Monday, August 10, 2015

Flash fiction contest special recognition

This blog post is to honor an entry in the last flash fiction contest that is sui generis.

It cannot be part of any competition. It is beyond competition. It is perfect. Dreadful, anguished perfection.



CarolynnWith2Ns
I used to be Wry Wryter.
Go ahead google me.
See, I told you. I’m still there. Sort of.
I wrote about that which suited me, until words failed.

On one December morning, a feral male took twenty-six lives, leaving all of us numb with grief and empty of understanding. In a scene from a nightmare, my daughter’s best friend heroically saved some, sadly lost others and perished in the bloody process. For those on the periphery of grief, it was incomprehensible, for the families, the pain is (still) unimaginable.

This is not flash fiction. It’s tragic truth.

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for doing this. I was reading through the entries the other night and they were so good and so many of them touched me in different ways, but this one . . . this one made me weep.

Carolynn, thank you for writing it.

AJ Blythe said...

I haven't had a chance to read the entries yet, so I am grateful for you framing 2Ns on its own.

The horror of that day reached the other side of the world. 2Ns, your words evoke a myriad of emotions. JRs comments are well-deserved.

french sojourn said...


Yeah, this one was non-parallel. I thought it was pretty special when I read it, then re-read it. Nice shout out QOTKU.

Stay strong 2Ns.

Hank

Carolynnwith2Ns said...

I am struggling for words. Thank you Janet for this safe place.

angie Brooksby-Arcangioli said...

Carolynn, It's hard fathom how such unwaranted horror could affect your life. It's senseless.

Last year an event nearly destroyed me. I learned that post traumatic shock syndrome is a real thing. And the paranoia, the panic attacks that come with it. Writing saved my mind. But it's like the thing ferments inside and bubbles up. Big bubbles, little ones.

My heart goes out to you Carolynn.

Donnaeve said...

I was around when Wry Writer was. I remember her well. She's actually still here, only under the guise of 2N's. She says she lost her words, but she did not. I swear to you, she did not, although she may not believe it.

Wry, the impact of this event, and likely a few others before, in a previous writing community might make you feel as if you lost your way, but you and I go back a ways, and I wouldn't say this here, publicly unless I thought it true. Your words never really left you. You've proven it time and again.

XOXO

Carolynnwith2Ns said...

Donna XO back-atcha.
We have been around awhile haven't we.

Lisa Bodenheim said...

Wow Carolynn. So beautiful, poignant, powerful. Struggling for words? I'd say you found some of them right here. Healing thoughts--for you and your daughter, and for the people affected by the ripple effect. Not just of the shooter but of selfless action of your daughter's best friend.

Janet, thank you for standing it alone.

Julie said...

CarolyNN, I cannot imagine. Thank you for your immense courage in bringing us there.

And to Janet for giving it its own hall.

Anonymous said...

Outstanding Carolynn.

Colin Smith said...

Wow, 2Ns. Words fail me. Thank you for sharing.

LynnRodz said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

the power of words.

Thanks for this 2N's.

Kitty said...

I am so terribly sorry for your loss, Carolynnwith2Ns. :(

Theresa said...

Speechless.

Carolynnwith2Ns said...

Bless all of you for commenting. You have no idea how much this means to me.

Cindy C said...

Janet, I'm so glad you found a way to acknowledge this special entry.

Carolynn, this made me cry yesterday when I read it. Thank you for sharing it with us--your words haven't failed.

Unknown said...

Some wounds never heal, but here's to hoping the support of this amazing community will provide some small measure of peace.

Laura Mary said...

Carolynn, I just wanted to crawl through the internet and check you were okay after reading this.

Trust in the healing power of words.

xxxxx

Megan V said...

2NNs—the words are there. You've written them. And these words are unparallelled.

Anonymous said...

(((hugs))) Carolynn. You have the words - and the courage to use them.

Unknown said...

Carolynn, I cried when this happened. I cried when I read your entry yesterday. I sobbed today reading it again along with Janet's recognition of your powerful words.

Thank you for sharing your inner-self with us. May the light of love touch you and yours, bringing your hearts the fuel they need to heal.

LynnRodz said...

Carolynn, thank you for sharing a part of yourself that is much more than a story.

Janet, thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Anonymous said...

This deserved special recognition. Thank you Carolynn for writing this extraordinary piece. {{hugs}}

John Frain said...

Carolynn, When I read this on Saturday going through all the stories, I just stopped. Couldn't read any more. I'll do the same today. Your words brought back so much in my mind, and you clearly were/are so much closer to everything that happened that I can barely imagine what it brings to your mind.

You have the words. You still have your voice. Keep using it. That would make your daughter and your daughter's friend prouder.

Stay strong.

Janice Grinyer said...

Im so glad Carolyn that your piece received special recognition - Written truth from the heart always burns on in a memory, and in that way, a life is immortalized, never to be forgotten.

Thank you for writing this (((hugs!)))

Unknown said...

Carolynn - very poignant and beautifully written.

Amy Schaefer said...

Sending hugs your way, Carolynn.

Unknown said...

Wonderful to keep the memory of your daughter's friend alive. I have tears in my eyes.

Gingermollymarilyn said...

Senseless deaths are the worst, and when it comes to the demise of young children, unbearably sad. When you haven't thought of it for a while, and then when you do, the horror slams you. Why, why, why? The brain searches for some sort of explainable answer, never to realize it. But to accept it, is impossible too. So sorry you had to experience this tragedy on a personal level.

Carolynnwith2Ns said...

No more tears today. Thank you all for heartwarming words.

CynthiaMc said...

Beautifully felt. Beautifully written. The flame of love lives on. It's the one thing that evil can't extinguish.

E.Maree said...

Absolutely wonderful, Carolynn. Thank you for this.

Unknown said...

Carolynn, I know that throughout this day, I'll return over and over to thoughts of you and what happened to your world. Writers are never sure what to do when words fail, other than to know that they will come, and that when they do, God willing, they will heal more than they hurt.