Each month, the wonderful Sonia M. over at doingthewritething presents her fellow bloggers with a writing challenge, usually to create a piece of microfiction that fits within a particular word limit and based on a simple prompt. It’s a great way to connect with other writers, and it can only help to boost your creativity. Isaac Asimov even wrote under similar limits, once crafting a short piece of fiction designed to fit on the back of a postcard. The man was a genius, but I digress.
This month, Sonia’s challenge for us was “First Impressions and Famous Last Words.” We were allowed to write any genre, but we were limited to one hundred words and told to create either the opening or closing lines to a story. Here’s my contribution.
* * * * * *
The explosion shook me off my feet, hurling me into the bulkhead. The airtight doors around me began to seal, red hazard lights flashing as artificial atmosphere vented. I scrambled for my emergency oxygen mask, knowing that precious seconds would make the difference between living and dying. As soon as I was breathing normally, I looked around again, pleased that my training had saved me but terrified of what could’ve caused such a catastrophic failure in the compartment. My communicator was still attached to my belt, but it had been damaged in my fall. No signal. I was truly alone.
* * * * * *
Was it the first or last hundred words of a story? I don’t know. I like that it could be either one.
The Swords of the Ancients 
4 Comments
Any good story is really just one long beginning, so I guess whatever you choose to call it, it can be the beginning or end…
Here’s my shot!
He was about to surrender when it dawned on him that it was far from over, and that he would only be giving Kemp the satisfaction of victory that single day, that he could never give up, that only death could silence him. Kemp wouldn’t kill him, and they both knew it. What Kemp didn’t seem to understand was that short of that, there could be no victory, and once he realized that himself, once he realized how much strength he had within himself, there could be no surrender, because he would never stop. He would never quit.
Thanks, Tony! I like yours too. I’ve been doing my best to keep up with your blog as well. You should post your entry on Sonia’s website. She’s always happy to welcome new participants.
Oooh! Okay, hooked here too. 😀 You must tell us what happens next.
Thanks, Sonia! I’m glad that you enjoyed it. It may turn into something more in the near future, but at the moment, this is pretty much all there is to it.