The Prediction - plugging the gap

With so much water around this week, I've decided to do some plugging before I get into the important act of judging last week's winners.

Firstly, Predictioneer David Barber is moving his site The Flash Fiction Offensive to pastures new. Go check out his current site and see where it is heading. The stories on there are well worth a read and maybe you'll feel like submitting something too.

Second plug is for my mate Colin Barnes' call for submissions to his latest anthology over at Anachron Press. Looking for cyber crime writing plus it's a paying market. I appear in his forthcoming anthology City of Hell Chronicles: Trifecta released later this month.

Finally, I've started a collaborative story at Phlambler's World. It's called Hunted and you're all welcome to play. Should be a lot of fun!

Right, on to the judging as I imagine you're all eager to know who my winner is this week. So, without further ado.....

....my winner is Sandra Davies with The Blacksmith's Wife Part 17. Sandra, even though part of a series, this was a real standalone piece of flash fiction and the last line really left me disturbed whilst maintaining a dignity in the writing; actions hinted at rather than explicit. Excellent writing. 

Runner-up honours this week goes to RR Kovar with her piece Parlor Tricks. Rebecca, I was just intrigued with the whole tale which gave us so much within just 100 words. This had so many threads running through it and I thought the ending was delicious. Would love to see this as a longer story.

So congrats to Sandra and Rebecca this week and my thanks to everyone else for bringing such lovely tales. I was just amazed at the variety which graced the pages this week and the imaginative use of the words was stunning!

As the rain continues to hammer down that must surely be a sign to stay inside and write?!? Fortunately my trusty book is kept moisture free as we wouldn't want those words to smudge now would we. And this week's playthings are:
  • Labyrinth 
  • Twin
  • Churn 
The usual rules apply: 100 words maximum, excluding the title, of flash fiction or poetry using all of the three words above in the genres of horror, fantasy or science fiction. All variants and use of the words as stems are fine.

You have until 9pm (UK time) Thursday 14 June to get your entries in. The winner will be announced by 9am Friday 15 June when new words will then spill forth. If you can, please tweet about your entry using the #fridayflash #100words or #flashfiction hashtags and blog if you feel like it. Please tell your friends and do give feedback to your fellow Predictioneers - everyone appreciates it!

I hope to get lost in your tales this week.....

Comments

  1. THAT has made the sun shine, at least here in my otherwise rain-drenched room - and to have been selected from amongst so many other superb pieces is doubly delightful. Congratulations to Rebecca too, whose writing is well powerful.
    The camaraderie and support here is second to none as is evidenced by the new writers arriving weekly - long may it continue!
    Meanwhile ... I have revenge to shape.

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  2. Addicted? Moi? Perish the thought, but this one came so quick I think there'll have to be a second episode later in the week.

    The blacksmith's wife [part 18]

    Assuming, from fraternal nurture and Gabriel’s unconcern, that his brother would be likewise unaffected by taboos derived from labyrinthine social mores, I was surprised to see the horror-churned revulsion with which he regarded his now-limp and mense-blood-reddened cock.
    His momentary superstition-led unmanning (near enough the twin of the castration Gabriel had previously thought to deliver to someone less deserving) was sufficient to allow the deployment of the knife I’d extricated from his belt.
    He screamed.
    I ignored.
    Released and near-restored my spouse to fully-functioned physicality, whilst diverting his mind with the contents of the letters found within his brother’s saddlebags.

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    1. You may as well be addicted to this story; you've got me hooked. So much to love here, not least the unmanning of her rapist. I ignored. says so very much with two tiny words. Fabulous.

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    2. Congratulations, Sandra! =D

      Couple of phrases in this I had to read twice to get them, but youch! As powerful an episode as any. Can't wait to see where this goes next, a lot of tense threads waiting to be tugged. =)

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    3. Ayiee. I'm sorry to admit that I've caught this series only sporadically - and at least two of those have involved castration!! (Bugger deserved it this time though.)

      Great writing!

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    4. "...now-limp and mense-blood-reddened cock." has to be the most shocking thing I've read on the net this week :) Okay it's only Sunday but I bet that remains the same until next Saturday. I've not read all of the series to feel the full arc, but even a standalone it hit from so many directions.

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    5. And yet again a Predictioneer has me crossing my legs as I read their tale!!!! A medieval John Wayne Bobbit going on here with cold, calculating castration delivered swiftly then on to the next plot point. Just what will those letters tell us? Dying to know. Keep it coming Sandra.

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    6. Shocking and compelling as always Sandra.

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  3. Morning all,

    Congrats to winners. Well done. Not to bring a downer but I am so blue over Ray Bradbury passing. Everyone must write a great one in honor for the man. Something wicked this way comes indeed.

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    1. It was such sad, sad news to hear of Ray's passing. Of his works I have only read Farenheit 451 but it touched me greatly and is one of my favourite dystopian novels. Always such sorrow when genius passes from this world.

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  4. I didn't see that coming! Thanks so much. Congratulations to Sandra. As for her, so for me: this sprang up as soon as I saw the words.

    At the Edge

    Lake water churned, washing away my blood as the crane lifted Nate’s car. He hadn’t said anything about the spell I’d used to keep my insides inside, but I knew his mind was traveling the labyrinthine path that ended in the center with the monster.

    Nate invested heavily in denial when it came to my witchcraft. Witches are just above demons in his estimation, the slightly less evil twin, but still worth killing. Except for me – so far.

    “Seth,” Nate’s mild tone was a warning. “You make this right.”

    I didn’t know if he meant the car or my magic.

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    1. I can't work out why "Nate invested heavily in denial when it came to my witchcraft" is so very pleasing a conjunction of words, but it is. Really like this.

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    2. And congratulations, R. =)

      Are these the opening refrains of another serial I hear? Nice tension between the 'witch hunter' and the witch. The final line feels tinged with a little bitterness, too. Good work. =)

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    3. Nice to see you develop a social hierarchy in the supernatural world. Nice touch that. A wicked ending too. Good stuff.

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    4. So glad to see this building from last week's story. Seeing this in the vein of a Stacia Kane novel and particularly loved the playfulness of the phrase 'keep my insides inside'. There is an ominous threat in Nate's 'make this right' comment and I'm intrigued to see where this leads us.

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    5. Oh I like it witch hunter and witch! This could be a serial.

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    6. An interesting union RR. Hope to read more about these two.

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  5. Thanks for the plug, Phil. Apologies for not playing last week. My enemy - time - got in the way! Hopefully be back later to have a go.

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  6. Corridors of Meat

    He pushed through the coiling tubes hanging from the walls and ceilings of every corridor. There was no light in the labyrinth, only shades of darkness. Once, he thought he saw a creature scuttle along the floors of blood that churned and congealed.

    He pushed through a fleshy wall, warmer than the hollow snakes. Light swam toward him. Sharks of colour ploughed their teeth into his eyes.

    Fresh air.

    The twin attached to his flesh was now dead. The journey had been a success. Climbing inside his brother, hacking away his organs and guts had worked. Now he was free.

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    1. Oh, dear me. There is so much to love here, but flesh and blood in their most raw permutations is my favorite. I'm with Sandra, sharks of colour is a gorgeous phrase.

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    2. I'm gonna have to add my voice to this chorus, Anthony, that 'sharks of colour' line is excellent, inspired! =)

      Corridors of Meat has an early Cronenberg feel to it, delirious and fleshy, vividly surreal.

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    3. Ah Tony, so glad you found your way here with this piece. The birthing of something quite malevolent I feel yet described so beautifully. Agree that 'sharks of colour' is a stand out phrase but it almost feels wrong to single out individual segments within this wonderfully descriptive piece. Superb!

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    4. I've heart of sibling rivalry but this takes it to the extreme ^_^

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    5. That was so dark and vivid Tony. Very impressive.

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  7. From Stuart McBride to Azimov, via 'sharks of colour' ... dark red visceral vivid this one Anthony ... and with a wholly unexpected ending.

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  8. Congratulations on your well deserved win Sandra. Well done RR Kovar also.

    A Tale From Bile County
    Part 6

    He turned as the townies came out of the Honkytonk. The door swung shut behind them. Tendrils of smoke coiled out from a side window and dispersed on the wind. His stomach churned at the thought of Lily left alone inside. The townies departed, subdued. Saint alone remained, standing beside Uttoxeters V-twin Shovelhead. Deep within the labyrinth of his mind, he weighed the situation. He wanted to leave and take revenge on the devil men.

    Lily’s body would be purified in fire but not those other retched souls. If their bodies went into the ground this whole town would die.

    ~To be continued~

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    1. The depth behind and within this unfolding story creates a constant desire to know more. It's clean yet descriptive enough that I can see it clearly.

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    2. Can definitely feel bigger things stirring in the depths of this, Shaun, and I'm enjoying how each episode works in its immediacy and yet I can still sense the greater arc. Keep going! =)

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    3. Episodes vivid and brief yet somehow indicating much more going on behind the scenes.

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    4. Again will need to catch up with the whole story but wow great use of language to convey the boiling revenge inside. Nice to see the level hasn't dropped since the switch of locations from The Feardom. In fact it seems slightly more daunting here.

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    5. Shaun, nicely paced as part of the series as you build the tension ready for the next instalment of Bile County; you can almost see the tumbleweed being blown through the town's streets. This writing has a sombre atmosphere which is delivered so well and sets us up with anticipation for part 7.

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    6. Oh yes, this could be the start of something much bigger!

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  9. Catching up, after a massive amount of editing (some paid, some for love) and wanting to get my head around these entries.
    Congratulations to Sandra and Rebecca! tough choices, Phil, the challenge doesn't get any easier week by week, does it?
    Quick comment here, I am mourning the loss of the great Ray Bradbury from our lives. My early work was influenced by him and some later work dedicated to him. He has been the biggest inspiration I have had.
    OK, onwards.
    Looking for more from Bile County, this is building well, Shaun!
    Anthony, gore and more and a back story hidden until the last line. Brilliant.
    Rebecca, I think the art of these 100 word stories is the hidden back story that feeds what we read. There's so much going on here we will never know, unless you write it...
    Sandra, the saga continues with all the excellence that has been there from the start.
    So far, no inspiration. I will ask the guys to help me. And I will be back.

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  11. I came here looking for Sandra Davies' winning Blacksmith's Wife 17 but couldn't find it. What am I missing?

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    1. IT was 18 you were supposed to be looking for G ... otherwise go to my blog.

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  12. Congratulations to last weeks winners. I've returned from West Wales with webbed feet but happy and rested.

    Prelude to Invasion

    The twin engines of the reconnaissance craft churned the upper atmosphere of the planet, carving white tendrils across the brilliant azure sky.

    As the pilot descended, the labyrinthine like structures the indigenous creatures called Cities, filled the H.U.D and disappeared over the artificial horizon.

    A wolfish smile spread across the pilot’s face, the mission briefings had been correct, the information extracted from the Taken was at last corroborated.

    This new world was ripe for harvesting; the pilot punched the radio button

    ‘Houston this is Exploration Shuttle Beta. I can confirm visual contact, repeat, confirm visual contact. We’re good to go’.

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    1. Ah, humans, always good for an unprovoked invasion... I'd like to think by the time we have interstellar travel we'd be beyond such things... but then, it wouldn't surprise me if we weren't. (makes for good stories, too ;) )

      Quite a sinister last line, Nick, tying into the title and becoming much darker than it might at first appear.

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    2. It was the 'information extracted from the Taken' which I found most chilling ...

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    3. A well written slice of sci-fi with the subtext of recent coalition wars I think. What struck me about this was the cold attitude to the invasion. I guess if we do ever need a new planet to live on our methods will have been learnt from this century. Chilling.

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    4. War is eternal, it seems, and alien abduction is a matter of perspective. This was a really clean piece.

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    5. Good sci-fi Nick. A pleasure to read, I need to try my hand at this more often than I do.

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    6. For me, this is exactly how to write sci-fi Nick. Far too often you read pieces where the tech/aliens/planets are being over-described whereas all you need is the flavour. It is the unspoken preparations and future intentions which provide the dark side to this tale as you've sent my mind into overdrive with your hints and suggestions. Love it.

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  13. Morning everyone. I will be back to comment, here is my attempt:

    The Ride

    Ticket master bid entrance to his Labyrinth of Life. "The greatest show that has ever been. Come once, grow up, never come again," he grinned. Dead to his allure; parents did not hear. The man with lunar eyes willed magic to appear. "You’ll believe in ghosts, we promise to make bellies churn, show you all our wonders and make your knuckles turn," twin twinkles lit his eyes. "There is our tattooed man and stories direct from Mars, monsters spreading fire; fear near and far. Here be the fair, twinkling in your eyes; hear the child, far inside, jittery but alive."

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    1. Weirdness! I like it, Marietta. =)

      I want a go, gimme a ticket! =D

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    2. You'd have to drag me, screaming ...

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    3. Something wonderful this way comes. A beautiful homage to Bradbury. Full of the same magic and charm with dark creatures scratching at the shadows. Really enjoy this.

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    4. I find sideshow patter mesmerizing, and I heard this in the resonance and cadence of an old barker I used to know, deep and a little worn. The parents being unable to hear him was a nice touch.

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    5. Yes, loved this Marietta. Like John I felt the pull and excitement.

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    6. Beautiful prose here, especially the cadence to the last few lines. My favourite phrase was 'twin twinkles lit his eyes'. A dark, playful piece which buzzes with the wit and whim of a tempting trickster. Lovely.

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  14. Minotaur


    His bovine huffs and snorts are carried through the labyrinth on fickle drafts, echoing my own laboured breathing. I pause, testing the humid air for his scent. It is there, but it is everywhere, like mine.

    Then I see him, lit in shifting orange by the guttering, sputtering torches. His muscular body is tense, poised, and he lowers his horned, craggy, bull’s head to charge. At the sight of my twin, my guts churn with hatred, fear, anger. I, too, charge, bellowing.

    Our father’s revulsion weighs grievously on my mind, heavier than all the rock and island over our heads.

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    1. Weighty and very visual, the sound of the impact all too evident.

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    2. You can feel the weight of responsibly and anger in this. A hero who faces he monsters to prove his worth and save his people. Quiet poetic too.

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    3. Visual, draws one right into it.

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    4. There's a sense that they cannot escape the inevitability of the clash, but the narrator, at least, regrets it. What a cruel fate to bestow upon one's children.

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    5. Powerful and claustrophobic John.

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    6. Interesting twist on the story of the Minotaur. At first I thought our narrator to be a lost Athenic hero trapped in the labyrinth. That he was the Minotaur's twin was a great twist and you've built such a tension as we await the impact. The Gods are pleased with this entry ;-)

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  15. A Game.

    Tim turned the twin wooden dials with care. The little ball bearing clacked against the nearest wooden divider and began rolling again.
    Since he’d sat down at the old labyrinth game, Tim had managed to keep the metal ball going without once plopping it through one of the many holes.

    As he progressed, he became aware of a faint churning noise in the room. Carefully parking the ball at and edge, he flipped the TV off. The sound was coming from inside the game.

    He took up the handles. Three more turns to win.

    Plop.

    “Shit”.

    The ball started screaming.

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    1. Oh damn ... methinks trouble's a-brewing

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    2. Nicely done, Chris. Jumanji meets Hellraiser. Just an old game he found in the attic... covered in dust... what harm could come of having one, quick go..? ;)

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    3. Sounds like winning is a short cut to losing in this game. I could picture the ball slowly moving along the tilted maze. I think the game has just begun and I like it.

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    4. That's no ordinary pin ball game!

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    5. The ball started screaming. My mind pinged around with all the terrible things this could mean, especially hard on the heels of the churning sound in the game. I don't want to know what happened.

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    6. He he, I like it Chris. That games got teeth.

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    7. I was instantly transported to Barker's The Hellbound Heart as I read this, thinking of the puzzle box which Frank used to call forth the Cenobites. Kid's games always unnerve me in horror and this delivered that feeling of dread to me in spades. You've brought such sights to show us Chris and they are damned creepy.

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    1. Certainly takes it in a new direction, Sandra, brings the couple into a wider story and away from their immediate strife. The first paragraph needs the previous episode to work, rather than being as self-contained as some of the previous parts have been.

      An intriguing turn. Interested to see where this goes next. =)

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  17. Back with more comments later, inspiration just struck and there is work to be done (real work... paid for work... you know what I mean...) so here goes...

    Paranoia

    In the mirror is my twin, so close he mimics every movement. But I have to ask, does he mirror the churning torment that is the labyrinth of my mind? Does he know the crimes I have committed, the secrets I have buried?

    My worry is that if he does, he will tell. He could easily blab to someone standing before the mirror, could talk of my misdeeds which he calls evil and I call necessary, ridding the world of monsters.

    I have to silence him, I have to!

    How? He will not come out; I will go after him…

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  18. I couldn't stay away myself... and this one didn't go quite where I intended it, but I did manage something else...


    Conjoined

    Bruised clouds churned overhead, casting the day in shades of gloom. This was going to be a bad one, weather to shake the twin cities to their labyrinthine foundations.

    Ray coaxed his twin-engine Star Spectre through the turbulent sky. His stomach churned as the fighter bucked erratically. Static crawled over the wings in bright labyrinths, a pre-cursor of the lightning to come.

    He armed his missiles. He would end the tyranny of twinned duality, no more ‘up or down’, ‘on or off’, ‘positive or negative’. All would be churning chaos, labyrinths of illogic, as it was meant to be.

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    1. I'm ever a fan of bruised clouds, and 'labyrinths of illogic' sounds about right.

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    2. Ominous weather and a pilot who's slipped 'round the bend. I can't help but wonder what happened to Ray to make him decide on this course of action. And why was it meant to be?

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    3. A curious one this John, it sort of reminded me of the EE doc Smith's "Family D'Alembert" books. Sometimes a 100 words are not enough.

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    4. I almost took it in another direction, but then I saw a chance to fit all three words in each of the three paragraphs, and I kinda had to do it...

      Ah, and what if duality is a trap, R? Our lives are bound by duality, on/ off, in/ out, up/ down, 2 legs, 2 arms, 2 ears, 2 eyes, but what if it's just a conceptual prison, keeping us grounded and unfree? ;)

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    5. Great concept John and now you're just showing off by using all three words in all three paragraphs ;-) Seriously though, that is a real mind trip to wrench away our notions of normality and thrust us into a word lacking in our definition of logic. Would love to peek inside your mind one day!

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  19. I got cold feet over earlier version - John, your comment confirmed one qualm and I was unhappy with the leap onto a national stage, so herewith a re-think:

    The blacksmith's wife [part 19]

    If not himself a spy (he yet breathed and, blood no longer churning out, looked less like to die) in truth a twin of one. We’d not yet perused all hidden letters but had gleaned enough to know him a cog in some labyrinthine circle of duplicity.
    Gabriel stirred him with his toe.
    ‘Sweetling, shall I avenge thee fully or wouldst thou do the deed?’
    ’Ask how a bargeman came by these … and wherefrom the gold … if he answers truthfully we can delay.’
    ‘Ever practical!’ appreciatively, as the huddled body groaned ‘If I don’t deliver, I shall die!’

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    1. I like this version better. The slower reveal works with what came before, and you've left us wondering to whom the delivery should be made and why it's so important.

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    2. I think this does work better, Sandra, and I love the phrase, "a cog in some labyrinthine circle of duplicity". =)

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    3. Agree with the others Sandra, much better pacing to this and keeps the intrigue ongoing. Think it's an important lesson as a writer to trust your instincts and yours were red hot as you've proven with yet another great instalment.

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  20. Evening all, sorry I've not been around to comment, it's been our national conference at work and things have been a little hectic to say the least. Anyway, I see you have all been beavering away whilst I have been otherwise engaged and provided some tasty treats as always. I will comment and judge tomorrow.

    Below is my entry for the week, another offering devised on the train home as is often the way! Is it just me that does that or do you all have a nice desk to scribble away at? Anyway, enjoy!

    Circle of life

    The stone felt rough as I slumped against the doorway. My equilibrium lost, my innards churning as desolation hit me.

    Standing there, in that octagonal cell, was my twin; almost. He faced away from me, unaware of my dying presence. Although I could not see his face I knew it well from my youth. I grimaced silently, unable to shout warning, as he strode forth through one of eight ill-fated doors leading into damnation.

    Decades ago I had left that self-same room, determined to escape this labyrinthine hell. Only now did I understand the nature of a temporal maze.

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    1. Desolate indeed but in a claustrophobic way, and deep.

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    2. What an interesting take on time travel - instead of a great adventure, a doomed wandering. Deeper still, how many of us wish we could warn our younger selves not to step on this or that path? This one resonated.

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    3. The stuff of nightmares Phil, I am happy to keep plodding forward into the future.

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    4. Awesome stuff, Phil.

      I will only say that I don't think you needed the word temporal in the final line, just "the nature of the maze." I think it's implied and it's just about the only way I would change this one, great idea, well executed.

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    5. Thanks John et al. Agree with you John about that last line. Has been bugging me all day as it feels really clunky when I re-read it and felt I should also have used the phrase tomb instead of maze. Thinking I might polish it though and submit to Thrillers, Killers n Chillers as has that 2k word feel to it for me.

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  21. Just made it again! Here's my effort this time:

    Matching Pair

    Blindfolded she was dragged through a labyrinth of tunnels. The binding cut into her wrists so tightly, she thought her bones would snap. They stopped. Her stomach churned, as she waited for his next move. A cold blade touched her face, the blindfold fell away.

    She blinked. It was dark, cold and damp. She could hear water trickle down the walls and something else —a whimper. He flicked on a light - it dazzled her for a moment, then she saw it chained to the wall —her blood covered twin.

    “I’ve always wanted a matching pair,” he laughed.

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    1. Laughter, blood and a blade never bode well ...

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    2. Helen,I fear this won't end well. Very disturbing images.

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    3. Some people will do anything for a full set... ;)

      Chilling, Helen.

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    4. Sorry I missed this during my last review pass! Really great imagery here. That her twin became an "it" bodes very, very ill.

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    5. Helen, very well written indeed. You make us feel the victim's terror as she is dragged through those labyrinthine tunnels and then hit us with the revelation at the end. Shades of Thomas Harris here I feel.

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    6. Oh - to leave it THERE. What happens next? What happens??

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  22. it's official, I am not speaking to Blogger... there is me thinking nobody loves me, and all the time Blogger had not accepted my posting... now considering I titled it Paranoia, I am justified in suspecting Blogger of sabotaging my entry, so here it is...
    (back later with the remainder of comments on this fine, fine writing)
    Paranoia

    In the mirror is my twin, so close he mimics every movement. But I have to ask, does he mirror the churning torment that is the labyrinth of my mind? Does he know the crimes I have committed, the secrets I have buried?

    My worry is that if he does, he will tell. He could easily blab to someone standing before the mirror, could talk of my misdeeds which he calls evil and I call necessary, ridding the world of monsters.

    I have to silence him, I have to!

    How? He will not come out; I will go after him…

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    1. This is insidiously creepy in the very best way, and a perfect title too ...

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    2. The psychological aspect of this creates so many ways to see it. I almost want him to be able to step through the glass. Perhaps his twin is equally concerned about his secrets.

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    3. There is true madness revealed in this piece Antonia in such a clever way.

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    4. I think it's brilliant the way this evolves over such a short distance. It starts as someone with dark secrets (a murder or two...) studying themselves in the mirror but becomes a fully fractured personality.

      "Does he mirror the churning torment that is the labyrinth of my mind," particularly stood out for me.

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    5. Brilliant way to show the turmoil of a split personality or am I being too simplistic?!? Then it takes on an even darker significance with the 'good' twin trapped inside the mirror. Love the concept and the telling Antonia; so glad that Blogger eventually played ball and allowed you to share this with us!

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    6. The labyrinth of my mind is an an inspired choice of phrase to describe the dark tunnels of paranoia and depression. You know I'm a big fan of the trapped horror and nothing an be more confined or claustrophobic than ones own mind, especially when it conspires against you.

      Frighteningly realistic and portrayal of madness.

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    7. Antonia ... this is brilliant.

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  23. Hello Again! Finally found my way over to the predictions new home, and managed to scrawl out something (hopefully) worth posting.

    Duality

    There is not one Labyrinth, but two, intertwined.

    One is hope, bright and clean and vivid, and its twin despair, dark and foul, yet both twist and turn and obfuscate as you pass through them, never revealing how close your destination, nor how far you have progressed from the start.

    It is all too easy, on a wrong turn, to pass from Light to Dark, and yet sometimes the way back from Dark to Light is but a simple choice away. Countless million souls churn through both, all too rarely asking for aid.

    Both Labyrinths share the same name: Living.

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    1. Very clever. And what Rebecca says about going from Dark to Light.

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    2. Last but far from least Matt. An interesting take on life.
      A pleasure to read.

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    3. Oh ho, I like this, Matt. =)

      Thoughtful and thought-provoking, and a pleasure to read.

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    4. Loving the concepts that we have been served up this week and this sits well up amongst the rest Matt. Such a simple, yet excellent, way to present the notion of us flitting between 'labyrinths' of dark and light. Intellectual as ever.

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    5. Echo/ditto/redouble the sounds on the above. Thoughtful and thought-provoking.

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  24. Funny, this idea would fit well with my new serial - everything is a choice, and every choice has consequences. I like the idea that it's not as difficult to go from Dark to Light as we sometimes believe.

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  25. And fittingly David Bowie is playing as the party comes to an end for another week. What's that, oh alright, I'll stick Labyrinth on the telly for y'all whilst I tidy up round here. Stay awhile and enjoy the delights but entries are done for now, well until tomorrow at any rate. Winners and new words to be up by 9am Friday (UK time). Off to comment further and judge. Ciao!

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  26. Ok, I said no more entries but Blogger has been terribly inconsiderate to Cindy Vaskova so I am posting her entry up here for her. I am sure you will all allow me this discretion to bring you her lovely treat.

    The words below are Cindy's:

    Rather late but better than never!

    My humble offering to the new home of Predictions.

    Odyssey Unknown

    Twin golden coins fly, churning in the night, then fall and spin, as if for eternity, in the dust.

    The shaman takes them and flips them starring blindly into their identical faces with his milky white eyes before swallowing their price down his throat, licking his painted lips in satisfaction, offering me a revolting grin.

    His bony figure gestures me to proceed.

    My passing has been paid for.

    Before me the desert shines in a color unnamed, lighting up an endless creature of alien material and ancient foundations.

    The Labyrinth.

    I quiver, but walk.

    Soon I am no longer here.

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    Replies
    1. The spinning coins caught my attention - how very clever! - and then I was trapped into the inevitable, well-evoked horror - I'm glad your words were rescued by Phil for us to read ...

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    2. The twin coins spinning conjured up a wonderful image.

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    3. "Soon I am no longer here" - killer ending. Great story, Cindy!

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    4. Thank you all for the lovely comments!I am so very pleased you enjoyed my drabble! And again cheers to Phil for accepting a late entry!

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  27. Cindy, glad that you were able to get this over to me to share with everyone. Filled with mythos and mystery, this is painted with images from the Greek tragedies and I love the overall feel to it. One word that sums this up for me; epic!

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