We’ve wrapped up the judging of the Third Annual QSF Flash Fiction Contest, so we’ll be sharing the top stories – first the top three, then the individual Judge’s Choice stories – something new we are doing this year. We had some fantastic submissions this year – congrats to everyone! All stories were limited to 300 words max, with the theme “flight”.
These stories will all appear in the forthcoming “Flight” anthology – more details soon.
Our first Judge’s Choice story is Aidee Ladnier’s pick: Christopher Hawthorne Moss with a great gotcha tale – congrats, Christopher! Here’s the story – enjoy.
First Flight
by Christopher Hawthorne Moss
Dwight entered the workshop he shared with Harold, turning on the lights and standing, transfixed at the sight of the flying apparatus his partner had just finished building the night before. He sighed deeply, his eyes bright with pleasure.
“What do you think?” Harold had just come through the door. “Is it what you expected?”
“Oh yes, indeed it is. Harold, it’s magnificent!” Dwight went forward to examine the device, made of large wing-like arms attached to harness with handlebars to rotate them. He turned back to Harold.
“Have you tried it out yet?”
Harold shook his head. “I was waiting for you to pilot it.”
Dwight looked up into his lover’s face. “Do you mean it?”
Harold and Dwight carefully lifted the device and took it out though the wide door to the yard. Dwight’s Model T awaited them. They carefully lifted the winged mechanism onto the flat back of the vehicle and strapped it down.
Driving cautiously up the country road they made it to the top of the hill, then they unstrapped the device and carried it to the wooden structure they had readied for it.
Once atop the structure, Dwight gave Harold a fond kiss on the lips and proceeded to harnessed in. Harold made sure all the buckles were taut. His hands on the pedals, Dwight winked, then gave him a thumbs-up.
As he turned the pedals and ran down the hill, he had an odd sense of another person with a similar device running down after him. He could hear Harold shouting, but he could not make out the words as the giant bird racing after him overtook him and snatched him up in his talons with a blood-curdling scream.
We have cat we named ‘Duck” who loves the nickname of this story.. “sudden bird”. He is indeed a sudden bird.
Loved it! (Did not see the ending coming!)