37th #SatSunTails

Welcome to the #SatSunTails microfiction competition.

Be warned – the prompts aren’t easy, but that’s so you can write to the best of your ability.

If you haven’t had a go before at this writing challenge, then please don’t hesitate to try this weekend.

Rules!

  • Post stories in the comments
  • Stories must be 150 words (margin of 5 words either side) AND based on the picture and written prompts.
  • If you title your entry this is not counted in your word count.
  • Only one entry allowed (so make it count)
  • End each entry with word count and name/twitter handle (if you forget these REPLY TO YOUR OWN COMMENT with them before judging closes)
  • Monday 11am GMT is the expected closing time for entries BUT the competition will be open until I put a ‘competition closed’ comment so you may be able to slip something in (because I’m extra kind like that). Got that?

If you do not comply with these rules your story will be disqualified from judging. Good spelling and grammar will also help to make a better impression on judges – the odd typo, however, will be overlooked so please don’t worry about that.

For tips, read through the critiques from last week’s entries.

Winners!

There will be ONE OVERALL WINNER and THREE RUNNERS UP. After that there will be THREE CRITIQUES of three stories that didn’t make it.

It would also be nice to those participating if you could promote your fellow competitors and those who win.

Today’s Prompt!

The following may be used as a sentence in your story OR provide a basis for it:-

“insidious horizon”

And here is your picture prompt:

& good luck!

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16 thoughts on “37th #SatSunTails”

  1. Deceitful Appearance

    Mr. Fluffy was hardly the plush and cuddly stuffed animal he appeared, at first glance, to be. He was, quite possibly, the single strongest force for evil to ever exist in all of the myriad dimensions of the multiverse.

    They was nothing quiescent, harmonious or benevolent about him whatsoever. He was possessed of a remarkably pure and unadulterated vileness defying any attempts at qualification or quantification.

    He had exceeded the “super villain quotient” eons ago. He had transcended the “thoroughly merciless index” when only a stripling. He had sailed beyond the “insidious horizon” on a voyage of destruction and desolation with no remorse at all.

    And yet, through it all, he was just so darned cute it was hard to resist the urge to snuggle him. It was that innate cuteness and irresistibility that led one civilization after another to their indisputably untimely end. Yes, Mr. Fluffy was, quite simply, one very, very bad bunny.

    155 words @klingorengi

  2. He should have seen it coming. When the machine exploded, he thought he had time to fix it—to drain the energy that spilled out.

    “Come on, honey, we have to go.”
    Henry carries her daughter downstairs.

    “What’s wrong, daddy?” Sarah asks. Her stuffed bunny clutched tightly in her hand.

    Henry doesn’t answer. Father and daughter make their way into the garage and into the SUV. The garage door slowly opens up. A bright light seeps inside the garage. Sarah shields her eyes.

    “Daddy?” Henry can hear the fear in his daughter’s voice.

    Henry realizes there’s no escape. The time machine was supposed to be his greatest moment…it turned out to be humanity’s downfall. The light devours everything. Time breaks down. The light reaches the car and the metal breaks into dust.

    Henry looks at Sarah, helpless to do anything to save her.

    “Sorry,” he says as the light reaches the two of them.

  3. Even though his batteries could last a long time, they were nearing the end of their charge. That's when the light appeared.

    Over the years, he had heard humans talk about such experiences. Many described a tunnel from which they could see a light. That light beckoned, drawing them toward it through the tunnel. For most, the experience included a sense of peace.

    Some thought that the experience was a reliving of the memory of birth, but most considered it to be the beginning of the passage to Heaven or some other afterlife.

    Either way, he was seeing such a light, now, and some kind of ring with it that could be part of the outline of a tunnel.

    No longer able to resist, he had to turn toward it and face it. Then, preoccupied with the electric glow, the Energizer Bunny moved slowly and inexorably toward that insidious horizon.

    150 words.
    @LupusAnthropos

  4. Each rabbit was warned of the dangers but Bobtail was a dreamy little bunny who paid little attention.

    Everyone knew Farmer Davy’s carrots were the tastiest for miles around, well worth risking a hop across the great black divide.

    Late one evening when the sky was twilight purple, Bobtail stuck his twitching nose out from the hedgerow. Even from here the delicious scent of carrots reached him.

    Without stopping, looking or listening he bounded towards his golden prize. An insidious horizon loomed, the sun had fallen from the sky and he was mesmerised.

    ——-

    Floating upwards aware of incomprehensible babbling he was caressed by angels.

    His resting place was a square, wooden box, kept dry and clean, with a criss-cross view of the world he’d left below. Even if space allowed there was no hopping now, his back leg strangely twisted.

    A plentiful supply of juicy carrots convinced him, this was heaven!

    151 words
    @reravelling

  5. As a freelance photographer, I love Halloween. I know I can walk the streets and find pictures that will sell. And this Halloween was no exception. Instead of decorating, someone had created art. They’d set a small desk lamp on its side in their yard, put a swath of gold carpet in front of it, and set a stuffed pink bunny rabbit toy in front of the lamp. They’d put skeletons and tombstones along the edges of that carpet. After sunset, the lamp came on, glowing dimly, back-lighting that bunny. It looked like the sun, sinking below the horizon. The feeble light just reached the skeletons and the tombstones. The bunny transformed into a giant killer rabbit, rising from the insidious horizon, walking through the destruction it had wrought.

    It was a work of art. I was going to enjoy the paycheck I got for that picture.

    150 Words
    @LurchMunster

  6. Here's my official entry

    Terrell's Prayer

    Terrell awoke short of breath. He reached for his inhaler, but each press released less of the life saving medicine millions took for granted. He knew it had run out. Also knew buying more meant Momma wouldn't eat that week. A heavy burden for a seven-year-old.

    A croak, a plea for help barely escaped his lips, dying at his closed bedroom door. His knees buckled and he reached for the standing light which fell to the ground with him, too quiet on the plush carpet to wake anyone.

    The light shone in his eyes, turning everything else black. Alone and uncomforted, Terrell was ready to meet Jesus just like Pastor had promised, but that thought offered little consolation against the insidious horizon in front of him.

    Terrell prayed.

    Above him, Blue Bunny tottered over the edge of his dresser, landing in front of the light.

    They found Terrell's body holding his best friend.

    @Leo_Godin – 155 words

  7. And, just for fun. Here's "Don't Tell Tommy"

    "I may be cute, but I'll fuck you up." Blue Bunny stepped into the insidious horizon before the man. "Now tell me, where's the boy?"

    "He's off to college. He outgrew you."

    The man strained against the tight rope. He glimpsed a broken window to his right.

    "Look," the man said. "I told you everything."

    "Liar! You're hiding him, just like you hid me in that box. You want him for yourself, but you can't have him. I got Tommy thorough the terrible twos, it was me who comforted him when Brian punched him at school. He's mine!"

    The man pulled his hands free from the rope and picked up Blue Bunny. "I always thought you were creepy," he said, before stabbing the stuffed animal against a shard of broken glass.

    Tufts of stuffing bleed out of Blue Bunny's chest. "Please," he said with the last of his cotton breath. "Don't tell Tommy."

  8. Interrogation
    By Lisa McCourt Hollar

    “Where’s Anne?”

    “I don’t know.”

    Andy turned the light up. “I can keep this up all night, Bunny. Where’s my sister?”

    Peter squinted, his whiskers twitching, “I don’t know, last I saw, she vas vith the new guy… Mike…Michael… no, Mickey.”

    “Yeah, I talked to him. Mousey looking creep, but he has an alibi. You don’t.”

    “I told you, I vas under the bed, cozying up vith a little dust bunny.”

    “Not likely, Timmy’s mother swept under the bed yesterday. Start talking.”

    “Alvight, I admit it, I vas checking out Bab’s new vide, the Insidious Horizon. I crashed it into the closet door, I didn’t want her to know, but I swear…”

    “MY CAR!”

    Sticking her head under the closet door, Barbie screamed. Anne’s body was stuck under the wheel, her stuffing strewn across the floor.

    “Is she…” Andy’s voice trembled.

    “She’s fine,” Mr. Spock said. “She just had the stuffing scared out of her.”

    Word Count: 155
    @jezri1

  9. Bunnys Vs Birds

    Climbing from the rabbit hole to the sight of the insidious horizon, the small pink bunny emerged, joining his awaiting partner, Duri Cell. Having traded his bass drum for an arbalest, he adjusted his sunglasses as he turned to his partner, “Duri, I think we might have bitten off more than we can chew.”

    “Yeah,” Replied Duri, his perpetually cute pink bunny smile fading, “Those Angry Birds and their stupid slingshot are positively indomitable. They’ll be the death of us.”

    “Well. I guess it’s time….” Enny Gizer’s voice trailed off.

    As they meandered toward the ruined city, neither spoke. Ever alert for the incoming bird attack, they scrutinized the skies as they marched.

    “Ya know,” Duri spoke, breaking the oppressive silence, “once we get back, NOBODY will believe that WE actually worked together. “

    Enny shifted his arbalest again and they continued on their journey. The trail kept going, and going, and going, and going….

    Word Count: 155
    @me2annoyed

  10. Of all the burrows in all the meadows in all the world, she had to hop into Harvey’s. The last time he’d seen his wife she was cowering behind her fluffy white paw staring at the insidious horizon. There was a time they were a herd, but that was 88 kits ago. Now, all they had were memories. Harvey slid a carrot toward Adel. She looked older under the single white bulb.
    “You left me with 100 hungry mouths to feed,” Adel said.
    “12 of them weren’t mine.” Harvey thumped his left hock.
    “You left me with…” He watched her do the math, “88 mouths to feed.”
    “You played with Energizer’s batteries.”
    Adel frowned. “It wasn’t energizer, it was Easter. At least get your facts right and know who I was hopping around with.” She batted her eyes. “I’ve missed you.”
    “I’ve gotten over you.” Harvey smiled when Bugs came over and kissed him.

    @fetterslopez 154 words

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