Nancy S. Thompson: First Campaigner Challenge

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

First Campaigner Challenge: THE DECISION

It’s time for Rachel Harries’s First Campaigner Challenge:

According to Rachel, we are supposed to 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, “Shadows crept across the wall”. These five words will be included in the word count.

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), do one or more of these:

end the story with the words: "everything faded." (also included in the word count)
include the word "orange" in the story
write in the same genre you normally write
make your story 200 words exactly!

I accomplished all five and in my very first piece of flash fiction ever! I hope you enjoy it:

____________

THE DECISION

Shadows crept across the wall, nature’s chronograph of all the hours they’d spent entwined in the sheets, their eyes locked in a desperate tug-of-war. The shimmering glow of twilight erupted in brilliant hues, saturating every surface in a blaze of blushing coral, flaming orange, and cool lavender. He ran his thumb over the amethyst shadows beneath her eyes, a testament to the endless span of time they’d been stalling, waiting.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

She shook her head and looked away as tears pooled up. She sighed and turned onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. He swiped his fingers across the ribbons of sorrow cascading over her temple.

“This is our chance to all be together again,” he reminded her. “You still want that, don’t you?”

Her chin quivered and she sniffled in a ragged breath, but she nodded, almost imperceptibly.

“Good,” he said. “So do I.”

He reached over to the nightstand, emptied the bottle of pills into his hand, and grabbed the bottle of water. They each swallowed half the pills and laid back, their hands clasped, fingers woven tight.

“See you on the other side,” he said.

Then the sun disappeared and everything faded.