Second Campaigner Challenge: 5 Prompts, 5 Sentences

Despite the fact that I want to literally jump up and down with crazy excited happiness over the fact that my series is lauching TODAY (insert multitudes of !!), I managed to force myself to sit still for long enough to type an entry for this awesomely challenging challenge.
(PS - if you visit my LAUNCH POST you can WIN STUFF!) <--- please, please visit my launch post!

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Okay, so I used one or two elements from each of the five prompts to create a five-sentence flash fiction piece of under 200 words. (The words in bold indicate what element I've used from each prompt)

With every painful throb of my heart, more blood spills from the gash in my thigh. It runs down my leg; a bright red stain pooling on the concrete beneath me. Graham crawls out from the shelter of the bridge, seemingly oblivious to the spray of rain that drenches him within seconds. He paws through the rubble, his fingers searching desperately. Through a haze of pain I see him point his arm toward the sky, pull the trigger of the flare gun, and watch the dazzling sparks soar across the sky.


I wasn't entirely sure if a flare gun would work when used in the rain (since I've never actually used one myself!), so I Googled it, and someone seemed to think that yes, it would work. Anyway, if not, let's pretend it's a special flare gun that can be used in the rain!

I'm number 12 on the list :-)

 

First Campaigner Challenge: Shadows Crept Across...

You know who's in the picture, right? ;-)

Beginning: "Shadows crept across the wall" ✔
Ending: "everything faded" ✔
Include the word "orange" ✔
Same genre I normally write: paranormal romance ✔
Exactly 200 words ✔

Shadows crept across the wall. Beastly little things, always thinking they could scare me. “Shoo!” I said. I received nothing but a minuscule snicker in response. Fine. I’d show them. Keeping my injured foot raised, I leaned over and pulled a torch from my handbag. With a snap, I flicked the switch and brandished the torch like a lightsaber. The shadow-beings squealed in terror and scurried back to their antique jar on the mantelpiece.

“Sorry about the Shades,” said Michael, striding back into the lounge. “They’re just curious. You’re the only girl who consistently refuses to be afraid of them.” He knelt beside my chair and wrapped an orange cloth full of ice cubes around my throbbing ankle. “You know, I think that’s the first time a girl has jumped off my veranda when I’ve tried to kiss her.”

“I slipped, okay,” I said, punching his arm. “You took me by surprise.”

He laughed and leaned against the arm of the chair. “What if I warn you this time?” he asked, his voice low and husky.

“I think that would work,” I whispered.

His lips touched mine. I closed my eyes, and the shadows, the pain, the room—everything—faded.

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I'm number 18 on the list :-)

I figured most people would go for the creepy/suspenseful-type story, so I tried to be different (and perhaps that's what others will try too, and then none of us will have creepiness/suspensefulness! <--- not a word, I know. Don't hate me.)
And I haven't written past tense in so long I feel like I've forgotten how to do it! Had to fix up several tense mix-ups. Hope I got them all!

First Campaigner Challenge - Confrontation

The Challenge:

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!

The door swung open – and then swung back and hit me in the face.

“It’s none of your damn business!” screeched Holly from the other side of the door.

I moaned something unintelligible and clutched my throbbing nose. Flip, that was painful. I aimed my leg at the door and kicked as hard as I could. It slammed open against the chalkboard with a bang like a gunshot.

“What the —”

“You broke my nose!” I yelled.

“And I’d be happy to break it again!” She grabbed the nearest object – Mrs Carmel’s stapler – and flung it at my head. “How dare you embarrass me like that in front of everyone?”

I dodged the stapler. “How dare you go after my ex-boyfriend? Isn’t that against some kind of universal sister code?”

“He went after me! And if you were sticking to any universal sister code you’d quit being such a bitch and ask me what he did to me to make me so upset.”

I paused, breathing hard. “He did something to you?”

Holly shook her head. “No way. You don’t get to care now. It’s too late.” She strode past me and out into the corridor. The door swung shut.

(200 words)

PS. If you like my story, click here and I'm number 350 on the list :-)