Flash Fiction Challenge: “Choose Your Opening Line”

So, this week has been an interesting one for me.

I’ve been slowly working on a story that grew out of Wendig’s prompt to write a “kick-ass opening line”, but since there was no actual flash fiction requirement to that challenge, it’ll be squirreled away for the flash fiction collection I’m hoping to publish in the next handful of months (which will consist of all the flash fiction pieces so far published here, plus maybe three or four other unpublished pieces). In lieu of that, though, I was able to bang out a 1100 word story for the coming week’s challenge, which I’ve entitled “She-Who-Rides-the-Trees”.

But, I stress the fact that I was able to do so, because, well…look at the state of my hands:

This is why dishwashers were invented, folks.

So, y’all are probably wondering: “Where do you get one of those cool-looking, full-finger ring-jobs like you have on your middle finger, Nick?”

The answer to that question would be “the Emergency Room.” You see, this past Saturday afternoon I was washing the dishes when a lovely Don Draper-esque tumbler we had…well, tumbled and shattered. I got some pretty wicked lacerations on my hands, with the worst ones being my left pinky and my right middle finger. Both of those needed stitches, and the middle finger was so deep that it almost got to the tendon. So, once I get the stitches removed next Friday, I’ll have to follow up with a specialist to make sure that there’s no permanent damage to my ability to use that finger (I know: it’d be tragedy, right?). So, my writing has slowed a little bit, but gotten better over the last few days, and I’m just praying that the specialist finds no problems – but even if he does, it doesn’t seem like it will impact my writing too much.

In other news, those who are inclined should check out the Wellspring Gathering at the Brushwood Folklore Center in Sherman, NY at the end of next month. It’s a great plot of land, an amazing festival (a lot of great workshops, bardic competitions, etc.), and I’ll be there at the very least signing some books. ; )

But, now, I give you “She-Who-Rides-the-Trees”:

Edit: This story has been removed – look for it collected with more of my work in ebook format! 🙂