Judith Garcia is the Readers’ Choice in this week’s Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge. The winning entry is decided by the popular vote and rewarded with a special feature here today. (This week there was a tie, and the writer who submitted an entry first is the winner per our rules.) Without further ado, here’s the winning story:
Lightning
by Judith Garcia
“You sure this is far enough?” Clem asked, glancing back at the cabin they shared with their buddy, Sam.
Roscoe shrugged. “Hard to say. Once I thought my old mule was no more’n a hundred feet away, but he was a lot further than that. Took me all day to catch him.”
“That’s ‘cause when you wasn’t looking, he kept moving further away, that’s all. But I know what you mean. ‘Member that tree? We was hunting, and it was powerful hot, and we saw this here tree off aways. Looked like a shady place to rest awhile. But turned out it wasn’t no tree, just a stick in the ground, no more’n two feet tall.”
“We know how big the cabin is, and it’s staying put. Sun’s hotter than the insides of a tater on the fire. I say this is far enough.”
Roscoe plopped down in the tall grass and fanned himself with his raggedy hat. Clem plopped down beside him and did the same. They hadn’t long to wait to see the results of Sam’s tinkering with his newly acquired second-hand air-conditioner. First came the blast, then the blinding white light exploding from the earth to the sky.
“Yup, you were right. Sam and ‘lectricity don’t mix,” Clem said.
“Don’t suppose he’ll try that again,” said Roscoe.
“Hardly likely.”
Both men sat in silent contemplation for a moment, then Clem grinned.
“Leave it to Sam to go out with a bang,” he said.
Congratulations, Judith! Good thing Clem and Roscoe put some distance between them and Sam, before his efforts backfired, and in a big way.