furious fiction – Christy Grace Scarlet Pen

Ready (Furious Fiction) | CGSP Short Story

Furious Fiction is a short story workout for a writer!
I hope you enjoy this CGSP Short Story that was entered in a recent FURIOUS FICTION.

All of my family were out there. I could see them through a small crack that I wedged open in the door. They’re waiting for me. Sweat trickled down the back of my neck as I paced the small back room of the large church. This event wouldn’t get started until I went out in front of all those people.

I know I shouldn’t be afraid of my own family and friends, but this wasn’t just an everyday event. It was an ending. Or a beginning, depending on how you wanted to look at it. All we knew was coming to an end; there wasn’t any way around it.

Of course, I could always leave and not deal with it all. I could Jump over the chairs, and head for the large doors at the back of the room. I shook my head, quickly discarding the idea, and turned back to my earrings on the small table. If I was going out there, I was going to look my best.

My hands shaking, I attempted to poke one through my right ear. The sweat was all over my hands now, and I tried to wipe one hand on my clothes. The earring flipped out of my hand and rolled under the table. Groaning, I shuffled onto my knees and narrowed my eyes as I searched for the small, pearl earring.

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“Aha!” I yelled out loud as I spotted it, wedged between the back, table leg, and the wall. I yanked it free and stood to my feet, slipping it into my ear.
“Susan, are you ready?” My cousin Emily asked through the door. “We’re all waiting for you to start this thing.”
I sighed. “Just a minute Emily,” I said.
Great; it was time now.

How was I going to do this? How was I going to honour the man out there? Nothing I could ever say could portray my feelings about him. I felt for the notes in my pocket, then nodded and sucked in a deep breath. I was going to do this service; no matter what.

As I got myself together, I opened the door and smiled at Emily. She cut the lights to the room behind me, and we walked closer to the doors. I listened quietly for my queue. As I walked towards the front of the church, the butterflies pounded in my chest and stomach. I wasn’t used to being in front of a crowd like this.

As I finally made my last step towards the pastor at the front, he gave me a wink. I turned and stared at the man who I wanted to honour; my groom.

Furious Fiction is a fun story competition to stretch yourself and write less than 500 words in 55 hours. This story was to take place in either a wedding, or a funeral. I wanted to try and get BOTH as a possibility as you were reading; right up until the very end.
If you want to enter Furious Fiction, check out the AWC website for all the details.

See You in The Adventures!
Christy Grace

Just Keep Playing | FURIOUS FICTION

“Just put it into the slot!” Evan screamed. I stood, frozen as the sweat fell down my face.
This hadn’t been what I had in mind when I suggested a mystery trip holiday.

I slipped the small knife–which still dribbled blood onto the floor–into the door’s mail slot and exhaled. It was done.
The chilling voice from the speaker echoed, “well done. Stand by for further instructions.”
“Emily?” At the sound of Evan’s soft voice, I turned and frowned. “How are we going to get out of here?”
The room had been designed to keep occupants inside it; with no means of escape. I looked around it once again; up at the cameras and speakers lining the roof.
There were no doors and no windows in the room. Only a chair, and whatever instruments came through the slot in the door.
How had they ended up here?
“Let’s just keep playing the game. Maybe he’ll let us out if we keep playing.” I suggested. Evan gave a half-hearted shrug and collapsed onto the chair.
This was hour 3 of the nightmare they had endured, and the fatigue was written all over his face. I was feeling it too, but I refused to let it show.
The voice echoed once again, “Make sure to bandage your hand, Emily.”
The slot in the door opened, and a sealed medical package dropped onto the floor. It was only then that I remembered my injured hand.
They’d asked for a sample of my blood; apparently the only way to move onto the next level.
How had they ended up here?
Evan tended to her hand and when he had secured the bandage, the speaker sprung to life once again. “Thank you for playing the game. We appreciate your participation. Stand by for further instructions.”
How had they ended up here?
Emily’s memory was unusually foggy. They had just been out for a walk along the beach. Hadn’t they?
“We appreciate your participation. You have passed all the necessary tests. Quickly now, you don’t want to miss the boat.”
Emily shuffled backward as the door to the room unlocked. Cautiously, they stepped forward and pulled it open.
They quickly made their way through the house and exited through the front door. Nobody stopped them, nobody followed them.
After walking through dense shrubbery for an hour, a loud boat horn broke the silence. We stood in silence, staring out at a marina.
A boat. Just like he’d said.
We made our way to the closest one and explained our ordeal.
“You’re lucky. I was just about to ship out when you folks walked out,” the captain explained. We gave our thanks and boarded the ship, away from the trauma that we had experienced.
“We made it out,” Evan said quietly as we sailed away.
I frowned as a small flash of light flickered through the trees. It was coming from the direction of the house. “Just.”

I hope you enjoyed one of my Furious Fiction entries. If YOU want to give Furious Fiction a go, you can head to the AWC website >>>>here and throw your hat in the ring! Good luck!

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace