Fred Wilbur Wins Flash Fiction Challenge

Fred Wilbur 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 the 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:

this is the place building SLC Utah 1995 Flash fiction prompt KS Brooks
Photo copyright K. S. Brooks. Do not use without attribution.

Build
by Fred Wilbur

As the crew boss, I was responsible for getting the roof done today. Things were not going well. Jim was late again. This time he reeked of beer and had an attitude. He also shunned the white shirt tradition by wearing a black one.

I ignored him, hoped the others would shame him into behaving. By 10:00 am, it was clear that didn’t work.

Jonathon, Abraham, and Jim were preparing a rafter when Jim hollered “Hey, Johnny boy, do that there tail cut. Now!”

“We don’t do the tail cut ‘til all the rafters are installed,” Johnathon yelled back.

“It will save time, dummy.”

“That’s not our way of doing it,” injected Abraham.

“Stupid, what’d you know?” The whole crew stopped to see what would happen next.

“Jim! A word,” I called and walked away.

Jim followed and when out of earshot I asked, “What’s going on, Jim?”

“I’m doing your job since you don’t have the brains to do it faster.”

“Not now,” I said.

“Why not? You ‘fraid I’ll show you up?”

“No.”

“My way is the only way the roof gets done today.”

“Jim, you’re done for the day.”

“What? You firing me? Good luck on gettin’ done today.”

“If we work together we have a chance. If we fight, we don’t. We don’t need your kind of help,” I said, hating this part of my job.

Jim stormed off. I looked forward to hammering nails.

We finished at 5:07 p.m.

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6 thoughts on “Fred Wilbur Wins Flash Fiction Challenge”

  1. Thank you for this recognition. This was my first time submitting any of my work. There were some good stories. In fact, when I shared this contest with my son, he voted for another story. I still consider him my son, only because it was a very good story.

  2. Congratulations on winning the contest, Fred! I enjoyed reading your story. It’s kind of funny that your son voted for a different story, but I’m glad that didn’t influence the outcome – or your obviously great love for him. He has a mind of his own, but I am sure he loves you, too!

    There were a lot of good stories to read. I try to read them all, every week. Even if I already won a story during the month and I’m not eligible for Reader’s Choice, I like to enter a vote, because I enjoy being involved with this weekly challenge. It has given me such a great opportunity to get my work out there, and it’s a great motivator to keep writing. So happy you joined us!

  3. Nice work Fred. Congrats.

    First time? Great work. You captured the story very well.

    Flash Fiction is a great place to start writing. It forces you to trim away the excess and get to the essence of the story. It forces the writer to be disciplined.

    Cheers.

    1. I agree with you, Rutgar, it does force one to cut the fluff and stay focused on the key part of the story.

  4. Your story captured the mood and subject of the picture very well. I could almost feel the sun on my back and the sounds of the tools.

  5. Thanks, your comment is appreciated. I did try to stay with the meaning I got from the picture.

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