Fifty-Word Fiction Frenzy: A Community Collaboration - Round Five
Make a submission or vote for your favourite entry to be a part of Steemit's story. + Prizes
If you would like to get involved with this community project, please visit this page for information on how to proceed.
Thank you to everyone that has participated so far. @meesterboom, @fisteganos, @sazbird, @spark, @aunt-deb, @cobceo, @riskdebonair, @catulhu, @richq11, @ericvancewalton, @ezzy, @marifa, @dreemit, @smalltalk, @nikflossus, @writingamigo, @surpassinggoogle, @generikat, @countzero, @hexdek16, @madlenfox and @scaredycatguide. We have seen an inspiring amount of contribution so far.
The community voted that @sazbird's short paragraph be selected for the next part in our story.
Something squished in the envelope as I took it. 'Ya don't wanna know Danny, you don't want to put your finger on it.' Arty smirked at that and quickly stood. 'Be seein ya soon,' he said and winked. As he walked away I stared at the envelope in my hand. I knew that address...
Congratulations to you, @sazbird. Your words will now be featured in Steemit's first community-written short story. I have transferred the liquid rewards from last round to your account + an extra 5 STEEM. Thanks for taking part.
Round Five
Who would have thought that earning three million dollars could cost me so much. I had gone from rags to riches in scarcely a year, but I'd have given it all back in a heartbeat if it meant regaining all I had lost. Let me tell you how it began.
His name was Arty, he had slid into the train seat beside me, smiling, gold tooth glinting. "Hey, Danny. You wanna get rich?."
What the hell? How'd this guy know my name? I froze as Arty's smile turned into a cold leer. Something metallic shoved into my side. "Because you see Danny... I ain't askin'."
Looking back now, there are so many other choices I could have made. But terror paralyzed me for crucial moments of time. It seems ironic that it was the inaction of a coward that put me on this path, when so many things that came after took absolute fearlessness to pull off.
It's hard to reminisce about your shortcomings with the barrel of a pistol rammed between your ribs, and I found my attention returned to the piercing stare that Arty was casting upon me. a painful jab from the barrel helped me in my refocusing effort.
"You're gonna do me a favor, Danny." He drawled with no hint of polite solicitation in his glacial tone.
He held my gaze as he reached inside his jacket and withdrew a manila envelope.
Something squished in the envelope as I took it.
"Ya don't wanna know Danny, you don't want to put your finger on it." Arty smirked at that and quickly stood. "Be seein' ya soon," he said and winked.
As he walked away I stared at the envelope in my hand. I knew that address...
..... YOU DECIDE THIS PARAGRAPH. MAKE AN ENTRY IN THE COMMENTS SECTION OR VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE SUBMISSION(S) BELOW......................................................
MAXIMUM OF THREE ENTRIES PER PERSON
If my paragraph is selected, I WILL NOT claim the liquid rewards for the post. They will be reserved and added onto the next winner's bounty.
For organisational purposes, I ask that if you are submitting an entry, reply to the comment which says, "SUBMIT YOUR ENTRIES HERE." This will make it easier for viewers to find and read all of the entries and vote on their favourite(s).
Don't forget to vote for your favourite submission(s).
This story is going great so far! A lot of nice entries here. I actually thought about doing something like this before, though instead of 50 word entries, it would be different posts continuing the story. Kind of like leaving every ending with an open-ended problem that the next post should try to solve. Suffice to say, I didn't push through with it because there would be know community participation haha!
What you did here is awesome though! The 50-word entries is really a sustainable model, and it would be interesting to see how this story would turn out. Lots of different writing styles, so it's great to see that it's all meshing well so far.
Hey, check it out, starting to catch some steem ;)
Yes. Hopefully as the story progresses, the bounties increase also.
You're not making an entry this round?
How long do I have?
9 hours at least. If the post is able to get a few resteems before then, it could end up being longer, with a higher payout. As it stands though, there is 9 hours until the payout cycle ends and I add up the votes.
REPLY TO THIS COMMENT WITH YOUR ENTRIES:
Please also remember to vote for your favourite(s).
It was Emerson's Biotech lab where I developed the virus. I began to sweat as I tore the corner and peered inside. Emerson always wore the same ring. This was his finger, there was no mistaking that. My heart began to palpitate. I searched the aisle but Arty was long gone.
PS. I love this idea, sorry for responding in the wrong spot.
I hadn't a clue what he was saying. What didn't I want to know?
If he'd meant that I didn't want to know what was in the envelope, he would have been correct. Between the fleshy feel to the contents and his sinister emphasis on the word finger, I was all too sure that there was a severed digit, stolen from a human hand inside.
But who did that finger belong to, and why would that address be written on the envelope?
What could she have to do with this? I absently rubbed a phantom pain in my chest as an image of her graceful, talented hand flashed across my mind. I suddenly found it difficult to breathe and I shook my head in denial, replacing her hand with that of a larger one. That scumbag husband of hers with his ten thousand dollar suits and politician's smile...it would not surprise me to learn that fucker had gotten himself mixed up in something like this.
It was Emerson's Biotech lab where I developed the virus. I began to sweat as I tore the corner and peered inside. Emerson always wore the same ring. This was his finger, there was no mistaking that. My heart began to palpitate. I searched the aisle but Arty was long gone.
Nice entry! However I'm not sure it's in the right spot...did you reply to his first comment? Just copy and paste it over if not ;)
oops.
I did that the first time too ;)