A couple of months ago, I entered the NYC Midnight 100-word microfiction competition. You get a genre, an action to be included, and a word to be included, and then you have 24 hours to write a story of 100 words or less. I’ve dabbled in the microfiction competitions for about five years now. Usually I don’t make it past the first round. I did get honorable mention once, which was exciting.
But this year? I won sixth place in my group! Top ten in each group move on to the second round, so I’m off to the second round for the FIRST TIME EVER!!! I am unreasonably excited about this.
So, if anyone is interested, I’m sharing my little story here. Y’all be kind.
Genre: Sci-fi
Action: Answering a phone
Word: Stub
2124: A Space Oddity
Generational Colony Ship Warren T. Long
Day three of my two-year shift monitoring the bridge. Still 547 years from our destination. Ennui sets in. Smoke from my illicit cigarette drifts.
That noise. The jangle of . . . a telephone? What . . .? How . . .? Should I pick up? Of course I should. Quickly stubbing out my cig, I dash for the Old Earth relic on the wall. Grab the receiver on the third ring.
“Hello?”
I await a reply.
Preposterous! I scream.
“No, I do not want to talk about my car’s extended warranty!”
Damn telemarketers.
