OK, that was very difficult. But an explanation of why I keep coming back to these sites: the always interesting and well-written stories they contain.
O Zangado came in with a tasty little story of intrigue and betrayal. In which the sport is not only sky-diving but also the parading of masculinity before a desirable Miss succinctly described as she of the long hair and longer legs. Both sports signal a defeat for the protagonist, while the Miss takes an unexpected turn for the worse, morphing into a modern day Lucrezia Borgia. What dark and ironic depths lay in the lair of the loping one!
Pseu wrote of the dilemmas of men without women in the domestic world of the family. The trappings of sport and laundry become the means by which a father is evaluated and judged; the true game being the son’s sartorial correctness on the playing field. Mom wouldn’t have made the mistakes that dad does, leaving the son in despair over pink T-shirts. Where is mom? It’s an unanswered mystery in this gentle drama of disappointments and expectations. But mom’s absence exalts her, no longer present to make mistakes, she becomes infallible.
Araminta’s witty short short turns the idea of sport on its head, as a couple use the house as the playing field in a domestic battle. Words fly in this metaphorically succinct story, the husband’s likened to serves in a brutally unequal tennis game against his wife. When the play turns to real physical battle, the wife scores with a blow to the jaw and her husband’s sentimental attachments to old clothes.
Isobel continues the theme of laundry and sports, revisiting and reviving the struggle between women’s work and men’s pleasure in a beautifully crafted and witty piece on the domestic tennis game. Excising the grass stains of sport from the laundry unexpectedly morphs into a husband’s devotion to spectator sports with the size of a TV replacing the everyday realities of the field and the laundry room.
Jan’s story of pre-competition anxiety and the demands of fathers on their sons gives a new spin to the device of a nightmare, when a father’s memories of his own childhood fears of being destroyed while trying to please his father’s demands for excellence are transformed by his acceptance of the role of driving his son toward success. Psychologically subtle, the story gives an answer to the pressures between fathers and sons that is as inscrutable as it is true.
And Ferret brings us into a world where war becomes sport and the odds for life and death can suddenly and startlingly fall and rise given the vagaries of the weather and the planet’s indifferent shape, the natural world that carves out our lives despite our human concerns and small attempts at control over our destinies.
I could have chosen any one of these depending on which writing skill I wanted to emphasize, and I dithered a bit over what was proper and right. But finally I decided to go for the story that I found most emotionally striking, which made me mentally gasp when I read it the first time, Ferret’s “Black Flag.” I was also impressed by Ferret’s language: its individuality and style. So Ferret, I hope you manage to see this post before you rush off; in the midst of sunshine and celebrations of the letter “S”, pick up your prize. I’ll post its url in the comments here later today or tomorrow. Also, you are the one to pose the next challenge. If that’s too distracting or difficult to do in the middle of your ssssssultry vacation, you can designate a ssssssubstitute challenger. Just not me, OK?
Boadicea's Chariot 
Wow!
I didn’t have a speech prepared and I don’t know what to say. Sniff, All the other stories seemed so much better than mine. I would just like to thank Mum and Dad, my beloved of course for her unwavering support, my dog Izzy and the cat Chloe and finally Jaime without whom non of this would be possible. 🙂
Honestly, I quite enjoyed writing something specifically to be read if that makes any sense. Thank you very much Jaime, from you, this is high praise indeed.
As for the next challenge, I had a very hard time weeding my original down to 700 words so I would like to raise the maximum word count to 1000. OZ also expressed difficulty culling his excellent Sktdiving piece.
The next story should not take place between sea level and 200ft and must contain the word “secret” somewhere in the text. All the other rules set by Jaime for the first challenge still stand. Jaime, will you still be happy to judge the entries? Can we set the deadline to 3 weeks from taday? I don’t expect to get much online time while away (it doesn’t start with a ‘S’ for one thing). 🙂
Once again thank you Jaime you have made my day. To all you other entrants, every one of your entries was an excellent read and I am gobsmacked that I got anywhere. To those who didn’t enter, why not give it a go? It was great fun.
Thanks for organising this Jaime. I’ve just been away reading the winning entry – I haven’t had much time until yesterday to do much more than look in – my quizzes are all pre-made and hidden elsewhere!
Well done Ferret! 🙂 Enjoy your holiday and I look forward to some piccies and tales when you return.
Thanks Boa,
This is a good start to the fortnight.
I hope you and Bearsy are enjoying your travels too. 🙂
Your gift is located at http://issuu.com/trobairitzj/docs/blackflag
You all are up rather early in the day. Uh, judging the entries is kind of a task. Would someone else like to volunteer? Jan? Araminta? Pseu? Boa?
Jaime,
That is fantastic! Hee Hee the small furry mammal is in e-print!!!
I am chuffed to bits. Thank You so very much. 🙂
Pretty cool software, no?
I will be happy to judge them Jaime, but the criteria would be from a small furry perspective. We mustelids don’t know an awful lot about fine writing.
I am up early for 2 reasons;
My knee is playing up again, typical.
I’m excited because I go on holiday today. 🙂
I am waiting for the pain killers to kick in before going back to bed, we don’t take off until 7:30 tonight and arrive in Leventland at stoopid o’clock in the morning. 🙂 I daren’t sleep on the flight, my snoring would stall the engines.
Thanks for taking on the responsibility of judging. That is great! It’s not knowledge that counts, it’s what moves you, and you have talents.
Have a really splendid time.
Thanks Jaime,
Splendid starts with an ‘S’ so that I can do. 😉
Right Ho I am going to try and get some kip.
I will try and log in later today, if not, I will see y’all in about 14 days. Woo Hoo.
Ferret
We are still in ‘rest’ mode – at respective parents, which is how I have access to the internet and Bearsy doesn’t – one has broadband and the other doesn’t. We meet up tomorrow for a wedding and then start travelling… Good luck with the knee, and don’t worry about snoring on the plane, no one else seems to bother. We had three young babies crying solidly for 7 hours – in the end the crew bought round ear-plugs for us… what I said is quite unprintable!
Jaime
I’m a bit like Ferret – hopeless at the ‘fine’ writing stuff. I won’t have time for anything much in the next couple of months anyway – but maybe I’ll have a go when I get back to Oz. I’m always up at around 5.00 am wherever I am…
Good morning all, well done Ferret
(You too Jamie, nice to see the ‘creative mob’ doing their thing ;))
Ffffffantastic, O Furry One!
I have always believed in the creativity of ferrets.
Congratulations, Furry, and Happy Hols! 🙂
(Excellent prize, Jaime)
Congratulations, Ferret (he said through gritted fangs). I don’t care what Araminta threatens, I’m still coming to get you if you don’t write some more. Enjoy the hols and see you in a couple of weeks.
😀
OZ
Marvellous. Just catching up after a day at work.
I think it’s only fair that the ‘setter’ does the judging in this now we have got the ball rolling, so thanks Ferret for agreeing to this after setting a fine lot of parameters for the next batch. The closing date will be three weeks from now, that is 15th June.
I’ll post the new challenge as a separate post. Just in case this one shortly disappears off the front page.
Good idea, Jaime… then Ferret can find the links in one place when he returns!
Oh nice one, Jaime. I enjoyed the technicalities and the correct terminology and was pole-axed by the tragic ending.
For the record – although I suspect you may already be in Leventshire as I type – well done, Furry One! Thanks for the new challenge 🙂
Well I don’t know what happened there. I was trying to comment and it disappeared so you may get two for the price of one now!
Anyway, what was trying to say was…well done Ferret. I loved this story; I was hooked from the start, and what I liked most was the deadpan tone which totally belied the sadness of the outcome. Brilliant; I had no idea you had this sort of thing in you. It reminded me a bit of the opening sequence of a Sebastian Faulks novel. Birdsong, I think it is.
And well done to everyone else. Very high standard all round…
The pink eared Furry one deserved this, Jaime.
He is very talented and when he returns from his hols, you should ask to see his etchings 😉
He is a mustelid beyond compare!
Thank you, Jaime for the competition and your judging thereof.
Yes, hello Ara; I agree! Well done to Jaime as well. 🙂
Hello Claire: I forgot to say that the prize was inspired; I loved it, and our Ferret was obviously tickled pink(er). 🙂
Yes it was a great prize! Good comp as well. Sport not my thing, so I was amazed to see what people came up with. 🙂
We aims to please, Ara and Claire.