UPDATED WITH WINNER - LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown: August Edition
Flash fiction: A style of fictional literature marked by extreme brevity
Welcome to LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown, a monthly bout of writing prowess.
How It Works
We give you inspiration in the form of a picture, poem, video, or prompt. You write a flash fiction piece using the inspiration we gave you. Put your entry in the comments section. One winner will be picked and awarded a prize.
The Rules
- 25 words, tops. No more.
- It can be any genre.
- Give it a title. Please keep it to 10 words.
- We're not exactly shy, but let's stay away from senseless racism or violence.
- One entry per person.
- Editing your entry after you submit it is permitted.
- LitReactor staffers can't win, but are encouraged to participate.
- All stories submitted on or before August 28th will be considered. We'll run the winner on August 31st.
This Month's Prize
This month, we give away a copy of Gayle Towell's novel Broken Parts. Gayle is a LitReactor homeskillet, so we know her book is amazing. Here's a little taste to wet your whistle:
Jake Smith, a book smart loner hiding in a dead-end welding job, is thrown for a loop when his fifteen-year-old brother Ben shows up on his doorstep after outing their father for molestation. During Dad's trial it comes to light that not only was Jake also abused, but he turned a blind eye for years as it happened to his brother. But with Dad in jail and Mom insistent that Ben is lying, Ben is forced to rely on Jake even if he can't forgive him, and Jake is forced to step up and care for his brother despite struggling with his own trauma and brutal flashbacks. Broken Parts is the first full novel in a series exploring how these brothers evolve socially and emotionally in the aftermath of their father's abuse and in the face of life's never-ending ordeals. Jake and Ben fight like siblings despite their growing dependence on each other in this dark, emotional tale full of grit, humor, and the spark of survival.
Your Inspiration:
This month, give us 25 words on space, stars, constellations, myths, etc. August is the month of the Perseid meteor shower.The annual event is named for the Perseus constellation where the meteor shower appears to originate. The constellation is named for the mythological Perseus, a half-god who killed many monsters, including the snake-headed Medusa.
And the Winner is...Cams316
What's up, Wichita! You guys really showed up for this month's contest! It's no wonder one of you Wichitonians won! Please say congrats to Cams316.
Don't Look Don't Look Don't Look!
I control my destiny! Not the god damn stars and planets.
I look.
Gemini: you're gonna have a shitty day.
Damn it.
Column by Taylor Houston
Taylor Houston is a genuine Word Nerd living in Portland, OR where she works as a technical writer and volunteers on the marketing committee for Wordstock, a local organization dedicated to writing education. She has a BA in Creative Writing and Spanish from Hamilton College and attended Penn State's MFA program in Creative Nonfiction. She has taught writing at all levels from middle school to college to adult, and she is the creator of Writer’s Cramp, a class for adults who just want to write!
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Declination
Behold the Patricide.
Bloody-handed,
Tossing limbs upon limbs, ash from Ash.
Sparks showering upward into the Rainmaker.
The sons of the Gorgon Slayer, fleeing,
Witness.
Apparent Motion
Smoking outside the hospital, I saw Cancer low in the sky. Outside again after my mother’s passing,I noticed it had risen triumphantly to mid-sky.
Wormwood's Big Day
"That's like da Vinci shitting on the Mona Lisa!"
"You overestimate the value of this planet, my son."
"Should I start praying?"
"Nah. Fuck it."
Missed the Moon, though
Well, Saturn returned. I'm no astrologist, philosopher, or NASA nerd. But whatever they had originally meant-- condescending shits, all-- teeth were never mentioned. Amateurs.
Lightspeed
Further than beyond, deep in the black, we linger. We shine upon your world, in shapes, waiting for you to see us. Look up.
His Eyes
The world was on his eyes. He blinked, The whole world was destroyed.
Birth of a Hero
As waves of silver starlight licked the sides of his drifting wooden womb, Perseus defiantly gazed into the endless abyss above and bemused a god.
The Awakening of Kirk
Captains Log; Stardate 8129.2: Warm, working hands belie his cold, logical mind. Pinched nerves arrest my heart. Passions burn hot as Vulcan until sweet release.
Upon A Star
"Look, a shooting star," Jerry said. "I should make a wish."
Frank cocked the pistol and put it to Jerry's head. "Better hurry."
Everybody needs to hug someone
"It's falling."
"It’s flying through emptiness of universe. It’s lonely."
"And it wants to hug as to death?"
"It's an asteroid. What did you expect?!"
On My Way
I closed my eyes, it was too much to take in. The pulsing chair, the intense acceleration, the metallic air. Abduction was a trip.
Clashes with many a titan,
Did Perseus bravely win,
But punished he was for this great sin,
With portrayals in bad movies featuring Harry Hamlin.
Greek Dudes
"What happened with Medusa?"
"Turned out she's super hot. Turns men to stone... down there."
"Still slayed her right?"
"Yeah, bitch was crazy."
Don't Look Don't Look Don't Look!
I control my destiny! Not the god damn stars and planets.
I look.
Gemini: you're gonna have a shitty day.
Damn it.
Drifting
Drifting away, soon to be trapped among the stars. Every minute put salvation farther from his grasp. The ship shot towards earth. He was lost.
I'm Not Your Stellar Sage
To Whom It May Concern:
I did not tell nor show you anything to make you go to yoga more often.
Sincerely,
The Universe
Rebirth
Angels fall from heaven, white hot light streaking through the abyss. The ground trembles as they touch the earth. A new day is dawning.
The Zodiac Watches
Water rot away titans, suns blister and buckle,
Angels grow raven feathers.
I am sky, inside me
Dreams churn
Wishes burn
And you're all born.
The Sparkle in the Eyes of an Unknown God
From beyond a gulf, dark and unfathomable, born of myth and named by science, we watch the children of Perseus rain down upon us.
Good job, Cams!