J.J. Cunis Wins Flash Fiction Challenge

J.J. Cunis 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. (In case of a tie,  the writer who submitted an entry first is the winner per our rules.) Without further ado, here’s the winning story:

boothill graveyard feb 2017 flash fiction writing prompt
Photo copyright K. S. Brooks. Do not use without attribution.

Graves
by J.J. Cunis

Josh backed the pick-up to the Smiley grave.

“Wait! These are the rocks?” exclaimed Janice.

“Yeah. Enough for a border around the garden.” Josh hopped out and started loading stones.

Janice followed, “That’s somebody’s bloody grave!”

“So?”

“You’re disgusting! You can’t desecrate a grave!”

“Don’t worry. This bloke died over a hundred years ago. He doesn’t need ‘em.” Josh tossed a rock in the bed. “Besides they use rocks on shallow graves to keep the dingoes from digging it up. After a hundred years I don’t think there’s anything left for the dingoes.”

“Stop!” Janice pulled his shoulder as he was lifting a large boulder. Turning to snap at her he didn’t see, but quickly felt the bite of the deadly taipan. It struck again and again before retreating to what’s left of its abode. The rock dropped, crushing several bones in Josh’s sandaled foot.

“Get me up!” Josh lay on the crude cairn in pain. Janice pulled his arm and quickly released it avoiding a return strike by the snake. Josh rolled over to the truck and pulled himself up into the bed of the pickup. Janice scrambled to help him in. “That was a taipan! I’m screwed. Get me down the mountain to the hospital at Grafton.”

Janice ran to the cab. “Where’s damn the keys?!” Josh felt his pocket … nothing. He caught a glint of sun off metal by the mouth of the taipan’s abode and thought he heard an old man cackling.

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