So this weeks terribleminds.com flash fiction challenge from Penmonkey-in-Chief Chuck Wendig was:

…Crazy pulp shiznit….

…To go cuh-razy with the over-the-top pulp weirdness…

I can’t say I’ve ever tried writing anything in a crazy pulp style, but that’s one of the great things about flash fiction challenges. So, I give you:

Countdown to Meltdown

A wailing alarm screamed bursts of ear-splitting noise throughout the facility. Periodically filling the silence between alarm bursts the too-sweet feminine voice of the main computer called out the time remaining.

“This facility will self-destruct in five minutes. Please seek the nearest escape pod.”

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My flash fiction offering for this week’s challenge from Terribleminds. This week the challenge was to use a randomly generated title. The titles were generated here, which creates kooky American military operation names. The title I chose from my five was:

“Don’t Mess With Our Lion”

The doorbell rang and Julie’s heart began racing. When she opened it and found that it really was Ray waiting on her porch her heart skipped a beat. He looked perfect and with her parents gone overnight to a conference for her mother’s company she knew they could have a perfect evening.

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This is another bit of flash fiction written in response to the current (at the time of this post anyway) Flash Fiction challenge from terribleminds. This week the challenge is about travel. My story here has hit the 1000 word limit dead on. It was originally almost 300 words over that limit so I revised and revised until I got it down to where it needed to be. Hopefully it has not suffered in the process.

“Road Trip”

The day I found the invitation to Vince’s wedding in the mail I was having lunch with Tim so I brought it with me. When I got to Mel’s, Tim was lounging in a booth, drinking coffee, and staring out the window. I plunked myself down across the table and tossed him the invitation.

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This is a short story written as an entry to a Flash Fiction challenge issued by Chuck Wendig at his blog Terribleminds. Specifically, this is the entry for the challenge “Death Is On The Table”.

“The Price of Wisdom”

The rough and tired looking first chaplain listened to the far off screams and knew that soon he and his men would be surrounded by the terrible agony of wounded and dying soldiers. He looked around at the young acolytes and counted only two battled hardened war healers amongst a dozen other green boys. They were all looking at him and he remembered looking at another rough and tired first chaplain through his own young eyes long ago and did not envy them. Clearing his throat he began the small speech he had given so many times.

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