Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Year 1, Week 5: Results!

Yes! All the corpses! Great stories this time 'round. Horror and mystery and humor--loving the variety!

Honorable Mention

Steph Ellis' Due to Unforeseen Circumstances the End of the World is Postponed

Rin: This story made me laugh out loud. The comical banter between this incompetent bad-guy family gives the piece a light, fun atmosphere and a refreshing twist to the concept of the End of the World. The characters and their relationships with one another felt well developed for the length of the piece, each a distinct personality. My favorite bit was "Perhaps that's for the best dear," said Ma, patting His arm fondly. "Now, why don't you sit down with us, have a bit of cake. You're looking a little peaky. You've been overdoing it again, haven't you?" because it amuses me with mental pictures of an evil, doting mother and her spoiled, evil-warlord son. Very well done!

Si: Loved the dialogue in this story! That poor corpse. Just on the edge of stardom--! I was amused by the idea of The End being postponed due to inefficiency and mistakes on the Evil side. The last half of the story especially had some excellent lines of dialogue: "This spell creates a corpse! I wanted you to create me a corps!" We get a good sense of the characters despite the fact that it's a short piece. Enjoyed the transition of red-eyed terrifying Menace to resigned and tired Boss. Last line was excellent. A fun and entertaining story! 

First Runner Up

Josh Bertetta's The House in the Woods

Rin: Oooh, I love the creepy atmosphere to this piece! My favorite line was 'The deeper they ran, the further back they travelled in time, the more the body count piled up, dressed in generations' because it gives an 'ancient evil' flavor to the piece that I enjoy. It raises the hair on the back of my neck just imagining it! The pace was well done with the time rushing past them, building up the tension excellently as they try to find their missing daughter, ending perfectly with those last two lines. Nothing more sinister than giggling and invitations to play from unknown things in a haunted house!

Si: You fit a lot into very few words! I loved that you had both dialogue and more descriptive passages that kept the plot moving. The innocence of Princess contrasted with the horror of the corpses is very well done and makes the ending especially creepy. Can't say it enough, EXCELLENT ending--you stopped just at the right point and the phrasing is PERFECT. Loved this line especially: "They screamed her name; it fled through the house in a panic." Well done on mounting the tension line by line. When the story starts, the reader isn't sure what kind of a story it's going to be--but the building suspense soon informs us. Excellent creepy story!



Y1W5 Winner!

mtdecker

with The Shelley Boys are Back

Rin: I liked the modern-day Frankenstein feel of this story and I'm impressed with how well the characters were shown almost exclusively through their dialogue. The brevity of the story's pacing and the distinct impression that this has been an ongoing problem made the tension between the brothers palpable. Mad-scientist Philip was my favorite character with his distraction tactics and flippant attitude toward the whole situation. Going into the story, I expected Martin to break down and help Philip, so Igor killing him was rather unexpected. Kuddos on an excellent flash fic!

Si: Ah! The ending! The story! The characters, though we don't "see" them through description, feel completely real just through dialogue--well done! We get a sense of both the brothers just through the most brief of actions, and their short responses to each other. I love that there's two clear voices here. I also liked the way that we get a sense that this isn't the first time Martin has come home to such a scene ... or has he participated himself? Curious. The touch of naming the assistant Igor also says a lot in very few words ... and the understated yet still surprising death leaves a lot to the imagination and is very effective. Again, tone is maintained throughout the piece with no breaks and we can feel the tension between the two brothers as they stand over a corpse that one of them didn't expect to see. Wonderful story!

The winning story!

The Shelley Boys are Back

"Well, I think this just got awkward."

"There's a corpse on the floor… so… yeah, I think ‘this just got awkward’ is an understatement.”

“I can explain…”

Martin shook his head. He’d had enough of his brother’s blase approach to life. “I have an M-16 that says ‘I’m not buying anything you’re sellin’ brah.”

“You weren’t supposed to be home, yet…”

“Again, not explaining here… just drawing things out.”

“Well. He was supposed to be… gone… before you got back.”

“Gone?” Martin sighed. “You still using Martinez’s cleaning service?”

“Nah, gone as in Igor would have gotten him down to the lab before you got home.”

“And now?”

Martin felt a cold chill in his brother’s smile as he heard a rustle behind him.

Philip shrugged. “Now Igor’s in place…”

He sighed as Igor finished making work of his brother.“Looks like there’ll be two corpses to reanimate now.”

“Awkward,” Igor agreed.

“When’s dad due back?”



Until next time! *Rin and Si vanish in a swirl of cloaks*

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Cracked Flash: Year 1, Week 5

Welcome to the second month of Cracked Flash! (Well, I suppose, technically the third, since the very first challenge was in June, BUT NUANCES.) 

Take a looksy through the full rules if you haven't already!

Judges This Week: Rin and Si (Mars is gone to Canada)

Word count: 300 max

How: Submit your stories as a comment to this post, along with your name, word count, and title (and Twitter handle or blog if you've got 'em!). Only one entry per person.

Deadline: Midnight tonight, PDT!

Results announced: Next Wednesday!

Remember: The prompt can be mutilated, but not beyond recognition.


YOUR PROMPT:

"Well, this just got awkward."
"There's a corpse on the floor. Of course it got awkward."

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Year 1, Week 4: Results!

My gif won't work :(
Given the CAT prompt, I don't think we should be surprised that we got a number of RULE BREAKING SUBMISSIONS AAAHHH *Si faints away*

We have decided to disregard your most terrible rule breaking habits and proceed as though you were all law-abiding citizens of Cracked Flash Fiction Island. THIS TIME O.O.

Honorable Mention

David Shakes' The Road Behind, the Road Ahead

Mars: A lot of emotion is packed into this piece, even though it's a little rough around the edges. The last two lines seemed a pivotal character development to me; throughout the story, we see him clinging desperately to the idea that she might still be alive, but he lets go at the end; he accepts that there's nothing to be done, but he might be able to save a different life. Excellent piece. (Note: Don't think I didn't see you breaking the rules (#2) there, Mister. At least you're in good company. Y'all know who you are o.o)

Si: I loved the intense emotions in this piece, the interspersed thoughts/memories of the main character and his actions as he finds the cat. Excellent "show, not tell"--we can feel the emotions in the main character without ever being told exactly what they are, which makes it more powerful. It's a very immersive piece. Well done!

First Runner Up

Steph Ellis' The Family Room

Mars: This is the sort of story that I had to read twice--when I hit the ending, I had the revelation moment, and then the horror set in as I read it again to get everything. I mean, it was creepy before that, with the taxidermy and everything, but then there's that whole, "Oh snap. It looks like his father didn't abandon him after all," moment. A most chilling tale. 

Si: AH! This, like mars, took me a minute to "get" the ending, BUT WHEN I DID ... great horror. I loved the description of the empty, listless house--you get the feel of dust covering tables, dim lighting, musty smells. Loved the way the tone was maintained throughout the piece, the theme of family always being together ... never leaving. The main character goes back to find out what kind of a person his grandfather was, and man does he find out. Great understated horror--where there isn't too much description of what the horror is, but when it dawns on the reader it makes an impression.


Without further ado, the moment you've all been waiting for--


Y1W1 Winner!

Josh Bertetta

with Felineage

Mars: Firstly, it amused me that you actually used the photo prompt. Secondly, excellent story. The creepiness vibe was pulled off very well here, particularly because of the elements used--eyes in the darkness, and hearing voices. Not even the light of a campfire can keep a character safe at this point, as any genre-savvy reader would know. The ending of the story inspires a large "DUN DUN DUNNN" reaction at the end. The slight relief in the middle only makes the end realization that much more poignant. (Also, markup works. Good to know.)

Si: Very creepy story! Love the way that the reader feels the creepiness before the main character does--while he's offering the cat a strip of meat, we're sitting tight in our seats waiting for something awful to happen. The eyes! The voice! Great tension as the story progressed. Poor main character, trusting to his comforting fire, while the eyes surround him. I loooved the last line: "There was laughter then, and a thousand yellow eyes.", very well phrased and very creepy. I'm rather amused at how many of you guys took the cat prompt and wrote a creepy/scary tale (my cat would approve). The tension is handled excellently, with some moments of almost-relief but a constant sense of foreboding. Great story!

Felineage 
The cat stared at him. 
The only way he knew it was a cat because of the tapetum lucidum. Good thing cats gave themselves away like that; otherwise there’d be no way to discern their presence in a dark such as this. 
The fire cracked beside him and he said, hand outstretched, “Here kitty kitty.” He plucked a piece of moist chicken from the bone and tossed it a few feet in front of him. “Here kitty kitty kitty.” 
But the cat, beyond the safety of the firelight, remained, as it were, uninterested in anything but him. He averted his eyes but for a second as he dug into his chicken leg and the cat was gone, vanished into the night. 
A branch snapped behind him. 
He jerked around and smiled, “Oh there you are. You’re a sneaky little fellow aren’t you? You sure you don’t want some chicken? I’ve got more than enough for the both of us.” 
He tossed another morsel the cat’s way. 
It meowed as cats should and he could have sworn he heard a voice from somewhere say “Soon.” 
He looked over both shoulders but the firelight’s radius provided him a consolatory comfort. 
Then another pair of appeared, substantially higher than the other and he convinced himself his second guest perched on a low tree branch. “Does your friend want some chicken too?” He tossed it a little further into the dark, listened to the rustling of the brush, and watched (admittedly with relief) that second pair of eyes, more phosphorescent than the first, disappear. 
Then that voice again, saying “Soon.”

Chance stood and took from the fire a long branch, less than half of it a bright orange smoldering mix of ember and flame. 
There was laughter then, and a thousand yellow eyes.



Congratulations and excellent work, everybody! See you all this Saturday for Week 5!

(Looks like everyone who placed this time around was a Flash Dog! You'll have to tell the rest of the pack to rise to the challenge.)

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Cracked Flash: Year 1, Week 4

We had SEVEN entries last week, guys. How cool is that? Let's see if we can top that this week.


Judges This Week: Si and Mars

Word count: 300 max

How: Submit your stories as a comment to this post, along with your name, word count, and title (and Twitter handle or blog if you've got 'em!). Only one entry per person.

Deadline: Midnight tonight, PDT!

Results announced: Next Wednesday!

Remember: The prompt can be mutilated, but not beyond recognition.


YOUR PROMPT:

The cat stared at him.

Just for inspiration.
(And it amuses us.)

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Year 1, Week 3: Results!

Thanks to everyone for participating in our THIRD WEEK of Cracked Flash Fiction! You guys are talented writers and we're having a lot of fun reading your stories. So excited that we had 7 entries this time!

Somehow, despite THIS distraction, we managed to judge in time. Okay, mostly Si being distracted. SPACE!
Without further ado ...

Honorable Mention

realmommaramblings' Shattered

Si: I really enjoyed the evocative and descriptive writing style in this story--there's a distinct feel of regret and past mistakes that is shown very effectively in that first paragraph, before it's stated that this is what the character feels. I especially loved the line "Skin grew over the wound, tears sealing her flesh, leaving a scar, a reminder of what she could have had." The hints of a disastrous spell or decision--something tragic that had passed, that the main character must move on from--very well done. The memories gives me just enough hints to want to know what the story was--what had happened. Loved the way the porcelain heart is used as a focus and a metaphor for the character.


Rin: The feeling of grief and regret in this is powerful and well written. I liked the imagery of a heart as a lump of coal, but my favorite line was 'Among the shards broken memories lay, forgotten moments tucked away in the deepest hollows.' It has a beautiful sound to it. I also liked the line of sweeping pieces of herself under a carpet and crushing them. It felt familiar, we've all had moments that we wish we'd have lived in more or paid attention to in hindsight. The spell book was a curiosity, I wondered if it were like some magical looking glass or if she had used it for some horrible thing that caused her situation. I would have liked to know more about her story, it sounds like an interesting one.


First Runner Up

Mtdecker's For Tomorrow We Shall Surely Die

Si: Great take on the prompt, I loved the dynamic nature of the story, the argument between the characters! The Reader absolutely feels the desperation of the characters, the way that hope is nearly lost but Calia knows that they cannot stop fighting--for something worse will come. The power has to be stopped NOW. The dialogue was great for a story so short--we get so much information about the situation, but it's delivered in a way that makes us want to keep reading and find out more. I LOVED the last line of this story--absolutely masterful. "... we shall fall, but we will be the stones that start the avalanche."--Beautiful! Really wonderful image.


Rin: A great story! I could easily imagine myself walking with Calia straight into battle. I could feel the weight of the oppressive situation and the strength of determined defiance in the main character as she marches toward a battle she's likely to lose. I liked how the impossible situation was told from two points of view, her for the uprising and his for staying subservient in order to protect the village. Like Si, I loved that last line, it was fantastic!


Y1W3 Winner:

A V Laidlaw!

with Mouse 

Si: This story was AMAZING! I have to really congratulate you on the incredible writing that you've shown here. The tension is maintained throughout the entire tale without any slips or slow points--very well done. I loved the repetition of the character reminding herself to be small and hide. Using only brief description, the story paints a clear and living picture of the situation at hand. The reader is absolutely watching right beside the character for what the intruders will do. There are several excellent lines in this story--I especially liked "She would say a prayer, one of the prayers she heard at school, but she is afraid that God might hear her, that her guilt might call attention to herself." The ending is perfect--not drawn out, surprising, and well timed. Excellent writing!

Rin: I loved this one, it kept me reading with bated breath to see what was going to happen to her! It did a great job of including the prompt into the story and the imagery in this piece was beautiful, perfectly evocative. The setting was wonderfully spooky and I could easily 'see' the burned wallpaper, feel the heat of the wall, and smell the sulfur. The pace was smooth and natural, and the ending was awesome! I was taken off guard by her actually turning into a mouse! Wasn't expecting that. Great job!

The winning story!

Mouse

A crunch from broken glass underfoot warns her.
She is not alone.
She squeezes into the corner of the room, pulls her knees up against her chest and wraps her arms around herself. The wall is hot against her back, burning through her thin cotton dress. The room is dark except for the patch of dull streetlight through the broken window.
Something flickers in the window frame. The glass crunches again under heavy boots.
Become small. Become a mouse that hides away in the darkest corners. She holds her breath.
The darkness falls silent.
She breathes out.
A torch flashes in the window. Its beam trailed across the far wall, tracing over the scorch marks and the burnt wallpaper.
She never meant that to happen. She would say a prayer, one of the prayers she heard at school, but she is afraid that God might hear her, that her guilt might call attention to herself. Her mouth is dry and she tries to gulp but the air is stuck in her throat. She closes her eyes. Her body shivers no matter how tightly she squeezes herself. Become small.
A man’s voice. “An explosion.”
A second man. “Gas or the other?”
Smells like sulphur. Better call the Witchfinder’s Office.”
They won’t be happy if it’s gas.”
She opens her opens, only partly, as if the distorted view means this is not really happening. The torch lies on the windowsill. Behind it, against the redness of the streetlights, a shadow looms and fills the window.
Become small so they cannot see you.
The shadow pushes through the window and takes the torch. It swings the torch light around the room, the light falling on her, blinding her.
Hell.”
What?”
Nothing, a mouse.”
The mouse scurries away, into the darkest corner.



Congrats to all our winners, and we'll see you this Saturday! In the meantime go look at ALL THE AWESOME NEW HORIZONS PICS!

(Si may be excited about this)

(just a little)

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Cracked Flash: Year 1, Week 3

I have to admit: we three were probably less than optimistic about making it this far. We want to thank Steph Ellis, Geoff Holmes, and MT Decker for their continual support and participation. We hope to see even more people for round three of the CFFC! 

Take a looksy through the full rules if you haven't already!

Judges This Week: Rin and Si

Word count: 300 max

How: Submit your stories as a comment to this post, along with your name, word count, and title (and Twitter handle or blog if you've got 'em!). Only one entry per person.

Deadline: Midnight tonight, PDT!

Results announced: Next Wednesday!

Remember: The prompt can be mutilated, but not beyond recognition.


YOUR PROMPT:

The crunch of broken glass underfoot was her only warning that she wasn't alone.


Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Year 1, Week 2: Results!

It's that time! I'd like to thank all of you who participated in our second competition and all of our readers! Due to unforeseen circumstances, I, Rin, will be the only judge for today. On to the announcements!

Edit: Mars is alive, and she agreed with Rin's assessment beforehand (forgot to say so, though). She'll add her comments below. There was a slight miscommunication error (well, more like lack of communication) on Mars' part which probably caused Rin and Si to think she had fallen off the face of the planet. She will endeavor to not fall off the face of the planet. She apologizes profusely for the delay.

Honorable Mention

Geoff Holme's The Happiest Day of Your Life...

Rin: This one was simply fun. I liked the style of telling the events backwards in order that they happened in and ending at the bride's morning wake up was hilarious after seeing all the tragedy of the day. I could easily see these things happening and I laughed the whole way through; especially during the parts of the flaming veil, the poor guest falling into the grave, and the mourning mother in law.

Mars: Ah, another one from Geoff that makes me laugh out loud (this one was funnier than the last). It makes me a little horrified about my own wedding day (here are all teh reasons to elope, seriously). I noticed the time stamps right away and read from the bottom up the first time, then read it top to bottom. Every line was funny by itself. Really, really amusing. I also appreciated the twist on the prompt--instead of spectacularly awesome, they were spectacularly horrid. Well done.

First Runner Up

MTDecker's Independence

Rin: I liked how the characters feel very whole and fully formed in such a short amount of words. I also enjoyed seeing how the disabled main character was shown from a different perspective than how the disability is usually portrayed. I've tried to keep up with a deaf lady talking to me with ASL before and this was spot on about how difficult it was to keep up with her and how it can make you feel like the disabled one, even with knowing some of the signs.

Mars: I like having a peek into the deaf community, since it's not often something most writers approach (probably because the majority of writers are hearing people). I'd be the first to admit that I don't know much about the deaf culture, only that it's extremely different from hearing culture--that's kind of displayed with the SEE instead of ASL Max uses with the main character. Well done. 

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for--

Y1W1 Winner:

Steph Ellis!

with One Last Night

Rin: I loved the bleak tone and dystopian setting of this piece, it was unexpected and really drew me in to it. The story felt complete with nothing left off and nothing crowded in, the slower pace really complimenting the story and deepening to the feeling of it. Tragic, yet beautifully done, in both the vivid description and in the feeling of grim acceptance. I felt the ending was especially well done, giving me a mental picture of lights fading to dark at the close of a tragedy play.

Mars: Oh, the feels. The two lines at the end--'Whispered, "Goodnight." // Whispered, "Goodbye."' were like a punch to the proverbial gut. I could imagine being little Bobby, with his excitement and amazement over this wonderful, brilliant night, without knowing it was his last. I could also imagine being the father--resigned to be the last one alive, and having to pretend nothing was wrong for Bobby. The characters really came to life, is what I'm saying here. This was a very well-done dystopian piece.

The winning story!
The fireworks were spectacular. Rainbow colours scattered like confetti across velvet night. Explosions of gold glittered across the sky, casting even the brightest star into shadow.

“Why here, Dad?” asked Bobby, shivering despite the blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

“Because I wanted you to see something beautiful tonight.”

“Why couldn’t Mum come with us?”

Ray thought about Chloe lying cold and alone in the shelter. She had wanted Bobby to have this. One night of wonder and wishes. One last night.

Another explosion ripped through the darkness, timed to synchronise with the display so that Bobby wouldn’t notice.

Ray glanced at his watch. The detonators had gone off like clockwork. By now the compound would be ash. His wife, parents, friends, all ash. But the gas he had fed through the ventilation system had sent them to a peaceful end long before that destructive blast.

Contagion had wiped out other settlements and despite their own precautions, the plague had infiltrated the compound. When all hope was gone, the adults had voted for a quick end rather than face a long and lingering death.

Ray had volunteered to administer the last rites.

“What do you think so far?” he asked Bobby.

“Awesome, Dad. I just wish this night could last forever.”

“Here.”

“Wow, Coke?”

“Saved for a special occasion. A toast,” he said. “To a night that will last forever.”

They chinked their mugs together. Ray pretending to sip, watching

Bobby, making sure he had drunk every last drop. Then, as the boy’s eyes began to droop, laid him gently down, tucked the blanket even tighter around him.

Whispered, “Goodnight.”

Whispered, “Goodbye.”

Alone, he watched as the last of the fireworks fizzled out and the world returned to stillness. Then he finished his own drink and he too slept.


Congrats to the winners and thanks again for sharing your stories with us! We hope you'll join us again on Saturday!

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Cracked Flash: Year 1, Week 2

We're glad to inform you that if you're reading this, we're alive and well, and week two has just begun. It's also a holiday. Have a 4th of July gif: 

This is the best way to spend the 4th of July online. Seriously.

Did you need that? No, probably not, but Si and Mars are greatly amused by it, so, you're welcome.

Now, onto more serious matters . . . welcome to Week 2 of the Cracked Flash Fiction Competition!



Judges This Week: Mars and Rin

Word count: 300 max

How: Submit your stories as a comment to this post, along with your name, word count, and title (and Twitter handle or blog if you've got 'em!). Only one entry per person.

Deadline: Midnight tonight (PDT)!

Results announced: Next Wednesday!

Remember: The prompt can be mutilated, but not beyond recognition.


YOUR PROMPT:

The fireworks were spectacular.

Go! See you on the other side!

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Year 1, Week 1: Results!

We'll admit it: we were excited when we got more than one entry, and further so when we received five. We want to thank all five contestants for participating, giving the competition a nice little kick-start.

So, without further ado, we give you your winners!

Honorable Mention

Geoff Holme's An Author's Life For Me

Si: Okay, this was hilarious. I love the use of parenthetical italics for the author talking to himself, and the way the entire flash takes place as the author's thoughts. I've totally done the don't look, don't look--DANGIT why didn't I think of that?! thing myself on flash fic contests, the whole story was (depressingly?) true to what we writers go through. RE: the PST thing--I laughed. (Maybe setting our location to "everywhere" was an EXTRA CHALLENGE ... and totally not a mistake >.>).

Mars: I, too, was very amused by this highly tongue-in-cheek piece. I don't think I know of anyone who doesn't have a panic when they're writing--"Ugh, what's this crap that I'm writing, everyone else is better than me, LIFE IS PAIN." (Okay, maybe not quite that angsty)--so this was right on the money. I also will be the first to admit that I talk/argue to/with myself on a regular basis (both out loud, in text, and in my head).

First Runner Up

Steph Ellis' Taken

Si: I loved the atmosphere and writing style in this story! Excellent progression from the trees being afraid of Colm, to the ending where Colm surrenders to the forest. I liked the way that we could feel for both the trees and Colm. I loved the ending (sounds like something I would do). The addition of the grandmother's old warning highlighted the poignancy of Colm's choice all the more.  A really well-written story.

Mars: Trees are kind of a thing everywhere, so the idea that the trees are enemies is a terrifying thought. It gives the story an added depth, as well, that not only are they enemies, but can feel (and therefore have a pretty good reason to be enemies, given the kind of stuff humans do to trees)--a nice little bit of world building shoved into a few hundred words. The way the piece was written, in a slow, methodical-seeming fashion, made it feel outwardly like . . . well, a tree, which slowly grows taller over time, with each bit of wood and leaves grown.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for--for the very first time in the Cracked Flash Fiction Competition's history--the very first name that will go on the Winner's Page!

Y1W1 Winner:

MTDecker!

with Closing in

Si: Tension! So much tension! Loved the broken-off dialogue to indicate the MC's state of mind, the numbness. Loved the progression of the plot, the pacing, the brief sentences that indicated the MC's mental state, the immersion in the story. The reader feels the Evan's urgency in running away, the suddenness of his blackout and waking up alone, and chased. The brief use of description, and the way we're just thrown into the plot worked very well to create an atmosphere of urgency and immediacy in the story. Well done!

Mars: The sense of inevitable doom was pulled off excellently here. The terror in his brother's call, and then of running himself; left to an unknown fate (although we can surmise it's not anything good), and with the knowledge that you can't trust who you thought you could. The effect is further compounded by the fragmented snippets of dialogue, and the disjointed way the events/time of the piece are arranged. I really appreciated how the first line was reiterated in the last line; it gave it a complete, circular feel, almost like a piece of music (bring the reader's/listener's attention back to something familiar as you leave them). Congrats on a brilliant flash!


The winning story!

Closing in
“I can hear the whispers all around me, and they’re getting closer… I don’t know how much longer I can last.” 
Evan listened to his brother’s voice, and could almost picture him hunched over his phone, talking urgently, in the hopes that his message would reach him in time. 
Time. Time was against him now, and he knew it. 
Evan ran, his breath catching in his chest as the voices echoed in his mind. 
Deputy Sark and Matthews’ voices were the loudest, but they only came in pieces.

“Regret to inform you.” “Killed just off the interstate in Idaho.” “Need you to identify the body…” 
He was numb. He’d been numb then, but now he could hear them as they ran with the hounds, hot on his trail. 
He’d been stupid enough to play the message in front of them, and then they’d told him they’d need his phone as evidence. 
The last thing he remembered was telling them that it was on the server, not on the phone, and that he could forward it to them. 
Then he’d woken up in the middle of the woods, with no idea where he was… and the whispers, telling him to run; telling him that if they found him he’d be dead. He couldn’t make out the words, but their intent was clear. 
He ran for all he was worth, but the hounds had his scent and he knew it was only a matter of time before they found him: he could hear their whispers all around him, as he ran and they were getting closer.



Congrats to our winners, and we hope to see you all on Saturday!