30 Days of Flash Fiction: Day One "Hello"
I ran across Ravenswept's 30 Days of Flashfic after following a link about one of the stories aldersprig did for it. After giving it some thought I've decided to give it a try.
My 30 Days of Flashfic Index Page
The first day's prompt is: Write a scene saying “hello”
The directions say to go for 250 words +/1 50. The word count is reporting back 299 which is on the heavy end. But as my first draft clocked in at 365 words. More under the post cut.
"I don't know Alicia it seems so, impersonal."
"It's got precedent, from back on Old Earth even."
"Maybe so, but Melissa's got a point. It feels wrong." Before Alica could answer him, he added. "It does? I've never heard about anything like this."
"It's in the course syllabus, Richard. They were called Practice Babies. Students cared for babies from local orphanages. This kid will get cared for and we get credit hours for it. That's a win-win, right?"
"Richard's got a point too. The poor kid ought to be adopted, not pawned off on us like some sort of lab kit."
"I sure hope neither of you plan on treating the kid like a lab kit. Have you considered they're probably bringing them from out west?"
Melissa gave a questioning look before continuing. "After their experiment giving slavery and civil wars a try again there probably aren't that many homes or orphanage beds to go around."
"I guess--" The door chime interrupted to announce someone was at the door.
Their professor waited with a young boy at his side. Strawberry blond hair suggested Alicia was right about where the boy was from. He smiled shyly as Professor Burns lead him in.
"Thomas, this is Melissa, Alicia and Richard. They will be taking care of you for the next year."
Thomas looked around quickly, then let his eyes fall as he bowed and quietly greeted them. "Hello... Thank you for taking me."
Melissa stepped forward, squatting and lifting his chin with a fingertip. Alica was correct again it seemed. A tan line suggested where a collar had once rested. Worse, were marks she remembered reading were the from frequent punishment shocks.
Forcing down the sudden fury she felt, Melissa smiled instead. "Hello Thomas. Welcome to your new home."
***
Hey, only one use of an ellipses and one dash in the whole thing. I think I normally use too many of those. Only problem, I may have a woobie in the works there. Hopefully jeriendhal will remember the number for the Woobie support hotline. That, or maybe the emergency cuddle number for Wazaga's Phox.
Pondering the prompt I suddenly had a bit I'd heard a few months back about practice babies, and a recent attempt to track down people who had been practice babies, came to mind. Characters and setting weren't pre-existing, and might or might not be revisited for later days.
My 30 Days of Flashfic Index Page
The first day's prompt is: Write a scene saying “hello”
The directions say to go for 250 words +/1 50. The word count is reporting back 299 which is on the heavy end. But as my first draft clocked in at 365 words. More under the post cut.
"I don't know Alicia it seems so, impersonal."
"It's got precedent, from back on Old Earth even."
"Maybe so, but Melissa's got a point. It feels wrong." Before Alica could answer him, he added. "It does? I've never heard about anything like this."
"It's in the course syllabus, Richard. They were called Practice Babies. Students cared for babies from local orphanages. This kid will get cared for and we get credit hours for it. That's a win-win, right?"
"Richard's got a point too. The poor kid ought to be adopted, not pawned off on us like some sort of lab kit."
"I sure hope neither of you plan on treating the kid like a lab kit. Have you considered they're probably bringing them from out west?"
Melissa gave a questioning look before continuing. "After their experiment giving slavery and civil wars a try again there probably aren't that many homes or orphanage beds to go around."
"I guess--" The door chime interrupted to announce someone was at the door.
Their professor waited with a young boy at his side. Strawberry blond hair suggested Alicia was right about where the boy was from. He smiled shyly as Professor Burns lead him in.
"Thomas, this is Melissa, Alicia and Richard. They will be taking care of you for the next year."
Thomas looked around quickly, then let his eyes fall as he bowed and quietly greeted them. "Hello... Thank you for taking me."
Melissa stepped forward, squatting and lifting his chin with a fingertip. Alica was correct again it seemed. A tan line suggested where a collar had once rested. Worse, were marks she remembered reading were the from frequent punishment shocks.
Forcing down the sudden fury she felt, Melissa smiled instead. "Hello Thomas. Welcome to your new home."
***
Hey, only one use of an ellipses and one dash in the whole thing. I think I normally use too many of those. Only problem, I may have a woobie in the works there. Hopefully jeriendhal will remember the number for the Woobie support hotline. That, or maybe the emergency cuddle number for Wazaga's Phox.
Pondering the prompt I suddenly had a bit I'd heard a few months back about practice babies, and a recent attempt to track down people who had been practice babies, came to mind. Characters and setting weren't pre-existing, and might or might not be revisited for later days.