Tuesday, September 6, 2011

The First Campaigner Challenge



Oh, yes. I’m liking this. As always, Rach Harriehas set up a flash fiction challenge for us campaigners. These are the rules:

“Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “The door swung open” These four words will be included in the word count.

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), use the same beginning words and end with the words: "the door swung shut." (also included in the word count)

For those who want an even greater challenge, make your story 200 words EXACTLY!”

There's nothing I like better than a challenge. I was a little worried because the idea that came to me isn't totally made up on the spot. It's based off a brief memory of the main character in my WIP. Ember thought about what happened, but didn't go into detail.

So, here it is. Exactly 200 words, too. According to Word.

The Night the Monsters Attacked
The door swung open, the creek of the hinges lost under the sound of our neighbors forcing their way into the shelter. I was shoved, kicked, almost fell under their feet. By people so blind with fear that they couldn’t see an eleven year old girl struggling to hang onto her three year old brother.

I can’t be mad at them. I didn’t want to die, either.

No matter how hard I tried, I never seemed to get closer to the shelter. I called to my Dad, begged him to help. But his hands were full, tugging Aura and Kay.

Behind me, there was a scream. Loud enough to be heard over the cries of the crowd. It was roughly cut off. And then came the wet tearing of flesh.

I stopped fighting the crowd and it pushed me in with it. I searched for my father, saw him with Aura. But not Kay. She lay outside on the ground, face browned with dirt except for the whites of her eyes. Someone stomped on her hand, looked down on her, kept running. She reached out, for dad, for me, for someone to save her.

And then, the door swung shut.

20 comments:

  1. Holy crap, girl! That was awesome! More please? :)

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  2. O.o Creepy! And awesome! Very zombie-apocalypse-ish. Great job!

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  3. Oh. My. Goodness. That was intense and fantastic. "the wet tearing of flesh" *shudders*

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  4. So very intense, and made me shiver.

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  5. Wow, that was really good! You've given us an enticing peek into a dark, terrifying world.

    Hopefully there's more where that came from.

    Dan

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  6. Stopped by from the campaign to say hi! *waving* This gave me chills! Lurve it!

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  7. "Wet tearing of flesh". Eugh -- but eugh in a good way! This was creepy, love it!

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  8. Yeah, that "wet tearing of flesh" part got me too. Yeeeccch! This was a really great story, in a sad/tragic/icky way. Nice dramatic ending. Tension was good, and pacing.

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  9. 0_0 That. Was. Scary!!!!

    Good job! :-)

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  10. That's awful! Nice job. Mine is #72

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  11. I love the horrible ending. Fantastic.

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  12. Good going. You put us right there on the ground. Literally. I made it into the shelter. I think ... that tearing flesh business sounded awfully close!

    Well done.

    Paula (#265)

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  13. Yikes, that was so horrible in the best possible way. A reminder that humans can be the biggest monsters of all.

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  14. I wanted to let you know that you've been short-listed to move onto the next round! Congrats!

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  15. OMG. That was terrifying and so intense. Great job!

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  16. I agree with the others... "...wet tearing of flesh..."

    ugh... I think I'll be eating vegetarian tonight...

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  17. Congrats on moving to the next round! My heart was pounding by the time I finished reading. Great job!

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  18. Oooh very creepy. "The wet tearing of flesh" is a line that's going to stick with me for a while. *shudders*

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  19. I like this, and I gave it a "like," too.
    I think you're getting a new follower, too, but I'm still looking over your posts.

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  20. Oh, man! That was intense. Well done! I really like the characterization of the Main Character. I see the mother wasn't in the picture, and with the Main Character hanging onto her little brother and the line "I can't be mad at them. I didn't want to die, either" said so much toward the maturity about her. Kudos!

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Please validate me.