She stepped out of the portal, and with her first step knew that something was wrong with her beloved W'garsia. This land grew from ideas. Hers and those she loved. It's very name implied randomness but the chaos had structure and form ... had structure and form. The grass under her feet was brittle and dry, not like that of water starved grass but more like paper that had fallen too close to the candle. The sky itself held no colour as if it had all been washed away.

She walked down the empty streets, listening for any noise that might indicate that she wasn't alone. She listened in vain.

Soon she found herself in one of her favourite buildings, usually so full of laughter and tales. Now it was empty save for one faded picture on the wall. She knew the picture told a story but could not bring the tale to mind. Hours passed as she sat in contemplation but it seemed as if a terrible writer's block sat on her very soul. Hours turned to days with no words for company. She risked another look at the picture but it was gone. So too was the building. Only ashes remained.

She saw around her the fall of this once great land and, powerless to halt its passing, wept.

Oh crud. I forgot this wasn't a caption contest but a flash fiction contest. It even says it right there in the title. And I was working so hard to condense that one.

I'll have it re-expanded later.

Why didn't I listen? Jeanna wept. If she'd only sorted her shorts into a separate laundry pile, her hoodie would still be dazzling white...

Yeah... I was really gonna write something for this one, but due to recent events, I lack the will. I'll get you next round, Gadget!! *shakes fist*

This is dragging on too long.


With only two entrants, I declare Insp the official winner.

Take it away.

Eek, sorry I didn't see this right away!



Link to full size

He couldn't shake the feeling that he just shouldn't be here. The son of a military man who was the son of a military man, he had never felt he had a choice but to enlist himself. It's not like he had any dreams of his own that he wanted to follow and he'd been good at what he did. The army had given him a home and a direction. He'd excelled. They'd given him command and special missions until he'd found himself here.

He'd long since become used to traveling by wormhole and the unusual destinations he'd ended up but this world just felt profoundly ... wrong.

The men tired easily and just seemed flat. It was as if their life was being drained from them. The rest breaks were becoming more frequent and it was harder and harder to start each day. Moral was at an all time low. How many hours had it been since he'd noticed that they no longer left footprints in the dust. He'd tried to think of what he was going to do when the men noticed but it was just too hard to string two thoughts together.

Maybe it was time for another break.

[oog] remember when I had a story printed on a napkin? If you're in Toronto you could do the same: http://tinyowlworkshop.com/2013/05/05/n ... liverpool/

Colonel Haken scanned the horizon. "The valley of the King should be after we reach the Spire of the Hand. Are you sure the compass bearing was correct?"

Understormgroupleader Freischutz nodded. "We have been bearing correctly for the past five hours, sir."

"Give me those." The colonel had no particular love for SS, and his sense of self-preservation was wearing a little thin. But sure enough, the map and compass indicated that they'd been on the path. He traced back across their route. A fingerprint?

"Understormgroupleader, what is this?"

Freischutz approached and swallowed. "It appears to be a fingerprint on an ancient map. And before you ask, yes, it appears to be my fingerprint."

"What are your fingerprints doing on an anci..." The colonel stopped and examined the map more closely. The fingerprint was in ink. The paper was ancient, there was no way around that. But the markings... some were far too fresh.

Someone must have stolen the real map and left this flawed copy. The colonel threw the worthless map down and hollered, "Jones!"

Participation or judging, please

I choose drachefly as the winner!