Ed Drury wins a closely-contested race as the readers’ choice in this week’s Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge.
The winning entry is rewarded with a special feature here today and a place in our collection of winners which will be published as an e-book at year end.
Without further ado, here’s the winning entry:
Oddobon Society
by Ed Drury
From the minutes of the Oddobon Society Conference, May 2012 :
Professor Breverton went closer to the murder of shovelheads to take stills while I remained near our jeep and shot video. The attack happened so fast that I could do little but watch in horror and continue to video tape the incident. Though modern members of the genus Corvus are scavengers and primarily feed on carrion, it turns out that the shovelhead raven is a fierce predator having a singular fondness for warm fresh meat. Specifically the heart. An autopsy of Dr. Breverton confirms what you will see on the video. Dr. Breverton’s chest was punctured by the broad blade of the shovelhead’s beak between his forth and fifth rib near the sternum. After penetrating the doctor’s chest, the bird exhibited unnatural strength in twisting his head sidewise prying the ribs apart to a width which allowed the creature to remove the victims heart severing the aorta, superior and inferior vena cavae. The bird then removed Dr. Breverton’s heart, flew to a spot beside the fence where his fellows where waiting anxiously. The bird then flipped the organ from his beak onto the ground where a loud feeding frenzy was observed. The video ends here, with much cawing and flapping as I felt it was the appropriate time to make my escape.
Congratulations, Ed…but keep an eye on your rear view mirror. 😉
Haha, Thanks Maggie. I’m sure I’ll see you in front of me many times. If not all the time. You had a great entry and I wish it were a tie to be honest.
How deliciously gruesome! Congratulations Ed. 🙂