to include their additions and links to their content. Similarly, any author who further extends this story may feel free to repost my additions on their site and/or link back to it.

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Edit 1: Casondra Brewster/CaszABrew decided to pick up the story where I left off. My thanks go out to her for her time and effort! You can find her blog where she posted all three parts of this story here. Also, I’ve updated this posting so that her addition appears under the heading Part Three.

Edit 2: John Freeter and Alice E. Keyes decided to pick up the story where Casandra left off and finish the story off. Thank you both! You can find John’s website where he posted his last installment of this story here and Alice’s website where she posted her last installment of this story here. Also, I’ve updated this posting so that his addition appears under heading Part Four A and her addition under head Part Four Bee.

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Part One

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The snow was up to Jake’s knees and still wasn’t quite done falling. While most of the snowfall had passed, there were still a handful of wayward flakes drifting down from the heavens, belatedly joining their brothers and sisters on the ground. It was the first real snowfall of the year, but it certainly wouldn’t be the last; before the month was out, the passes leading into the mountains he called home would be completely blocked up, and he would be alone until the spring thaw.