Designing Lorri

Last night closed the entry deadlines for the NYC Midnight Microfiction Challenge. Competitors were given a genre, required action, and a required word to include within only 250 words. I was happy to accept this challenge after much research that helped me determine that this competition is not a hoax. In fact, NYC Midnight has been running writing competitions since 2002 with many repeat competitors.

Now that the first round of submitting is over, I’m happy to share with you my entry. You can take a look at all the contestants and possible themes here. Mine was Sci-Fi, painting, flawed. If you know me, then you know I got the luck of the draw there. I hope you enjoy my submission for the 250 word challenge. Please leave any feedback in the comments and give this post a “like” if you would like to see more writing posts.

A New Medium

From her window, Elise could see miles of hills and tall pine trees. The sun was setting on an autumn day, but Elise would rise for work once the stars were bright. This wasn’t a common schedule for an eight-year-old girl, but she lived a life that most only dreamed of.

She watched the sky changed from blue to golden-pinks until she saw a flash of light. Blinking, she looked toward the source and followed a trail of smoke into the forest. She thought for a moment about telling her parents, but they would be passed out by now and of no use. Looking at canvases waiting for her touch, Elise chose to be a child tonight instead of a child prodigy. She left her work behind as she grabbed her jacket and boots. Her heart clenched, but it wasn’t guilt: it was a vision.

“I should bring these,” she whispered while stuffing small empty jars into her pockets.

Entering the clusters of trees, Elise was thankful for the moon. She quickened her pace and ran until her vision became reality: a space ship as tall as the highest pine and the scattered bodies of beautifully flawed humans.

“Who?” a voice called,

“Elise,” she replied, dauntlessly crouching next to the being that spoke to her.

“What?” it asked next.

“Artist,” she replied.

“Help us live.”

“I will.”

Elise took out her jars and gathered the shimmering fluid that spilled from these new beings. She made them live forever.