First Campaigner Challenge: Shadows and Light Flash Fiction

Posted February 25, 2012 in Creative Writing / 24 Comments

 I’ve been meaning to take part in Rachel Harrie’s First Campaigner Challenge all week now, but work and real life has kind of interfered, which is why I’m posting last minute. This was the challenge brief:

Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “Shadows crept across the wall”. These five words will be included in the word count.  If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), do one or more of these:

  • end the story with the words: “everything faded.” (also included in the word count)
  • include the word “orange” in the story
  • write in the same genre you normally write
  • make your story 200 words exactly!

I tried to interpret the brief in an original way. My entry is 192 words and tends with the line ‘everything faded’. This is what I came up with:

Shadows and Light
Shadows crept across the wall between worlds, his dark form stretching into long arms and legs. Light’s pale glow greeted him on the other side and though he looked weak and tired, the brightness of his gaze was still intensely painful. Shadows saw what he planned immediately, and as Light thrust the dagger towards him he merely shrugged him off with a flick of his cloak, casting him to the ground.
“Get out of my way, brother. I have business here tonight.”
“You’re no brother of mine!” Light spat. “You’re just a parasite- feeding on people’s fears and infecting the world with death and despair. I’m nothing like you.”
“Not so. Perhaps you have forgotten that I am born from your own limitations? I can only get to the hearts you cannot reach, to the minds you fail to illuminate. What I do is….a necessary evil. We have the same purpose. You know as well as I do that neither of us could exist without the other.”­­­­­­­­­­­­
“Then perhaps it’s time for me to die,” Light croaked, wrenching the dagger from his own heart. There was a blinding flash, then everything faded.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

What do you think? Does it make any kind of sense? If you enyoyed it you can ‘like’ it here. I’m number 201. I’m looking forward to reading the other entries and seeing the diverse ideas that people come up with.

I’m really enjoying the campaign so far. I’d like to thank all the people  who have visited and commented on my blog and welcome my new followers. I hope to visit a lot of blogs and get to know more of you this weekend.

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24 responses to “First Campaigner Challenge: Shadows and Light Flash Fiction

  1. Ooh this is very good!! Love the light and dark! My first novel was sorta about that! Great job! You have my vote!

    I'm entry #19

  2. This is great. At first I was a bit confused but it became clear during their conversation. If light learned that then he would sacrifice himself, I could almost see it. But it makes me wonder what there is left to see when there is no light or darkness. Or did darkness just trick light?

  3. What an intriguing interpretation between the light and dark in battle! I like how you were able to give humanistic qualities to these two elements. Thanks for sharing!

  4. Fascinating twist on the good/evil, night/day conflict. I love it!

    (Hi! I'm Susan from My Withershins. Sorry I have to use my alter-ego, but some sites do not seem to like it when we WordPress folks want to leave a comment!)

  5. Yes it made sense. The oldest story of all and yet completely unique in how you did it. Great job!

    Hello from your poetry group. My entry is a poem, number 148, in my next to last post.

    You're in my last post. Tag, you're it!

  6. I had to reread to catch on that Light and Shadows were being used as names, but then it made sense. I liked it. Very original. = )

    I'm #149
    melissamaygrove.blogspot.com

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