Signal Flash fiction writing contest results

There's nothing better for a cold winter weekend  than to see hot writers at their best! You guyz (non gender specific, plural) continue to amaze me with what you can do with a couple words and a day to think.

Herewith the results

If this isn't the start to a terrific historical novel, I'll eat my hat next to the wine-dark sea

Kalli 10:09am

A great descriptive line:

"I was his first twinset-with-pearls."

Kitty 9:46am

Yet another unhappy Reds fan

Britta Boudreau 10:10 am

And a Cubs fan isn't too happy either

Sherry Howard 9:03am

Not quite a story but oh my godiva, YIKES

Madeline Mora-Summonte 10:13am

Michael Seese 1:26pm

Not quite a story, but I love the imagination in these entries

S.D. King 10:14am

Tom Perkins 11:25am

Karen McCoy 5:44pm

Not quite a story, but man oh man, you really want to know what happens next

Mira Baker 11:31am

Julie.M.Weathers 11:34am

HilaryHarwell 12:11pm

Andrew Lipkin 4:19pm

Lilac Shoshani 8:43pm

Cipher 8:49pm

Outstanding use of the prompt words:

homersexual- ColinSmith 12:18pm

homer of barley- Nina 8:51pm

Cranessia-Kate Higgins 10:31pm

shomer Shabbat- Rami McShane 8:30am

The reason you always have a backup piece when you go to a pitch session

Colin Smith 12:18pm

These entries completely cracked me up

Jeff Deitering 3:05pm

kregger 4:48pm

The best typo in YEARS in a flash fiction contest (I'll leave the readers to find it)

EllenM 11:39pm

ohhh!! Puppies!!!

White Gardenia 5:24am

Here are the nine finalists

(1) JennyC 10:18am

An hour before her lecture on Homer’s Odyssey, Eva’s books tumbled from her backpack into the gray slush on the street. The signal changed and a Honda closed in, the driver yacking away. While leaping to the sidewalk, Eva caught her boot on a chunk of ice and collapsed.

A burst of pain, then nothing.

The sound of waves crashing brought her back. A white crane stood at the ocean’s edge flapping its wings. The air smelled salty and floral. A sumptuous man in a toga reached down for Eva’s hand. “The goddess Aphrodite?”

Eva smiled. Sure. Why not?

(2) Carolynnwith2Ns 10:31am

I didn’t want him to die, I just didn’t want him.
For an hour I held Homer, my little one, than left him at the base of the crane, minutes before I knew workmen would arrive. I hid. They gathered around the box, I walked away in tears.
Sounds.
A signal blaring, rivets and bolts popping, metal and men screaming; the impact of the crane’s collapse brought me to my knees.
Silence.
If the men had not been grouped around the box they would not have lived.
I didn’t want anyone to die, I just didn’t want the puppy.

(3) Charlogo 11:11am

The crane collapse was my signal to swoop over the construction site and chat with Homer, the fool who’d cheated on his safety test.
“This is how you wake up dead, Buddy.” I didn’t want to sound rude, but anyone could have seen this coming.
“Did you read the user manual, Homer? Did you even give a thought to hoist rating? That’s what got you wedged between this rubble and the cab. Now you’re bleeding all over the place.”
I pulled out my list. Hmmm. Homer wasn’t wicked, just stupid.
“You qualify for a mulligan,” I announced. “One hour rewind.”

(4) Michael Haskin 1:33pm

“Look, there’s the signal,” Bradley whispered as twigs cracked beneath his boots.

Melissa halted. Bradley cut down a paper crane hanging from the tree. He carefully unfolded the wings.

“What’s it say?” Melissa asked. “I’ve been following you for hours. My legs are going to collapse if we don’t head back soon.”

“It’s a crudely written poem,” Bradley observed, dropping down to one knee. “Before I knew you I was just a loner. But when I met you it felt like a homer. The rest of your life may feel like forever. Please marry me and we’ll spend it together.”

(5) Calorie Bombshell 2:45pm

    Ever since he was whacked on the noggin by Billy Furrows’ historic three-run homer, old man Worthington thought he was Ichabod Crane.

    Weighing in at three hundred pounds, he now fancied himself slender, gorging on everything from pickled Twinkies to pumpkin lasagna.

    Then in a glucose-induced stupor, he mounted Cannonball, a horse that waged war on anyone harebrained enough to approach her.

    According to the Signal County Gazette, the pair was last seen galloping into rush hour.

    Police later found Cannonball collapsed from exhaustion on Highway 287.

    Worthington’s lifeless body lay sprawled twenty yards away.

    His head, however, proved elusive.

(6) Amy Schaefer 4:15pm

“Ready?”
“Take this.”
“Shhh, that’s the signal!”

It’s funny how every homeroom is so much sand through the hourglass. After thirty-three years, déjà vu is constant.

I dawdle, working up a good reaction to their prank. I stride in. “Good morning every-aaahhhhhh!”

Silence. The class lies collapsed – some with necks craned, others crumpled on the floor. All still as stones amongst a drift of tiny green bottles.

I wait for the inevitable cry of “April Fool’s!”

It doesn’t come.

EMTs, police, the principal are bawling, shaking me.

My brain jams on a single thought: “Well, that was a new one.”

(7) Nikola Vukoja 6:02pm

I was struggling to express the scene’s intensity.
My shoulders collapsed as inspiration evaporated.
“H-u-s-s-b-a-n-n-d,” bellowed my good lady wife. Her wail was my signal, forecasting an end to my hour of solitude.
“What wounds you Dear?” A married man knows to ask.
“It has returned.”
“What has?”
“The crane. The crane.”
“It’s an egret Dear.”
Nuisance is what it is!”
She discharged herself of her basket and proceeded to inspect my lack of progress.
“Hum,” she said. “What do you think to call this non-work?”
“Homer’s Illiad.”
“Perhaps simply Illiad, adding one’s name seems a tad pretentious.”
"Yes Dear."

(8) Terri Lynn Coop 9:29pm

“Terri’s surprise birthday is a go. She thinks it’s a flash fiction contest. Let’s run over the checklist. Jed, do we have the cupcake?”

“The crane nearly collapsed, but it was delivered an hour ago.”

Colin, how about the glitter cannon?”

“Oh yeah...”

“Hank, did you get the present?”

“Right here. I swiped a Homer Laughlin mug from that diner.”

*door rattle*

“She’s here! Wait for the signal!”

“SURPRISE!”

*gaktripbarkbarkbarkcursebarkcurse*

Lights.

“Who are you people?”

“Who are you?”

“I’m Jessie, here to feed the dogs.”

“Where’s Terri?”

“Thrifting in Kansas City. Didn’t you check Facebook?”

*group facepalm*

“Cut the cupcake.”

(9) A Velez 9:51pm

    I didn’t want to throw a water balloon at Ms. Troy. I just didn’t want to fail Latin.

    She hauled me out of homeroom, still drip, drip, dripping on the linoleum, one hand on my arm, the other dragging my cello case. I could feel all eyes on me; raised eyebrows, craned necks.

    She dumped me in the principal’s office. I waited for my signal: the release bell.

    I collapsed. Seizure? Faint? Who knew—just carted me off to the nurse.

    Hours later, a soft click from the forgotten case. Out slips my accomplice. Looks like straight As this semester.





Honest to godiva, there's simply no way to pick just one so this week, it's two winners.

First is (6) Amy Schaefer 4:15pm for an entry that knocked my sox off (as she has in the past!).

Second of the two is (8) Terri Lynn Coop who managed to not only include the prompt words, but also the names of many of the regular blog commenters, invent a great new phrase for  bedlam --
*gaktripbarkbarkbarkcursebarkcurse* -- and pluralize facepalm all in exactly100 words.


Amy, let me know if you're able to get packages shipped to you now, or if we need to wait till you're back on dry land.

Terri, I have your mailing address of course from previous wins, so look for a copy of SIGNAL  coming your way.


Thanks to all of you who entered.  The time and thought you put in to these entries is very evident.  I enjoy reading all of them!