DISCUSSION -- April 2019 - 75 Word Challenge

[TheDustyZebra]

It is an hour to go, right?

 

[Culhwch]

It is an hour to go, right?

An hour and a half from now, by my count.

 

[Ursa major]

And now there's two minutes left....

 

[Ursa major]

The challenge is now closed to new entries.

Voting is open at the link below:

POLL -- April 2019 75-Word Challenge -- READ FIRST POST!​

​

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Perpetual Man: Love survives, even beyond the grave.

M. Robert Gibson: Nothing was as haunting as the page left blank.

Ursa major: Trapped in stone prisons, they could only dread what was to come.

Bob Senior: What strange secret did the family possess?

The Big Peat: How could one know that one was creating one's own fate?

The Judge: Terror reaches out from the past to destroy the present!

TheDustyZebra: Will the forces of evil have their way, or courage and resolution prevail?

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

This was a difficult challenge, as can be guessed from the relatively small number of entries. Kudos to those who rose to the occasion.

Short List

Cat's Cradle -- best allegory

elvet -- best horror story

Peter V -- best non-supernatural story

Perpetual Man -- best ghost story

Bob Senior -- best dark comedy

VOTE

Teresa Edgerton, for capturing the essence of Gothic Romance.

 

[Stable]

My shortlist was:
Luiglin
Mosaix
Parson
Peter V
Culhwch
The Judge

With the vote going to HareBrain, who was just too clever.

 

[Parson]

Life interfered (nothing serious, babysitting) yesterday and so I find myself checking in after more than 36 hours, and a lot of stories have been delivered in the interim.

----------

@Culhwch .... Tyrant’s Last Stand .... Cul writes a story which left me wondering, but wanting to know more.

@HareBrain .... A PREMATURE END .... Hare left my sputtering, and grinning.

@Teresa Edgerton .... Voracious .... Teresa shows me a master's touch and a house I don't want to find.

@Phyrebrat .... A Dock in Chatham .... It's alive? It's a ship? It's a Cathedral? I want to see what happens.

@Alex The G and T .... Transient Victory .... Alex writes a story which for me is a parable about life and self aggrandizement.

@LittleStar .... The Roommate Revival .... Star reminds me that there are things that are best not forgotten or there will be a price to pay.

@Perpetual Man .... The Ghost of St. Peter's Ruin .... Perp suddenly has me scared of nothing.

@M. Robert Gibson .... All's Well That Ends Well .... M. Robert, all I can say is "Good beginning and middle, but the ending's... lacking." (Grins!)

@Ursa major .... The Saint and Sinner “G” .... Ursa let's us evesdrop on rooftop conversation.

@Bob Senior .... At The Flea Market .... Bob deals in things aged and yet seemingly timeless.

@The Big Peat .... Building Up To The Obvious Climax .... If Peat builds up to the obvious climax, I'm clearly oblivious. It caught me off guard.

@The Judge .... Served Cold .... Her Honor indeed tells a tale of "a dish served cold."

@TheDustyZebra .... Lady of Stone .... TDZ offers us a chilling turn on currect events.

 

[Culhwch]

@Culhwch .... Tyrant’s Last Stand .... Cul writes a story which left me wondering, but wanting to know more.

Wondering how it fits theme and/or genre, I'll bet!

Thanks for the mention, @Stable !

 

[The Big Peat]

I had a very short shortlist this time round. And it wasn't because I didn't enjoy other stories, but some authors left me rather jealous with they nailed the possibilities of the theme and genre. Nailed it I say.

Those are

@Cat's Cradle
@Teresa Edgerton

And my vote
@HareBrain

 

[Cathbad]

Dang!

I usually read the stories as they're posted, then at voting time, review them to recall the stories, reading only a few a second time.

I now find myself having read none!!

Be back in a few hours...

 

[Cathbad]

My Favorites

@Christopher Lee The Transformation House
@chrispenycate The Lair of the Fugue
@Parson Sanctuary
@Teresa Edgerton Voracious
@LittleStar The Roommate Revival



Top of the Heap


@The Judge Served Cold
@Perpetual Man The Ghost of St. Peter's Ruin



He Wins!!

@Alex The G and T Transient Victory

 

[Alex The G and T]

Yippee! Thank you, Cathbad!

 

[Luiglin]

Not a top three for me this month as five were caught as mote in mine eye.

• @chrispenycate for the rhyme
• @Culhwch for the void
• @Phyrebrat for the wharf
• @Perpetual Man for the phantom
• @Ursa major for the pun.

Taking the vote though is @Ursa major - I'm a sucker for a clever, and yet awful, punchline.

I'm a bit like marmite at the moment - glad that some folks liked the genre but also want to offer apologies to those who didn't.

Edit: and special mention to @Starbeast whose entry had me chuckling before it was removed.

 

[mosaix]

Wow! I have a stealth vote. Thank you Pyan. Just what I needed to relieve the tension of City and United drawing 0-0 at half time.

 

[Parson]

Wondering how it fits theme and/or genre, I'll bet!

Not true. Wondering how everything was going to turn out.

A big thanks to @Cathbad and @Stable for the short listings.

 

[Ursa major]

Many, many thanks for the vote, Luiglin.

 

[mosaix]

Wow! I have a stealth vote. Thank you Pyan. Just what I needed to relieve the tension of City and United drawing 0-0 at half time.

And another stealth vote! Thank you Mr Orange.

I’m not quite so tense as I was last night BTW. I wonder why?

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

I have tried to make a short list, only to find it very hard this month.

So I voted for @Cathbad because it was an outstanding read for me.

 

[Hugh]

Stunned!

Many thanks @dannymcg