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August
For August, since I am one of the judges of The Writing Quest’s Drabble Contest I wanted to show off my own skills, with 3 micro-fiction stories.
The first piece, “The Rain Show,” has just been published in the Sterling Script 2025: Local Author Anthology. I wrote the first draft of this story as a drabble (100 word story). But as there was no word count limit for this submission, I allowed myself extra words. Still brief, but I think the extra words made the story much fuller.
The 2nd & 3rd pieces are both drabbles I wrote earlier this year for different contests. “Cracks in the Platter” had a required theme of “Summer”. “A Decasecond to Nought” was written for a contest with the theme of counting and numerology.
The Rain Show (~170 words)
Mirella stood in the wings. She shivered as a gust of damp wind blew past her. She looked out at the west stage and the empty, flooded amphitheater. Tonight was supposed to be her big chance.
She looked up, wishing, pleading for the sky to clear. As if to answer her, there was a flash of lightning illuminating the stage and moments later a crack of thunder. Mirella jumped and closed her eyes.
“Blue Bell Music Bowl presents Mirella Jones,” she whispered. Then, taking a steadying breath, she ran out onto the stage.
There was no audience. No roaring applause. Only the chilly rain, which soaked her dress instantly.
Still, she giggled and twirled her arms wide, letting the moment consume her. She bellowed out her song, her voice cutting through the storm. She wasn’t sure if anyone could hear her, but as she held the final note, thunder roared —applauding her. She took a bow.
There may be no crowds, but she was here. And that was enough.
Cracks in the Platter (Drabble)
“I told you—” Jillian started, but her husband’s look said he wasn’t interested in being lectured. Moments ago, the platter rested on the crooked side shelf of their second-hand grill. Now, the hot dogs and veggie burgers sat in the dirt.
Tyler picked up the cooked food, and placed it back on the flimsy plastic platter, which was now cracked.
The summer sun beat down. It was their first barbecue in their first home. A housewarming. A mess.
“Do we have more?” Tyler asked.
“No,” Jillian replied.
“No?”
“I thought saving to fix this dump was more important than leftovers.”
[This drabble was written for a contest with the theme “Summer”.]
A Decasecond to Nought (Drabble)
A decasecond was all Hera had to decide. She looked back at Kyuu, trapped beneath a fallen beam.
The red light of Airlock #87 blinked, illuminating the futility. There was not enough time to save him.
Behind them, alarms screamed. Ahead, escape pod NoVI waited.
“Go,” he gasped.
Her hand hovered over the release. A choice—life or love.
Five seconds. She kissed his forehead.
Three. She turned to go.
One. The door sealed. The pod launched into space as the station exploded, reduced to nought.
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