April 2, 2024, prompt: Write a story that happens in a flash in 99 words (no more, no less). A flash of inspiration? A flash flood? Who shows up in a flash? Who is impacted for a lifetime by a single flash incident? Go where the prompt leads!
In The Blink Of An Eye – by Hugh W. Roberts
The time machine hummed to life in a blink, thrusting me into a whirlwind of eras. Past and future blurred into a kaleidoscope of moments.
I glimpsed dinosaurs roaming prehistoric jungles, the crowning of kings and queens in medieval and Tudor castles, and cities bustling with futuristic wonders.
Time was a relentless river; I was a fleeting leaf upon its currents.
With a final flash, I returned to the present, breathless and exhilarated. Yet, in my mind, the echoes of centuries persisted, a reminder that anyone can journey through the annals of time in the blink of an eye.
Written for the 99-word flash fiction challenge hosted by Charli Mills at the Carrot Ranch.
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I am amazed that you can weave such an in-depth tale in a mere 99 words. Yet the word pictures were clear as a leaf floating down a stream. I’m in awe, Hugh!
Thanks, Marsha. It’s amazing where inspiration for some stories come from.
I’m sitting here thinking, I should write a poem or story, and the call of comments draws me in. Then I’m so impressed by others after reading their blogs that I don’t write anything. What’s up with that?
I found myself down that road once, where all I was doing was reading blogs and commenting on them. I had to take action, which i did, and now have a balance of reading and writing.
I sat down last night and forced myself to write – even though it was a short Tanka. I want to publish a book of poems by the end of the year. I have a lot of material, but my style and subject matter has changed over the years. For my poem last night, I revived an old blog post, updated the pictures online, and then wrote a poem offline. I found out that when you publish a book, you have to unpublish your material from your blog.
Yes, but it depends on where you’re selling your book. I know with Amazon Kindle Unlimited where you get paid per page view, you’re not allowed to publish any of the material from the book on your blog. However, if you sell you book via Amazon, you can publish snippets on your blog.
Interesting. What’s the difference, they are both Amazon?
Kindle Unlimited is where you get paid by the page that it read. People don’t buy the book, but the monthly subscription they pay Amazon for Kindle Unlimited allows them to read as many books as they like.
Yes, but don’t they come on the same deposit?
I’m not sure what you mean by deposit. Email me if you need anymore details, Marsha.
When you get a deposit from Amazon, doesn’t it include both Kindle Unlimited readers and those who bought the paperback book?
Yes, it does. But authors do not pay to include their books in the Unlimited Kindle programme. However, if they do include them in Kindle Unlimited, they are not allowed to publish the stories anywhere else.
That might explain why I don’t get anything from Ingram Spark. I get checks for pennies!
This one is very good, Hugh. I could feel the world rushing by.
That’s exactly what I thought the leaf was experiencing as it rushed by on the fast-flowing stream, Dan.
Great story, Hugh. Time travel in the blink of an eye and in 99 words! I love how you were inspired by walking over a fast-running stream. Way cool!
Yes, ideas for stories can come at any time, Terri. Even while out walking in the rain with the dogs, I saw that leaf travelling down that fast flowing stream and instantly thought it was like time travelling.
Thanks for the thumbs-up on this piece of flash.
You know, to go back in time and see happenings through your own eyes could be scary and exhilarating. I feel a leaf going down a relentless river and experiencing history would be a once in a lifetime adventure but what you end up in a bad situation? Will bad or good memories persist? This is great writing, Hugh, and would make a great series, IMO.
Thank, Eugi. Whenever I have the chance to go back in time, I always go back to happy memories and the happier times. They help a lot.
You’re welcome, Hugh. I prefer to go back to happier memories, as well.
A great story Hugh from a genre I really like 💜
Time travel is my favourite of them all, Willow.
Loved this Hugh. Usually we think about using time machines to travel either backwards or forward. I guess it’s not instant, but books give us that window into different times. Feeling inspired, then a visit to Watersstones for some time travelling
That crossed my mind about going forward or back, Brenda. But then I asked myself what if there was another dimension that we could travel in time. That’s what I went with and changed part of the story to ‘cities bustling with futuristic wonders,’ rather than witnessing the first man to walk on the moon.
Glad you enjoyed this piece of flash. It was a walk over a stream that after heavy rain last week that bought the story to my mind.
It surprises me what triggers our thoughts sometimes.
in the blink on an eye, three generations of E-Coli can come and go. Those same bactteria can kill a man, who might have lived a hundred years. It boggles the mind. 🤣🙃😎
I hope there is no E-Coli in the family, Michael.
Not yet anyway. But they’re breeding faster than we are 🤣🤣🙃
A different sort of piece for you Hugh – wise and zen-like.
Thank you, Jan. It was a trip over our local stream that gave me the idea for this story.
Love, love, love this, Hugh!!
Thanks, Jan. Please do tell me why you loved it so much as it helps me going forward with future stories.
To me, even though it’s fiction, it’s also representative of present day life and all the history we have access to. We have our own virtual time machines. That is what I loved about it, being able to relate it to my current world.
Thank you, Jan. That’s great feedback and will certainly help me with my future stories and writing.
Well done, Hugh! “Time was a relentless river; I was a fleeting leaf upon its currents.” Wow!
Thanks, Jennie.
I got the line you mentioned from the small stream at the bottom of the road I live on. I cross the bridge over it almost everyday and stood there and watched the leaves taking a ride downstream. The stream was fast-flowing due to the heavy rain we’d had.
Lovely! Thanks for the backstory.
I really enjoyed this, Hugh! :)
Thanks, Kymber. What was it that made you enjoy it? I’d love to know more as it helps me with future stories.