Here are excerpts from our very first fun family flash fiction on Facebook private message. I only copied the actual entries, not all the messages since you have Facebook to read those. This is a work in progress. I may need to pretty-it-up some more.
Since this was the very first, I have awarded prizes to entice everyone to participate.
1st place- $25 goes to Erwin for his Zombie flash fiction tied with his Freddy Krueger defense lawyer so only one prize...lol
2nd place- $15 for Joseph for the Star Craft II
3rd place- $10 for Joseph for submitting the most numbers of flash fiction entries!
Thanks for everyone's effort and participation.
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Josie Briones Borlongan November 4 at 9:37am
Hi Family,
In an effort to shorten the distance that sets us apart, I thought of having flash fiction fun time. Hopefully, it can loosen up everyone a bit so we can all have a fun family time even in cyber world. Are you all with me? I hope...lol. Anyway here's the deal. Each time I will send a new challenge to the same people here. I will give two sentences-- one for the intro and one for the ending. Write a small story in between. No more than 400 words (that's why it is called flash fiction). No novel please. I wanted to add more people here on the list, but I can only do 20...sorry.
So, here it goes:
Beginning:"It felt like I'd been hitting "refresh" for half a day, but the email still hadn't arrived."
End:“So all I could do was turn off my computer and hope for the best.”
I'll post mine after this post to set us all off to a start. Enjoy!
Love you all!
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Josie Briones Borlongan November 4 at 9:39amHere's mine:
It felt like I'd been hitting "refresh" for half a day, but the email still hadn't arrived. He must have thought he could get away for good. The memory still lingers, even after five years. It haunts me, day and night. Thank goodness, I heard the click! I had enough time to react and jump out of the car. When I came through, I was in a daze. Chaos surrounded me. I don’t remember how I’ve managed to get out, but I did. People say I was lucky…lucky to be alive. However, I am no longer whole--I lost my right arm and my hearing has weakened considerably since the blast. In other words—I am damaged goods. There have been times that I wished that he had just asked for a divorce. I would have given it to him. I knew he had been unfaithful with another woman—my best friend. The ultimate betrayal, my husband with my best friend. For five years, he eluded the law. He escaped while awaiting trial. Then, as luck has it, someone identified him from America’s Most Wanted. He had been living in Brazil. Today, I will find out, if they finally have him in custody. One more time, I check my email and hit refresh…nothing. Nurse Sarah has just arrived; it’s time for my therapy. So all I could do was turn off my computer and hope for the best.
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Eli Briones November 4 at 9:59am FIRST RESPONSE!So I went to the coffee shop to have some TEA!!! Ahaha.. Then back waiting for the email to arrive. ... I Suddenly realized.. . what the h**l am waiting for!!! Its 5pm... Time to go!!!!!
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Joseph Songalia Briones November 4 at 10:34am
It felt like I'd been hitting "refresh" for half a day, but the email still hadn't arrived." Getting anxious with what the email has in store for me. Thinking about what path my career will tread. Do I choose Stabililty or more money? This got me thinking, and I mean thinking of what I will do. As one of my Best Friends said "Dude Bite The Bullet!" At the time I did not understand what that meant. Now I know. It means that indecision leads to frustration but if you decide and get frustrated in the end it's ok because YOU mad your decision. Now I'm in our trainig room for the uptraining for our account. I'm a call center agent by the way. Career in this Industry is key. But when will I be promoted? I'm good at what I do. So I will bite the bullet and go to that interview.
So all I could do was turn off my computer and hope for the best.”
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Jessica Joyce Borlongan November 4 at 11:04am
It felt like I'd been hitting "refresh" for half a day, but the email still hadn't arrived. I was sorry for what I did. Growing up, I know I wasn't always the perfect kid. I was disrespectful and rebellious. I liked being on my own. Now, I feel as if I've made the biggest mistake of my life. My mother doesn't reply to my e-mails anymore. It was all my fault, but my pride prevents me from saying "sorry" or putting an end to my obnoxious attitude. In efforts to pursue my career as a musician, I ran away from home. They never supported my dreams. Mainly because they knew that it wasn't the best for me and that I would end up like those homeless guitarists playing on the sidewalks of downtown.
Well, I have a recording contract to sign with this indie company. I clicked the "refresh" button once more. No... There was nothing... I finally decided to stop fooling myself that my parents would ever forgive me. If only I had another chance to say I was "sorry", but I can't sulk about it now. So all I could do was turn off my computer and hope for the best.
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Joseph Songalia Briones November 4 at 11:47am
"It felt like I'd been hitting "refresh" for half a day, but the email still hadn't arrived." Keep thinking what the hell happened to my confirmation email for playboy.com which is a very respectable website. Educational too. “So all I could do was turn off my computer and hope for the best.”
P.S.
I think my brain just dried up. Wahahaha!
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Erwin Daniel S. Briones November 5 at 5:53am FIRST PLACE
"It felt like I'd been hitting "refresh" for half a day, but the email still hadn't arrived." That was what Joanne said to me. Still I can’t be bothered by such small details. So what if the e-mail hadn’t arrived! I got time to kill, so I told her, "Let’s just wait and see. They’ll respond sooner or later to our demands."
Just as I was about to pick up my favorite mag and read through the cover feature, Joanne chimed, "Well, well, well… It’s the e-mail. At last."
I looked over her shoulder and read the message.
It read:
We have received your letter demanding us to stop testing in Raccoon City immediately, based upon your research on the effects of Serum 89.
Sorry, we will not give in to your demands. Because Serum 89 WILL NOT PRODUCE ZOMBIES.
The Umbrella Corporation
I turned away from the screen. I chuckled.
It’s the end of the world as we know it.
"Joanne, pack your things. We’re leaving."
"What about Alice?" She replied.
"Leave her. She’ll wake up eventually."
Alice may still turn undead. Or worse.
So all I could do was turn off my computer and hope for the best.
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Josie Briones Borlongan November 5 at 8:50am
Here's one more from me. Don't worry...I am not part of the contest. Just trying to inspire people to write...lol. Believe it or not...this is exactly 400 words.
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It felt like I'd been hitting "refresh" for half a day, but the email still hadn't arrived. It’s been more than two weeks since I wired the $10,000 to Nigeria, 15 days after I received the first email. The email said that all I need to do was wire the money and I will receive $1,000,000 in return. They just need the $10,000 to cover fees and some taxes.
I had to borrow the money from Stu. I know he is a loan shark, but I just could not resist. Besides, once I receive my cool million, paying him back plus the 50% interest will be just a piece of cake. I spent this past couple of weeks daydreaming of what I can do with the money. I can finally get the car and house that I had been dreaming of all my life. I can also travel the world. No more waiting tables and busting my ass to work for a measly minimum wage plus lousy tips. Funny, my boss couldn’t believe I quit after 3 years. He said I was out of my mind because it’s tough to find a job nowadays with this bad economy. Who cares? Once I get my million I would not need a job. Yeah, wait until I buy the restaurant and be his boss. Also, no more waiting until dawn to come home to avoid my landlord. That moron always bangs on my door to collect my overdue rents. As soon as I get the money, I will slap his face with the two months’ rent that I owe him and say “Hasta la vista baby”.
Dang, this phone keeps ringing. All I hear is Stu’s voice in the answering machine reminding me that his men will come tonight to pick up the payment that I promised him to pay yesterday. I asked for one more day. He said that’s all I could have before he sends his thugs to collect his money. It’s okay, I know that any minute now, my Nigerian contact will send me the Western union confirmation number in an email. This two-day delay is just a minor setback. After all, I am sure it is legit. They said they work with the US government and needed my help. I should not worry. So all I could do was turn off my computer and hope for the best.
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Joseph Songalia Briones November 7 at 8:18am
It felt like I'd been hitting "refresh" for half a day, but the email still hadn't arrived. The email I sent to the company I was supposed to apply for a position with still had not responded. I was getting anxious. Getting excited, getting worried, getting pissed. Why have they not responded? I am the best at what I do. Then it hit me... I'm applying for an internal job posting. Now I feel stupid. Why did I let my impulse get the better of me. No other choice but to wait for my break at this current company I am working for. Did I mention that the company is Canadian? Anyway, I'll wait for my break and apply as soon as the opportunity arises. So all I could do was turn off my computer and hope for the best.
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Joseph Songalia Briones November 7 at 8:31am
It felt like I'd been hitting "refresh" for half a day, but the email still hadn't arrived. The bloke beside me keeps on singing with his headset on. Yup I'm at a local inetrnet shop. Everyone is looking at me funny. Maybe because I'm the only one silent in the room. They only hear the tapping of the keys on my keyboard. While they, pungent mortals that they are, all do stupid things. Singing with headsets on? Commenting negatively on a friend's facebook account? While I'm looking all over the room I sense someone behind me... It's a girl looking at what I'm doing. I asked the girl what the problem was and she just scoffed and walked toward a friend. That's what I don't like about these Internet Cafes. Some people do not respect your privacy. Thay should have a law against this. Still the email had not arrived. So all I could do was turn off my computer and hope for the best.
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Joseph Songalia Briones November 11 at 10:55pm SECOND PLACE
It felt like I'd been hitting "refresh" for half a day, but the email still hadn't arrived. "Half a day"... The expression itself was meaningless. How can you measure a full day when your in outer space. Riding my "acquired" Battle Cruiser the Hyperion I always pass the time by checking on my mail. My men still have not sent an update on whether the Emperor has been overthrown. Then I glance at her picture... I always blame myself for what happened to her. That fateful day in New Gettysburg... Where we left her to die... Where I left her to die...
But all hope is not lost. The crystals that we acquired from different Protoss controlled areas have been known to reverse the effects the Overmind had done to Sarah... Almost forgot her name. She's now known as Kerrigan the Queen of Blades.
Now we draw nearer her territory. The planet Char. Once there we will try to save her... No I will save you Sarah. That I promise.
So all I could do was turn off my computer and hope for the best.
***Inspired by the Game STARCRAFT II: Wings Of Liberty***
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Erwin Daniel S. Briones November 12 at 1:55am FIRST PLACE TIED
It felt like I'd been hitting "refresh" for half a day, but the email still hadn't arrived.
I’m fooling myself. Why should I go through all of this again?
Potential clients would begin to inquire about my services…but when they find out what I did three years ago, they never return.
That’s just me.
It’s hard to live down the reputation of winning the Freddy Krueger case.
To the eyes of many, it was an open and shut case.
Police had tracked down the serial killer’s trail of butchery to Elm Street, Akron, Ohio. Inside a decrepit house, they saw what looked to be burnt remains of a child’s dress. They also retrieved a glove with several blades sticking out from it, like fingers. Then, the kicker-when they caught Freddy, he confessed to the whole thing.
That’s when they assigned me to the case.
I pointed out that, at the time of Freddy’s confession, he was illegally contained for 3 days. There was no subpoena, thus all statements made by the party were not valid.
The burnt dress? Circumstancial Evidence.
The glove? Heck, even a teenager can pull off that configuration.
With such rebuttals to the evidence, the jury had only two choices: Set him free, or let an innocent man to jail.
They set him free.
Three days, later a lynch mob burned him alive inside the house in which they found him.
Sometimes, I wonder which is the worst atrocity: A serial child killer still on the loose, or a community dealing its own justice to an innocent man.
To this very day I still think that he is innocent of the crimes he was accused for.
It’s almost dark. I should be going now. If I don’t find a client in the next few days, I might move to another location.
But this latest email holds promise. It’s from the Management of Camp Crystal Lake. It seems that they are being held responsible by a lady for the drowning of her son. The lady, named Mrs. Voorhees, claims that the lifeguards weren’t doing their duty. The Camp, of course, denies that they were in any way responsible.
Piece of cake. I think I should pay Crystal Lake a visit.
Still not responding. Hmm. Maybe they haven’t read my offer yet.
So all I could do was turn off my computer and hope for the best.
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