Writers! Rev up your aethereal engines of imagination, and use the image above as a prompt to create a microfiction of one hundred words or less!
Anything that fits under the umbrella of speculative fiction — science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction and more — is welcome to be shared as a comment to this post. I will select my favorite very short story from those submitted… and turn your words into a fully polished and credited presentation (in the style of my Aethereal Musings) to be featured on an upcoming Thursday on the blog!
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!
If your piece is selected to be featured, you will be in the running to win the 2019 AETHEREAL ENGINEER WRITER SUPPORT PRIZE PACKAGE!
This mysterious box will be packed with all sorts of wonderful goodies catering to your authorly needs, all hand selected by yours truly! At a total estimated value of at least $100, you could brag about receiving one of the highest per-word payouts for any submission, anywhere!
How might you win such a fantabulous treasure?
The featured Thursday posts for Aether Prompt winners (not the initial Wednesday prompts) will receive a score. Each “Like” on a post will grant one point to the author’s score, and each unique WordPress reblog will grant three points. The author of the piece with the most points by December 1st, 2019… WINS!
I reserve the full and unquestioned right to break any ties, disqualify entries if shenanigans are suspected, and declare a winner with absolute and final authority. If you win, I will require your physical address to ship your prize to you (with standard shipping included free of charge).
So what are you waiting for? Write to get your creative engines going today! Write for the glory! Write for a chance to win a fantabulous prize!
But whatever you do, just keep writing. :-)
Take care everyone, I look forward to your creations!
~Jason H. Abbott
Aethereal Engineer 
The sounds of children floated through the grime covered windows. Laughter. Singing.
“From when there were still songs,” Ann said to herself.
As the platoon passed, Ann lowered her rifle so she could run a hand over the glass.
“What are you doing, A?” The crunch of her Lt.’s boots followed his whisper. Ann sighed, then shouldered her weapon.
“I was only-”
“No, A! I meant didn’t you see the lights were on?”
Ann’s eyes widened and she froze where she was. She only had to look down to see the faces of wraiths staring back through the windows.
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Congratulations, Scribe of the Vault! You’ve won another round with this entry for the April 3rd Aether Prompt!
Yours was my favorite entry, hands down, without much agonizing or debate this week. You did an excellent job with mood and relaying aspects of setting with glimpses and mystery. In 99 words you made an incredibly tight opener that I think would get a lot of people turning a lot of pages as the story of this platoon unfolds. I’d love to read more. If you haven’t thought about expanding this one, I encourage you to do so… this a sold concept I think you could run with.
Your winning entry will get a featured post tomorrow. :-)
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Thanks so much. Lesson learned: Channel Steven King! (Jk) This was a fun one. I will definitely be saving this one.
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You’re welcome! Always write yourself, otherwise you might end up in “Misery”. ;-)
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Wow! Ha. I just can’t… lol
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Only just realized I spelled his name wrong too. lol. Here’s hoping his eldritch gods don’t curse me.
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The land rover crept slowly and steadily through the woods dripping with fog. Jack switched on the windshield wipers, but it didn’t seem to help much.
The GPS whispered with Marilyn’s voice, “We are lost.”
“I know where I’m going.” Jack tried not to snap. He had loved his wife for so many years. Installing her voice into the GPS had seemed like a sweet reminder. A way to keep her with him after cancer took its toll. The salesdemon had been very sympathetic, after all.
Maybe it was a metaphysical accident. Maybe the salesdemon had known that Jack’s grief would torment him every time Mari9lyn’s ghostly voice emerged from the speaker. It didn’t matter any more.
Beyond these mourning woods were the high cliffs called Dead Man’s Curve. People went off the cliff sometimes, on foggy nights like these. It would be as tragic as cancer.
“We are lost,” Marilyn’s voice whispered from the GPS.
“I know, honey.”
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This was heartfelt, intriguing, sad, and absolutely worked great as a self-contained piece. I thoroughly enjoyed it, Deby. However, the max length for entries is 100 words and this was 159.
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Bummer. Next time one hits me just right, I’ll try again.
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Here’s my take on the prompt:
https://thedarknetizen.wordpress.com/2019/04/06/microfiction-long-drive/
Happy reading! :)
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Nice work, as usual Netizen. :-) You’re really good at the dark twists, but I like your mix of cautionary tale and ghost story in this one better.
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“What do you mean we have to stay?” A voice complained above Shards shoulder.
Shard rolled his eyes as he unhooked the battery from the car. “I didn’t say that we had to stay, Lily, I just need time with this cursed engine.”
Lily looked worried, a gather of mist forming a young floating child.
“There are very few infinity engines around these days, a result of engines being permanently possessed by souls. It has an infinite source of energy, and-”
Shard cut off as a ghoul formed in front of him. “But they also gather incredibly powerful undead…”
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You know, I think my old 1986 Dodge Aries also had a haunted engine. Or mice. Or both. Either way, the steering wheel popped-off in my hands and that was pretty scary.
A nice ghostly entry this week amid a quartet of spectral stories. Well done!
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