Maybe Not

When in doubt, let your instincts guide you.
Chinese fortune cookie

That actually was the fortune from my cookie last night. I’m not one to take Chinese fortune cookies lightly. My then girl friend, now my wife, got the fortune, “Accept the next proposal you hear.” Twenty-seven years later, we’re still happily married.

Well, my instincts are telling me that the Story of the Week probably is not the right idea at the right time. It may not have come from a fortune cookie, but there is something to the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I still want to find ways to increase readership, but not at the expense of possibly wreaking the great sense of community we have here now.

Towards that end, we will have another Reader’s Contest in the not too distant future, but frankly, most of the participants in the last Reader’s Contest were fellow #fridayflashers. There is nothing wrong with that, but it doesn’t do much to broaden the reader base.

So I’m shelving the Story of the Week idea. However, I do want to find new ways to attract readers to all of our blogs. If you have any ideas I’d love to  hear them. Like Story of the Week, they may or may not fly, but I’m sure we can cook up something. Stir fry, anyone?
~jon

Story of the Week

An idea has been niggling at the back of mind for a while now, an idea on how to better promote the best of the best each week. Here’s my notion. Let me know what you think.

You, the readers of #fridayflash (authors included) shoot me a DM on Twitter each week, say by Tuesday at 5pm US-Central Time. Tell me which story was the best one you read that week (not including your own). The one that gets the most nominations will get a shout out on Wednesday or Thursday (a little wiggle room for me). I’ll also give it a mention in the next #fridayflash Report.

It is sort of like community voting without the formal poll, and all the angst that goes along with that. No one knows what stories have been suggested to me, or how their own story is faring in the standings. Just sometime around mid week presto, a Story of the Week gets a special highlight. It will even have a cool little badge, which you may add to your story on your blog if so inclined.

I see this accomplishing two things. First off, Story of the Week posts, and their authors, will get a bit more well deserved attention. That has to be a good thing. Second, it will make it easier for me to identify prospective candidates for the Best of 2010, when time for that rolls around. It’s another grand experiment on my part to use crowd-sourcing to find and promote the best of the best.

So what do you think? Is there merit here, or am I completely out to lunch? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
~jon

The #fridayflash Report – Week 41

We had another great week for #fridayflash with 68 stories in all, including four debut pieces. Please be sure to visit and welcome our new authors, Derrick Espadas, John McDonnell, Cyn, and Neil Shurley and make them feel at home. As always there is a good mix of genres so there is something here for every taste. If you posted a story as #fridayflash and don’t see it in the list just go to the Collector and add the details. I’ll add it to the listing. Thanks everyone for participating and a huge thank you to our readers. ~jon

The Stories

You Must Not Fall. You Must Remain Safe. by P.J. Kaiser @doublelattemama ~ Slice of Life ~

Where’s Ivan? by Derrick Espadas @azoverloadprick ~ Unspecified ~ Debut

Wake Your Cheatin’ Heart by Donald Conrad @NoddlaNocdar ~ Mystery/Thriller ~

Uncle Cal and the Car Loan by Barb Relyea @BRelyea ~ Slice of Life ~

Tran Siberian by Michael J. Solender @mjsolender ~ Literary ~

Ticket to Hell by David Masters @davidmasters ~ Humor ~

The Third One by Emma Newman @EmApocalyptic ~ Magical Realism ~

The Smut Peddler by Kat Del Rio @katdelrio ~ Unspecified ~

The Pigeons Of Wheaten Manor by Louise Dragon @WeezelWords ~ Horror/Suspense ~

The Muse by Heather Lloyd @heatherlloyd83 ~ Cross Genre ~

The Library by ganymeder @ganymeder ~ Science Fiction ~

The Jumper by Eric J. Krause @ericjkrause ~ Unspecified ~

The Hunt, Part Two by Dan Faust @danfaust ~ Fantasy ~

THE ALBINO TWINS by Anthony Venutolo @bukowskisbaseme ~ Literary ~

Tammy Takes A Turn by Mark Champion @jmarkchampion ~ Slice of Life ~

Talk About Revolution by Leigh Barlow @LeighBarlow ~ Science Fiction ~

Surf’s Up by Laura Eno @LauraEno ~ Fantasy ~

Submission by Virginia Moffatt @VirginiaMoffatt ~ Unspecified ~

Star-crossed by Dana @ywgdana ~ Science Fiction ~

Something Phishy by Tim VanSant @TimVanSant ~ Humor ~

Slice of Life by Maria Protopapadaki-Smith @mazzz_in_Leeds ~ Unspecified ~

Ruby and the Moon: The Legend of Corgi-San by Kelly Lynn Thomas @kellylynnthomas ~ Unspecified ~

Roadkill by Dan Powell @danpowfiction ~ Literary ~

Revolution/Illusion by Christian Bell @christianbell37 ~ Unspecified ~

Parole Board by Tony Noland @TonyNoland ~ Horror/Suspense ~

Page 247 by A. M. Harte @am_harte ~ Slice of Life ~

One More Minute by Lauren Cude @NA ~ Slice of Life ~

Old World Were by Timothy P. Remp @TIm_Remp_writer ~ Horror/Suspense ~

Nothing But Bone by Jim Wisneski @wisneski ~ Horror/Suspense ~

No, I Cannot Talk by Melissa D. Johnston @melissa_djohnst ~ Unspecified ~

Nellie’s Web by Lily Mulholland @CascadeLily ~ Humor ~

Moments In Grace by Thom Gabrukiewicz @tgabrukiewicz ~ Unspecified ~

Lura by Jessica Rosen @jessrosenbooks ~ Science Fiction ~

Like a River by Mark Kerstetter @markerstetter ~ Slice of Life ~

Left Out In The Cold by Peggy McFarland @peggywriter ~ Unspecified ~

Knock Knock, Who’s There? by Deanna Schrayer @deannaschrayer ~ Humor ~

Iowan Work Ethic by Anne Tyler Lord @AnneTylerLord ~ Slice of Life ~

In The Shadow Of The Cherry Blossom Trees by Clive Martyn @clivem ~ Horror/Suspense ~

Hard Knock Wife by Anton Gully @antongully ~ Unspecified ~

Gregor the Rat by Benjamin Solah @benjaminsolah ~ Horror/Suspense ~

Good Housekeeping? by Linda Simoni-Wastila @drwasy ~ Unspecified ~

Good Fences by Laurita Miller @lauritamiller ~ Horror/Suspense ~

Friday night dates by Estrella Azul @EstrellaAzul ~ Horror/Suspense ~

Following a Pattern by Jim Dempsey @jimdempsey ~ Unspecified ~

Feather Spent by Deirdre M. Murphy @wyld_dandelyon ~ Fantasy ~

Exodus to Genesis by Anthony Deaver @anthonydeaver ~ Fantasy ~

Evolution of Silverware by John Wiswell @Wiswell ~ Humor ~

Etwal by Kim Batchelor @Kim_Batchelor ~ Literary ~

Dragon Rider by Joyce @jolantru ~ Magical Realism ~

Deaf Jam by John McDonnell @McDonnellWrite ~ Humor ~ Debut

De-Terence by Marc Nash @ExisleMoll ~ Literary ~

Crayons For Algernon by Cyn @randomcyn ~ Literary ~ Debut

Chasing a Murderer into Polar Bear Country by Alex Carrick @Alex_Carrick ~ Humor ~

Burritos by Neil Shurley @thatneilguy ~ Humor ~ Debut

Breve by G.P. Ching @gpching ~ Slice of Life ~

Bo by Skycycler @skycycler ~ Literary ~

Blood Derby by Jodi Cleghorn @jodicleghorn ~ Cross Genre ~

Blockade by Marisa Birns @marisabirns ~ Unspecified ~

¡El Revolución! by Jared Branch @JaredsFiction ~ Mystery/Thriller ~

At the Intersection of Crow and Buckthorn by M. Patrick Mitchell @M_P_Mitchell ~ Humor ~

An Open Book by Angie C. @techtigger ~ Fantasy ~

An Isolated Incident by Leah Saylor-Abney @leahabney ~ Horror/Suspense ~

Always a Bridesmaid, Part 6 by Cecilia Dominic @RandomOenophile ~ Mystery/Thriller ~

All of Me by Carrie Clevenger @carrieclevenger ~ Science Fiction ~

A rose by any other name by Karen Schindler @karenfrommentor ~ Humor ~

A Matter of Perspective by Cathy Olliffe @Matthiasville ~ Unspecified ~

9885 by Christina Vincent @stina8753 ~ Humor ~

Tombs Of The Blonde Dead Part Five: The Nine Sisters by Al Bruno III @albruno3 ~ Horror/Suspense ~

The wrap

Thanks to all our readers. We love you. And please, if you enjoy a story leave comments when you visit. Writers love feedback almost as much as chocolate. Maybe more! Then go tell your friends to read it too. Help these writers grow.

You can subscribe to the #fridayflash hashtag (external link) on Twitter every week for more great flash fiction.

We’re on Facebook (external link) too.
~jon

Event Horizon

Professor Morrison took a few minutes to steel himself for the coming ordeal. He sat in his car, wrapped in Mozart, which played much too loud for comfort. It helped keep thoughts of Jack Chambers at bay. God how he hated that man. Chambers, the junior most member of the Physics Department, grated on his nerves. Everything from his youthful exuberance, to his popularity with the students, to his hair-brained theories of warped dimensions ate at him. At today’s meeting he had the pleasure, as head of the department, to inform Chambers that he would not be tenured.

Now he sat in the man’s driveway, mustering the resolve to get out of the car and walk to the front door. Chambers had made one final appeal to him, a last ditch effort to try and convince the Department Chair that he was, in fact, deserving. When Morrison scanned the meeting room the could tell that the other faculty members thought he at least owed the man the courtesy of hearing him out. So here he was.

He got out of the car, fobbed it locked, straightened his tie, and started for the front door.

“Larry!” A voice called out from near the side of the house.

He stiffened at the name. He preferred Lawrence, and Chambers knew it. He turned to see Chambers coming around the corner via a garden path.

“Hey, thanks for coming by.”

Jack Chambers was dressed in his usual: blue jeans, a corduroy shirt, and black trainers he passed off as dress shoes. This to meet with the head of his department, and beg to keep his job. The man was a complete idiot.

Morrison changed course to meet the junior professor. “Good evening, Jack.” Chambers greeted him warmly as they met half way. Jack offered his hand. Morrison felt obliged to shake it.

“Come on around back, Larry. I’ve got a little lab set up in the basement. Easier to use the cellar door.”

Morrison shrugged, then waved Jack forward, to lead the way.

As they headed back Jack started into a convoluted explanation of his grand experiment. Coming from anyone else, the man’s excitement would have been infectious. Chambers said he was on the cusp of a major breakthrough that would rock the world of Physics. “I’m talking Nobel Prize level stuff here, Larry.” As they descended the concrete steps he concluded, “I’m almost done with my research paper. Going to submit it to Physics Research Review no later than next month. I’m telling you, this will be a real jewel for the University.”

At the bottom of the steps Morrison stopped dead in his tracks. He stared at the assemblage before him. It looked like an electric chair, with bad science fiction props attached at various locations and… wings. Wings?

“Uh, what is it?”

“It’s a time machine.”

Morrison felt a migraine coming on. “I beg your pardon?”

Chambers face lit up like a kid’s in a toy store. He began moving about, bouncing on the balls of his feet, nearly unable to contain his excitement. He started rambling on about Cauchy surfaces, and something he called di-polar event horizons. The dry-erase marker board on the wall was covered with convoluted mathematical formulas. Morrison was sure he had never seen some of the symbols before. The man was making up his own math! This was lunacy. At length he pointed to the contraption and blurted out, “Are those wings?”

Chambers stopped babbling and looked at his own creation. An impish smile crossed his face. “Wings, yes. But they’re just for show. I mean, if you’re going to build a time machine, you may as well have a little fun with it, don’t you think?” Then his brow furrowed. He bent to inspect something on the side of the machine.

“Damn. The rotor assembly bracket is out of alignment. Could you hand me that hammer?” He pointed to a ball peen hammer on the work bench. Morrison handed it to him. Chambers began banging madly away. At last satisfied, he straightened and moved to lay the hammer down. As he did so the heal of his hand caught a piece of sheet metal, opening a deep, nasty cut.

Chambers jerked back his hand, splattering Morrison with blood. They both cried out in unison, Chambers in pain, Morrison in shock and disgust.

“Oh, jeeze, I’m sorry!” Chambers reached to console his boss, but made things worse, bleeding on the man’s jacket sleeve. Morrison stepped back, desperately wanting out and away from this lunatic. He never felt more justified in a faculty decision in his life.

“You should probably get stitches for that,” he said, heading for the steps.

“Wait! Don’t you want to see it work?”

“I’ll come back when your hand is better,” he lied, racing up the stairs.

#

Jack cocked he head, listening to the hasty footsteps retreat down his walk. An engine started and tires squealed away. All the better.

#

Jack shut down the news portal, and smiled with great satisfaction.

Poor Professor Morrison; died in prison fifty years ago while serving a life sentence for murder. The good Professor protested his innocence till his dying day. But the circumstantial evidence was overwhelming. His prints were on the murder weapon. The victim’s blood was on his clothing. He was seen fleeing the scene. While the body had never been found, the missing and blood stained rug from the victim’s family room was found floating in the river. All of his colleges testified how he hated the bright young man.

Well, off the to bank. He wondered how much interest the special trust fund had earned over the past eighty-five years.

©2010 by J. M. Strother, all rights reserved.

Poor Thing

I had the best of intentions. Honest! But it’s been that kind of winter.

This year's poinsettia.

Don’t worry. I have actually been feeding the dog. And the kid!

Spring can’t come soon enough. If this guy makes it to spring he has half a chance, out in the back yard. I’ve over-summered poinsettias in the garden before. Nature treats them much better than I.

~jon

The #fridayflash Report – Week 40

Welcome to a late edition of The #fridayflash Report. I hope all our friends out on the the East Coast survived the latest onslaught of snow. I know several of you lost power, and were on high alert for polar bears. Remember, spring is on the way. Also remember, no matter how cute they look, never play with a polar bear. Also, congrats to the Canadian Olympic hockey team on the gold. A real nail bitter that, but a great game and well earned win. We’ll get you next time.

This week we had 78 stories reported in at the Collector, and as always a wide variety of genres and styles to choose from. We had four debuts. Please welcome Leah Saylor-Abney, Julie Jordan Scott, Jason Henry McCormick, and Lyn Thorne-Alder to the ranks of the #fridayflash. It’s always nice to see new people join in on the fun. As always, if I’ve missed your story in the report please visit the Collector and add the details. I’ll then update the list.

The Best of 2009 Friday Flash Anthology is moving forward, albeit a bit slower than I’d like. Authors have been notified of acceptances, some edits have gone back and forth. I hope to have all the stories out to editors within the next couple of days. It’s a slow process but rest assured progress is being made. I can’t give you a date yet, but I hope to have it out by the end of March, which technically is still the first quarter of 2010, which was my goal. Fingers crossed.

The Stories

A Change of Possibilities by Donald Conrad @NoddlaNocdar ~ Horror/Suspense ~

A TRUCK STOP BOY MEETS A TRUCK STOP GIRL by Anthony Venutolo @bukowskisbaseme ~ Literary ~

Absolution of an Abomination by Elizabeth Ditty @ditty1013 ~ Unspecified ~

Act Normal by Lily Mulholland @CascadeLily ~ Literary ~

Aftermath by Jared Branch @JaredsFiction ~ Horror/Suspense ~

All our tomorrows are gone by KjM @kevinjmackey ~ Slice of Life ~

Ana-Asef by Annie Evett @AnnieEvett ~ Science Fiction ~

Another Tuesday by CJ Hodges MacFarlane @h0jp0j ~ Slice of Life ~

At 4am by Virginia Moffatt @VirginiaMoffatt ~ Unspecified ~

Audience by Maria Protopapadaki-Smith @mazzz_in_Leeds ~ Slice of Life ~

Bad Poetry by Aaron Polson @aaronpolson ~ Horror/Suspense ~

Barrel Roll by Dan Powell @danpowfiction ~ Literary ~

Blue Veins by Melissa D. Johnston @melissa_djohnst ~ Slice of Life ~

Chapter 30 by P.J. Kaiser @doublelattemama ~ Humor ~

Cusp by Skycycler @skycycler ~ Literary ~

Deborah Dilemma by Jim Dempsey @jimdempsey ~ Humor ~

Digging For Australia by Marc Nash @ExisleMoll ~ Literary ~

Dishes by Amy Taylor @adastrapoetry ~ Slice of Life ~

Explorer by Jessica Rosen @jessrosenbooks ~ Science Fiction ~

Express Yourself by Leigh Barlow @LeighBarlow ~ Science Fiction ~

First Day – Stephanie by Michelle Dennis Evans @michelledevans ~ Slice of Life ~

Fresh Air by Cathy Olliffe @Matthiasville ~ Unspecified ~

Good by Jen Brubacher @jen_b ~ Mystery/Thriller ~

Good Clean Fun by Karen Schindler @karenfrommentor ~ Cross Genre ~

Grandmother’s Stories by Deirdre M. Murphy @wyld_dandelyon ~ Unspecified ~

Harvest by Joyce @jolantru ~ Science Fiction ~

Hindsight by Leah Saylor-Abney @leahabney ~ Horror/Suspense ~ Debut

How to Cook a Salmon by Barb Relyea @brelyea ~ Humor ~

Hungry by Heather Lloyd @heatherlloyd83 ~ Cross Genre ~

If photographs… by Estrella Azul @EstrellaAzul ~ Unspecified ~

In The Attic by A. M. Harte @am_harte ~ Horror/Suspense ~

Life’s A Game by Chris Chartrand @ChrisChartrand ~ Unspecified ~

Little Red Riding hoodie by Anton Gully @antongully ~ Humor ~

Love’s Labour Something, Something by Dana @ywgdana ~ Slice of Life ~

Mario’s Goddess by Shannon Esposito @soesposito ~ Unspecified ~

Miss Amanda by Jodi Cleghorn @jodicleghorn ~ Cross Genre ~

Morton’s Blues by Mark Champion @marksmansisland ~ Slice of Life ~

Ms. Liwaller by brookelyn @lilskeen ~ Slice of Life ~

Nothing by Julie Jordan Scott @juliejordanscot ~ Slice of Life ~ Debut

Of God, Of Death, Of Man by Timothy P. Remp @TIm_Remp_Writer ~ Horror/Suspense ~

Planet of Delights by Laura Eno @LauraEno ~ Fantasy ~

Secrets Revealed by Lauren Cude @NA ~ Unspecified ~

Shakespeare Redux by Trevor Mcpherson @3S_stories ~ Humor ~

SHOTS OF HELL AT THE END OF A LONELY STREET by Jason Henry McCormick @jasonhmccormick ~ Humor ~ Debut

Side Effects by Kim Batchelor @Kim_Batchelor ~ Humor ~

Silverfish by Kil Conor @kilconor ~ Experimental ~

Smile, Look Away by Jim Wisneski @wisneski ~ Horror/Suspense ~

So, You Want To Know by Chance @Chance4321 ~ Unspecified ~

Sorry by Benjamin Solah @benjaminsolah ~ Horror/Suspense ~

Spice of Life by Tim VanSant @TimVanSant ~ Mystery/Thriller ~

Storm by Lyn Thorne-Alder @LynThorneAlder ~ Fantasy ~ Debut

Strange Context by Thom Gabrukiewicz @tgabrukiewicz ~ Unspecified ~

Strange Kind of Friend by David Masters @davidmasters ~ Slice of Life ~

The Alpha Chronicles / Part 2 A Clean Sheet by M. Patrick Mitchell @M_P_Mitchell ~ Science Fiction ~

The Body by Carrie Clevenger @carrieclevenger ~ Horror/Suspense ~

The Botticelli Babe by Jennifer Derfoldy @jenni_fleur ~ Cross Genre ~

The Chess Game by Christina Vincent @stina8753 ~ Unspecified ~

The Diagnosis by Deanna Schrayer @deannaschrayer ~ Literary ~

The Duel by Emma Newman @EmApocalyptic ~ Magical Realism ~

The Green Fields of Home by Tony Noland @TonyNoland ~ Literary ~

The Hunt, Part One by Dan Faust @danfaust ~ Fantasy ~

The iPhone iKnew by Cole Bitting @colebitting ~ Literary ~

The Long Road by Angie C. @techtigger ~ Fantasy ~

The Old College Try by J. M. Strother @jmstro ~ Unspecified ~

The Only Color by David G Shrock @dracotorre ~ Unspecified ~

The Personal Injury Attorneys to the Stars by Alex Carrick @Alex_Carrick ~ Humor ~

The Snakehandler’s Wife by G. P. Ching @gpching ~ Magical Realism ~

Tombs Of The Blonde Dead Part 4: Resurrection In Pink by Al Bruno III @albruno3 ~ Horror/Suspense ~

Tourist by Michael J. Solender @mjsolender ~ Literary ~

Traffic Jam and Tears by Clive Martyn @clivem ~ Slice of Life ~

Transgender Underwear by John Wiswell @Wiswell ~ Humor ~

Trump Card by Marisa Birns @marisabirns ~ Science Fiction ~

Unscheduled Stops by davidbdale @davidbdale ~ Literary ~

Writer’s Block by Eric J. Krause @ericjkrause ~ Humor ~

Yearning by Linda Simoni-Wastila @drwasy ~ Literary ~

You Get What You Pay For by Peggy McFarland @peggywriter ~ Unspecified ~

You Still Need to Eat by Jack Roth @jack_roth ~ Horror/Suspense ~

Zinfandel by Christian Bell @christianbell37 ~ Unspecified ~

The wrap

Thanks to all our readers. We love you. And please, if you enjoy a story leave comments when you visit. Writers love feedback almost as much as chocolate. Maybe more! Then go tell your friends to read it too. Help these writers grow.

You can subscribe to the #fridayflash hashtag (external link) on Twitter every week for more great flash fiction.

We’re on Facebook (external link) too.
~jon

The Old College Try

She was just finishing up her morning coffee, enjoying the quiet of the house, when her cell phone rang. Jason. She smiled. While she enjoyed her newfound freedom and the solitude, she still missed her boy. She wavered, at times glad he chose an out-of-state college and greater independence, while at other times sorry he was not closer.

“Hello.”

“Hi, mom.”

She clicked on the weather link for his new town. Why anyone would choose such a cold location was beyond her. As the page came up she hoped to God he was wearing his coat.

“What’s up, sweetie?”

“Well…” The hesitation in his voice immediately informed her something was wrong.

“What is is, Jason?”

“It this stupid European History class, Mom.” She waited for him to go on. Sometimes just talking out a problem helped. “Professor Douglas is such a jerk.” She remained silent. “I mean, no matter what I do, he’s just never happy.”

“Did you do badly on a test?”

“No. The tests are easy. It’s the stupid papers he makes us do.” Ah, papers. Never Jason’s strong point. “I worked really hard on my last one and he gave me a D. Can you believe it? A D!” Jason was used to nearly straight A’s.

“Maybe you could ask him if you could revise it.”

“I did revise it!”

“Oh.” There was a long pause. “Well, sweetie, what do you need to do?”

“Can you help?” he asked.

“Me? Sweetheart, you’re three states away. What can I do?”

“I thought maybe you could talk to him.”

She shook her head. “I really don’t think that would be a good idea. You’re in college now, Jason. You need to learn to be independent. It’s not like with Little League anymore. Coach Jones lived just down the block. I can’t really do anything for you from here. I’m sure you can work something out.”

He sounded none too sure, but hung up agreeing to try.

At breakfast a week later, as she was reading the local news from Jason’s new town, she ran across an interesting article – History Professor Still Missing, Police Suspect Foul Play. She took a sip of coffee and smiled. Ah, that’s my boy.

©2010 by J. M. Strother, all rights reserved.

Little Woots

Woot! Woot!

Just a short post of little woots.

First woot

I was interviewed by ErgoFiction Magazine about #fridayflash. The editors were very patient with my slow response time and very gracious, so I’d like to give them a big public thank you. THANK YOU! If you’ve been wondering what the heck #fridayflash is, and why it’s more addictive than chocolate head on over to Ergo’s Café Wednesday and read all about it.

Second woot

I received an Honest Scrap award from fellow blogger Stephen Book a while back and I have let acknowledgment of same slip until now. Bad Jon. The simple fact of the matter is I have always been, and will always be, a terrible procrastinator and bad at follow through. But Stephen is a great guy and really should not be ignored. So don’t you ignore him. Go visit his blog, Powder Burns & Bullets, and get to know him. You’ll be glad you did.

Now of course, part of the Honest Scrap Award is that I am supposed to bestow it on three other bloggers and then tell you ten things about myself. So I’d like to pass it on to Maria Protopapadaki-Smith who writes terrific flash fiction, Karen Schindler for her wickedly funny sense of humor, and Laura Eno for being the unofficial #fridayflash goodwill ambassador. Go visit their blogs and tell them what wonderful people they are. They really are.

Oh, yeah, those ten things:
1. I’m a real procrastinator.
2. I’m terrible at follow through…

See.

Woots three and four

Three: It’s sunny today and will be sunny all week! Four: No snow! Sorry all you east-coasters. I know you just got hammered again. But out here in Missouri we have finally gotten a little relief. Woot! Woot!
~jon

The #fridayflash Report – Week 39

We have a great mix of stories, 68 in all, including a poem. This week we had two debuts, by Kelly Lynn Thomas, and A. M. Harte. Please welcome them to the fold. Be sure to check back again in a day or two, as we’ll likely get a few late arrivals. If you did a #fridayflash, and it’s not in the list, please go to the Collector, add the details, and we’ll get it added. Again, thanks to Susan for generating the list for me, and to Olivia, for notifying the Facebook gang. And a huge thank you to our wonderful readers and to you, the terrific writers, who continue to make #fridayflash a great success. ~jon

The Stories

Within a Box by Timothy P. Remp @Tim_Remp_writer ~ Horror/Suspense

We Die ‘Em, You Fry ‘Em by Cathy Olliffe @Matthiasville ~ Unspecified

Vardoger by Annie Evett @AnnieEvett ~ Cross Genre

Twisted Family Bonds: Two Bosses in Bed by Anne Tyler Lord @AnneTylerLord ~ Humor

Truth Lies Beneath by Tony Noland @TonyNoland ~ Literary

Tortured Silence by David Masters @davidmasters ~ Slice of Life

Tombs Of The Blonde Dead Part 3: Caged Exotics by Al Bruno III @albruno3 ~ Horror/Suspense

The Winner by GP Ching @gpching ~ Horror/Suspense

The Wanting Sea by davidbdale @davidbdale ~ Literary

The Strange Things In Me by Jared Branch @JaredsFiction ~ Literary

The Strange Case of East Parish by John Wiswell @Wiswell ~ Fantasy

The Recently Departed by Thom Gabrukiewicz @tgabrukiewicz ~ Unspecified

The Package by Jim Wisneski @wisneski ~ Horror/Suspense

The Nail by J. M. Strother @jmstro ~ Science Fiction

The Mirror’s Eyes by Louise Dragon @WeezelWords ~ Horror/Suspense

The Happening by Lindsay Oberst @lindzsmile ~ Literary

the great tree from obscuring fog arose – a sonnet by Matt Marko @litrock ~ Unspecified

The Bonfire by Jessica Rosen @jessrosenbooks ~ Horror/Suspense

The Bank Job by Bill Dowis @billdowis ~ Unspecified

Standing Guard by Leigh Barlow @LeighBarlow ~ Science Fiction

Splat by Chris Chartrand @ChrisChartrand ~ Humor

Special… (poem) by Estrella Azul @EstrellaAzul ~ Unspecified

Small Victories by Alan W. Davidson @NA ~ Literary

Slim Pickings by Maria Kelly @mkelly317 ~ Fantasy

Shepherd’s Daughter by Maria Protopapadaki-Smith @mazzz_in_Leeds ~ Unspecified

She Doesn’t Understand by Melissa D. Johnston @melissa_djohnst ~ Unspecified

September by Amy Taylor @adastrapoetry ~ Unspecified

Seeming is Believing by Elizabeth Ditty @ditty1013 ~ Magical Realism

Satisfaction by Emma Newman @EmApocalyptic ~ Magical Realism

Ruby and the Moon: The Dog Who Didn’t Yet Have a Tail by Kelly Lynn Thomas @kellylynnthomas ~ Fantasy ~ Debut

Ravine by Lily Mulholland @CascadeLily ~ Mystery/Thriller

Paradise Air Tours by Jeremy Warach @jwarach ~ Unspecified

One Voice by E. D. Johnson @geektreasure ~ Unspecified

Night Swimming by Lauren Cude @NA ~ Fantasy

Morning Assembly by Marc Nash @ExisleMoll ~ Literary

Marriage is Forever by Susan Cross @susanjcross ~ Slice of Life

Luck by Aaron Polson @aaronpolson ~ Humor

Love Is Complicated by Dana @ywgdana ~ Humor

LOVE IN PINE VALLEY by Anthony Venutolo @bukowskisbaseme ~ Literary

Little Ghost by Eric J. Krause @ericjkrause ~ Horror/Suspense

Lines by Stephen Parolini @noveldoctor ~ Literary

In Between Sound by Peggy McFarland @peggywriter ~ Literary

Hunger Strike by Tim VanSant @TimVanSant ~ Humor

He Doesn’t Even Know My Name by Mark Kerstetter @markerstetter ~ Slice of Life

Gravity’s Rainbow by Christian Bell @christianbell37 ~ Unspecified

Gina, I’ve got your number by Karen Schindler @karenfrommentor ~ Humor

Frater by Marisa Birns @marisabirns ~ Horror/Suspense

Final Contract by Carrie Clevenger @carrieclevenger ~ Horror/Suspense

Feather Dreams by Deirdre M. Murphy @wyld_dandelyon ~ Fantasy

Falling Leaves by Joyce @jolantru ~ Science Fiction

Eye of the Storm by Virginia Moffatt @VirginiaMoffatt ~ Unspecified

Dirk Hartog in “The Whore House” by Jodi Cleghorn @JodiCleghorn ~ Cross Genre

Different Strokes by Laura Eno @LauraEno ~ Fantasy

Dark Angel by Linda Simoni-Wastila @drwasy ~ Literary

Crossed Swords by Angie C. @techtigger ~ Fantasy

Core Pod Deficit by Michael J. Solender @mjsolender ~ Science Fiction

Clean Now, No Women by Tom B. Reeves @colebitting ~ Literary

Claws That Catch, Blood That Burns by Dan Faust @danfaust ~ Science Fiction

Bottom of the 9th by Olivia Tejeda @SimplyOlivia ~ Slice of Life

An Imaginary Friend of an Imaginary Friend of Mine by Alex Carrick @Alex_Carrick ~ Humor

Ambulance chasers by Heather lloyd @Heatherlloyd83 ~ Horror/Suspense

Alchemist’s Apprentice by Alyssa Tompkins @xAChels ~ Fantasy

Across a Crowded Room by Laurita Miller @lauritamiller ~ Romance

A Simple Prayer by A. M. Harte @am_harte ~ Fantasy ~ Debut

A New Home by Michelle Dennis Evans @michelledevans ~ Slice of Life

A good listener by Jim Dempsey @jimdempsey ~ Unspecified

A Gem of a Friend by Donald Conrad @NoddlaNocdar ~ Mystery/Thriller

A Forest of Ice and Blood by Clive Martyn @clivem ~ Fantasy

The wrap

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~jon

The Nail

Barren flats surrounded the landing area, apparently stretching on forever. Only the slightest hint of low hills could be seen, far off to the south. This was not a prison world, Morgan realized. It was a death camp.

He squatted, pretending to scan the horizon. He glanced back at the stone block administration building to see if anyone was watching. Seeing no one, he snatched up the nail laying by his foot. It was the last remnant of the supply pallets unloaded for this batch of prisoners. Just before departing this godforsaken planet the Warden explained it was up to the prisoners to share out the food, water, and bedding equitably. No sooner had the last of the guards re-boarded the transport when the free-for-all broke out. As in any mob action, the strongest ruled.

Cade was right to leave. Staying here meant certain death.

#

“What’d you find out there?” Ester asked as he entered the building. His heart sank.

“Nothing.”

She rose from her squatting position, eyeing him suspiciously. “Wen says you have to report anything you find, for the good of the community.”

Wen was a Street Commander for the People’s Resistance. He argued his experience entitled him to assume command. The two thugs with steel pipes backing him up gave his argument a certain amount of weight.

To his credit, following the initial melee, Wen forced a somewhat equitable redistribution of the supplies. But he had no grand plan for long term survival. Evidently the position of Street Commander did not instill intelligence.

Not surprising. Morgan never considered the People’s Resistance a very bright organization. Luckily Wen was not familiar with his editorials to that effect.

Morgan looked at Ester blankly, shrugged, and stepped past her. She gave him a shove from behind. He ignored it, continuing on down the hall toward the room he now called home.

Jael, one of his five roomies, sat in the weak sunlight near the unglazed window, wrapped in a blanket for warmth. His meager worldly goods were piled in the cradle of his legs: a dozen meal packs, two water bottles, an extra pair of shoes, and a brick. The brick was Jael’s weapon, to protect that which was rightfully his.

“It’s warmer outside.” Morgan offered.

Jael blinked and looked at him as if he had just proposed to fly. “Shouldn’t go outside.” Jael countered.

Morgan turned to his own corner of the overcrowded room. He squatted and did a quick inventory of his own pile of goods. He looked up sharply at Jael. “Three of my rations are missing!”

“Shouldn’t go outside,” Jael answered.

“Why you…”

“Didn’t take ‘em!” Jael’s hand went instinctively to his brick. There was a wild and frightened look in his eye. Morgan backed down. He was a writer, not a fighter.

“Who did?”

“Don’t know.”

“You were here.”

“So?”

“You had to see who took my food.”

“It’s not my job to watch your food. You shouldn’t go outside.” His hand relaxed from around the brick.

Morgan began gathering his things. “Well, Jael, we’re all going to have to go outside sooner or latter, to scavenge for food and water.”

Jael shook his head doubtfully. “People steal your things if you go outside.” Then his eyes darted to the door and he shrank back. Morgan looked over his shoulder and saw Wen standing there, a small group of people gathered behind him.

“So, Morgan, what did you find?” Wen asked.

Morgan shot a glance at Ester, who stood out in the hall. She looked away.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing? Are you trying to withhold resources from the community? That’s against the rules. I know you found something. Let’s see what you got. I’ll decide if it’s nothing or not.”

Morgan rose and squared to face Wen. Wen snapped his fingers. Zahid and Meyer stepped in on each side, deflating any thoughts he had on standing up to Wen.

“A nail.”

“What?” It was almost a laugh. “Check him.”

Zahid stepped forward and patted him down. “He’s got something in his pocket.”

“Take it out,” Wen ordered.

Morgan pulled the nail out. Zahid snatched it away, holding it up for all to see, a quizzical smile on his face. “A frigging nail?” Zahid scoffed.

Wen shook his head in amused disgust. Zahid tossed the nail aside and resumed his post next to Wen. Wen studied the scene. All of Morgan’s possessions were gathered into a neat bundle. All that remained to do was to gather the four corners of his blanket and tie the knot. “Going somewhere?”

“Yes.”

Wen waited.

“We can’t survive here Wen. There’s no food. No water.”

“And there is out there?” Wen asked.

“Maybe. But there sure isn’t any here.”

“So Cade was right and I was wrong. Is that what you’re saying?”

“I’m not saying anyone was right or wrong. I just can’t stay here, waiting to die.”

“That’s death!” Wen shouted, pointing out the window. “Open country, no shade by day, no shelter at night. If you think it was cold in here last night, what do you think it will be like out there?”

“We’re going to run out of food and water…”

“Fuck you! We are not. Are you questioning my ability to lead?”

“No, Wen…”

“Liar.” Wen leaned forward and slapped Morgan across the face. “Leave then. We don’t need any whiners.”

Morgan stooped to pick up his bundle. Wen stepped on the blanket.

“Since you’re going to find the land of milk and honey, you won’t be needing these.”

#

They all gathered to jeer as he set out. He looked south, the direction Cade took. Morgan turned north. As much as he disliked Wen, he certainly did not want to meet up with Cade and his gang. He patted the object in his pocket, and set off.

Wen let him keep the nail.

©2010 by J. M. Strother, all rights reserved.