The first Campaigner Challenge has been posted! The challenge is as follows:
Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “Shadows crept across the wall”. These five words will be included in the word count.
If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), do one or more of these:
- end the story with the words: “everything faded.” (also included in the word count)
- include the word “orange” in the story
- write in the same genre you normally write
- make your story 200 words exactly!
So below is my entry. It’s 200 words exactly. It is in the same genre I normally write (YA fantasy) and it ends with “everything faded.” This is the first flash fiction I’ve written and keeping myself to 200 words was definitely a challenge. 
But this was really fun! I hope you enjoy it.
Farewell to a Placement
Shadows crept across the wall. The frail woman in the bed took her last breaths. Susanna held her hand as tears fell. Such a human reaction. This was the hardest part of the Placement Program. She clenched a letter in her other hand. Her “mother” told her not to read it until she passed but Susanna knew what it said. An apology from the old woman for adopting during the great depression and without giving her a father. She feared she hadn’t given Susanna the life she deserved.
Susanna wished she could have told the woman the truth. Of all the placements over her millennia with the Program, this was her favorite. The joy she brought to people as an adoptee across the universe was why she worked with the Program. But this time? She had beautiful memories of her own. Time spent in the garden with her “mother,” canning vegetables, simply enjoying the land were memories Susanna would relish for years, no matter which planet she was sent to next.
She waited for the Director to collect her for her next placement. She didn’t have to wait long. She felt the shift in the room and then everything faded.
________
I hope you liked it! I am #173 on Rachael’s linky list!
Oh so sad!! I wish I knew more of the story! It really makes me want to read more! I want to know what the Placement Program is. Great job!
I’m entry #19
Thanks Jessica! I somehow felt like that first line we were giving set it up for a sad scene. Right away it made me think of the sun setting. An ending of some sort. Thanks for stopping by!
The premise of this is really quite fascinating. It reminds me a little bit of “Never Let Me Go,” just in reverse. I’m curious to know more!
Thank you! I’ll have to check out “Never Let Me Go” – never read that one! Thanks for stopping by!
The setting here, and the Placement Program, are super interesting! I want to know more ^_^
#109
Thanks Gwen! Thanks for stopping by!
Oooo. Nice. Very clever–historical and sci-fi all rolled into one.
Melissa Maygrove
Campaign Entry #149
Thanks Melissa! Somehow I felt like this had to have happened at a period in our history where life was difficult.
I am intrigued by what the Program is all about, and what is behind the adoptee’s education. Thanks for sharing your story!
#124
Thanks Cynthia! I love these comments that people are interested in knowing more. This story line just came to me for this entry but, frankly, I’m interested in knowing more, too! It would be fun to develop this into a full-length novel.
“She felt a shift in the room”
I liked that line and the placement of it.
Thanks Brenna! It was so hard to do this in 200 words!
Hi! I wanted to let you know you’ve moved on to the next round of judging! Great job!
Awesome! Thanks much!
Excellent writing piece. I like the dark, emotional feel to it.
Thanks Sara!
Oh wow, this is brilliant. I love it. Wonderfully original too.
Thanks Lynda!
Very unusual. I like it. Good job! This would make a great novel. I want more.
Thank you! I’m thinking about trying to flesh it out to see if I can create a novel-length story.
I love how you’ve built a whole world in 200 words. Very well done.
Thanks! Glad to hear your comment. I was afraid I was trying to stuff too much into 200 words!
Intriguing entry! I love it. I see that you moved to the next level, too. Congratulations!
Thanks Kirsten! This was so fun to put together.
Interesting take! Enjoyed very much
Thank you! And thanks for stopping by, Ann!
At first, I thought, “oh, it’s another sad good-bye.” Then comes ‘the program’. What a great twist. This would be an excellent novel!
Thanks Daisy! It was fun to let my mind wander… well, it’s usually wandering anyhow, I guess!
Wow, a “child” going from home to home, across time and space! How old is she?? Awesome premise. Would love to read more about it.
Hope you like mine #189
Thanks Jamie! I’ll go check yours out now. Thanks for stopping by!
Wow! I love where you went with that! So original and fun!
Thanks Peggy! This was a really fun challenge. It was nice to do something a little different than the WIP I’ve been working on … forever…
This intrigued me like no other. The premise and writing is so seasoned.
Congrats Kitty, you’ve made it to the second round! ^_^
Great! Thank you! This was so much fun to write.
Ohh. A placement program to other planets? How interesting!
Thanks Ashley! It was fun to really let my mind wander with this challenge.
Hi Kitty, I couldn’t find your email so I’ll let you know here. I am one of the judges for the first platform-building campaign challenge. I have gone through the entries and have shortlisted yours as one to possibly go into the top five.
Great work!! I don’t have the final say so we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Good luck!
Lyn
That’s awesome! Thank you so much, Lyn. And thanks for pointing out that my e-mail isn’t listed anywhere here (duh!) I’ll fix that asap!
This was really creative. Great idea and shift in reality.
Thanks, Liza! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I echo the curiosity reaction. Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Emotional and inventive. I really enjoyed this!
I’m quite late getting around to the entires and to my #3 group. Glad I finally am. Better late than never, right?
Definitely better late than never! I’m in the same boat. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for the comment on the flash fic.
I think this would be a great jumping point for a book!!
Thanks! I appreciate the comment. Thanks for stopping by!
No problem. Love to visit other’s blogs and see what they’re up to!!
Such a cool premise! And even though you did a great job fitting it into 200 characters, I agree with others that this would make a great starting point for a longer work.
I’ve been slow in making my rounds, but I’m saying howdy from the YA campaign group.
Hi back! I have been slow to make the rounds too. It daunting how big the list is!
All those new friends… what a nice problem to have!
Great si-fi! Intriguing!
Thanks! I’m glad you liked it.