flash fiction – Cindy Young-Turner

Flash fiction winner: Feeding time

I entered another flash fiction challenge at Indies Unlimited last week and this time my entry was the winner! Apparently I rounded up enough friends to get the most votes. You can check out the link with my story and the photo prompt: https://www.indiesunlimited.com/2018/04/29/cindy-young-turner-wins-flash-fiction-challenge-2/#more-72893. My winning entry is also posted below.

Feeding Time

Originally posted at Indies Unlimited

“Wanda, we’re all going out to the wire tonight. You coming?”

Wanda sighed and dropped another worm into the open mouth. “Wish I could, Carol, but this one is so hungry. I can’t leave her.”

“Mama, mama! Hungry!”

“See what I mean?”

Carol flapped impatiently. “Can’t you get Jack to watch her? You need a break!”

“Jack’s busy with the older girls, teaching them how to fly. We had to get them to leave the nest. He wants to make sure they’re ready. Hold on, be right back.” Wanda swooped down to snatch up another worm for her hungry chick. She thought about all the good times she’d had on the wire, twittering away with her friends. Those were the days, before all the eggs and the hatching and nurturing. She’d been more than just a mama bird.

“Carol, I really want to, but you know I can’t.” She landed in the nest and delivered another worm. “Maybe in a few weeks when she’s older.”

“That’s what you said the last time. A few weeks. And then there were more mouths to feed.” Carol squawked. “Suit yourself then.”

Wanda watched Carol fly off to the wires in the distance. Already some of their friends had gathered, and their playful songs echoed on the breeze.

“Mama, mama.”

“Yes, little one? Are you still hungry?”

“No, mama, sleepy now.”

Wanda curled up next to her fuzzy chick. Sometimes being a mama really was what she liked best.

Flash fiction: Little dog – big city

I wrote a piece for last week’s flash fiction challenge at Indies Unlimited. Here’s the original post with the photo prompt. Of course, it was about a dog.

Little Dog – Big City

Originally posted at Indies Unlimited

My mission was to scout ahead for the pre-invasion force. The commander decided to transport me down to Earth in the form of a dog. A white, fluffy dog, to be precise. They dropped me in the middle of a place called New York City with orders to avoid contact and determine how much firepower we needed to conquer the humans.

Piece of cake, as the natives would say.

Avoiding contact was easy. They were all too busy staring at their communication screens. Everyone had them, and those who didn’t would stop at stare at the ones on top of buildings or in store windows. Most of them were communicating with primitive symbols or watching silly cat videos. My job was done. We’d have no trouble invading this planet.

I sent a message to the mother ship to pick me up and trotted across the street to wait. Suddenly a human driving a yellow and black vehicle barreled toward me. I froze. Horns blared. A voice screamed, “Not the dog!”

A young girl dashed into the street and scooped me in her arms. “You’re okay,” she whispered and carried me to safety. “You look just like my Fluffy. I still miss her. Do you have a home?”

Then I felt it. Love. That tail of mine started wagging and I had the sudden urge to lick the girl’s nose.

I cancelled my transport and the invasion. I wanted to stay a while for snuggles and bacon treats.

Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Anthology

I’m excited to be part of the Indies Unlimited 2016 Editors’ Choice Flash Fiction Anthology!

My flash fiction piece titled “Solo” won one of the weekly flash fiction contests last year and was chosen to be included in the anthology. Please take a look, there are lots of fun short pieces to read. It’s free today and afterward only $.99 for Kindle!

Get your copy on Amazon

Flash fiction challenge winner

I’m excited to announce that I have the winning entry to this week’s Flash Fiction Challenge at Indies Unlimited! Check out their post for the photo prompt: http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2016/11/05/cindy-young-turner-wins-flash-fiction-challenge/

And here’s my flash fiction piece:

Solo

(originally posted at Indies Unlimited)

First mate’s log, the former Trident

Day 1 adrift. I spot a ship in the distance but I do not think they can see me. Time runs short. Those deadly, spiteful creatures continue to torment me.

Day 2 adrift. The ship is closer but they still cannot see me. The white devils surround me now. If you read these words, I beg you not to be deceived by them. The white dolphins. Captain said they were good luck when we spotted them leaping near the ship’s bow. They seemed to like it when the cabin boy played his drum.

Day 3 adrift. I fear this will be my last day. The ship is still too far away and my voice only croaks out a call for help. The dolphins circle closer. I thought I glimpsed a drum around the neck of one of them. I keep imagining those last hours on deck, the white beasts flinging themselves at the ship, ramming holes and leaping so high they tore down the mast. The screams of my shipmates as they were flung into the sea and the red waters churning about me as I clung to a piece of wreckage. Their teeth gleam in the night.

First mate’s log, the Pequod

Found the wreckage of the Trident. The lone survivor died not long after we pulled him on board. Something about the white devils. Ahab is certain he meant the white whale. Have only spotted a pod of white dolphins.

Flash fiction: Form of a lizard

A couple weeks ago I did another Flash Fiction Challenge at Indies Unlimited. Here’s the prompt and my story follows. Enjoy!

Form of a Lizard

Lizard Man took a deep breath. This was going to be their year. They’d finally win the superhero competition and the grand prize—a fully outfitted secret hideout. All of the A-listers had one. He and Turtle Boy still shared basement space in his parents’ house. It was humiliating.

“I won’t let you down, Turtle Boy.” He transformed and scuttled underneath the door. Once inside, the Crystal was easy to spot. It sat on a lighted dais in the center of the room. Lizard Man did his happy dance. All he needed to do was shrink the crystal with his shrink ray (last year’s fourth place prize), slip back under the door, and then he and Turtle Boy would return to the judging room victorious.

“Let’s see who likes second place this year, Scorpion King!” he shouted, thinking of his arch nemesis who was always faster, smarter, deadlier, and well, had a snazzier costume. “And that goes for you, too, Rat Girl and Super Rabbit! Me and Turtle Boy, we’re moving up this time!”

A sound caught his attention. Was that…? “No, it can’t be! How did you get in here?”

Calico Cat smoothed her whiskers and purred triumphantly. “You’re not the only one who can get into tight spaces. You’re a joke, Lizard Man. And that spandex is so dated.”

Her cat boomerang pinned him to the wall. Maybe we’ll redecorate the basement, Lizard Man thought dejectedly. But next year they’d win for sure.