Anthrofiction Net's Short Story Contest, Summer 2009

It's the start of the summer 2009 short story contest and the theme is Road Trip!

Road Trip

It’s summer and time to hit the road!

Your characters’ purpose can be almost anything: vacation, business, adventure, fleeing from something, or toward something.

The method of transportation should put your characters up close and personal with the countryside and the locals. If your character can’t hang out the window or over the side and talk to someone, don’t use that form of transportation.

Remember, it’s not the destination that matters—it’s the journey.

And in the immortal words of Mars Bonfire who wrote them, and John Kay who sang them:

Get your motor runnin’
Head out on the highway
Lookin’ for adventure
And whatever comes our way…

Have fun!

Special note: I'll be changing the judging criteria for this quarter, but it's past my bedtime. I'll write up the new criteria and post them later.

Scotty

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Judging Period is Open in the Anthrfiction Short Story Contest

The Judging Period is Open

Here are the stories:


The First Car East

“Cough. Cough.”

In the first hour of guard duty on the top of a train car, you’re amazed by the landscape, and you’re awestruck that a team of engineers built their way through all of this forest. Then, you begin to realize that all the trees look the same, and it makes you sick to your stomach. But, it could just be the smoke. Or, it could just be Sune....



One Way Return

“Happy now?” giggled Cadoc.

He’d stopped the car at the very centre of the Severn Bridge to allow Ieuan (yay-an) his moment.

And his young companion was loving it. Eyes closed with content, Ieu was absorbing the salty estuary breeze standing with paws spread to the wind on the hard shoulder. Gaining a view between the thick metal ropes, he could see out into the channel, the morning sun pale on the murky water....



Life on the Road

There’s nothing better than this: cruisin’ down the road in a white 1960 Plymouth Fury convertible, the top down, classic rock battling with the roar of the V8 and a group of friends to share everything with. It was a good remedy, especially after a long, hard war. It wasn’t one that would make headlines, but, after fifteen years of arguing over us, the Purebreeds finally decided to kick us out of the city we had called home....



Chariot

The sky was cast in shades of faded green radioactive matter that glided silently like ghostly portents hovering over the clockwork beings. Four metallic steeds carried crossbeams atop their backs. Together, they held aloft a ramshackle hulk of a creation, kept together by a nearly perfect equine-like body with imperfect limbs. The head was complete in a dark visor with small trails of light shifting back and forth beneath the tarnished tint....


Important Note

I've rewritten some of the judging criteria. You might want to take a quick peek at one of the ballots so you know what to be watching for when you read the stories.


Have fun with the reading!

Scotty

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