103rd Times a Charm
Practice makes perfect… right?
“Clink! Where are we with this?” I hiss quietly, knowing my communicator will pick it up.
“Sorry Boss! This hack is taking a minute,”
“You know I’m the one stuck between two walls, right? We don’t have a minute!” I grump, readying the wall cutters.
“Yup.”
“Yup? The fuck? Clink!”
Silence.
“I swear Clink, if…”
“Got it! Go, now!”
“Fuck!” I swear, but I’m already cutting a person sized hole in the wall.
No alarms sound as I step through, and I wipe the sweat from my brow.
“Pattern, Clink! Your right, my left, like we discussed!” I demand.
My sweat soaks me as Clink walks me through the steps to get over the sensor plated flooring.
“No sweat.” I say as I make it across, sans alarm, snorting at my pun.
“Next?”
“The laser wall is… 3 inches to your left.”
My heart seizes as a blare deafens me. The alarm!
“It might have been 2.5 inches,” Clink gulps.
I turn to run, too late. A hot pinch knocks the breath out of me as a bullet burst from my chest.
Jerking awake, the simulator hums as it winds down. “Clink, run it again! 103rd times a charm!”
About the Creator
Heather Zieffle
I've been writing for a few years, and I'm grateful to have found my passion! I've self-published several sci-fi romance novels on Amazon, but want to branch out into fantasy soon. Any feedback is welcome!
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Compelling and original writing
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Niche topic & fresh perspectives
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The story invoked strong personal emotions
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Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
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More stories from Heather Zieffle and writers in Fiction and other communities.
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It was amazing to Dozmin how beautiful the city still looked to him, even knowing its seedy underbelly. The night sky was clear, the air as fresh as it could be, considering the thousands of vehicles clogging the busy streets. Smoothly easing his motorcycle between two luxury cars, he speeds up to get ahead of them.
By Heather Zieffle 12 months ago in Fiction
A Flower Song
Apparently the Aztecs, Toltecs, Chichimecs and other Mexica were crazy about poetry. Despite the book-burning, slaughter, and epidemics that characterized the early stages of the Spanish conquest of the empires of Mexico, some hundreds of poems from the height of their tradition come down to us in Classical Nahuatl, preserved by Nahua and Spanish scholars of the 16th century. One of the most famous poets, Nezahualcoyotl, was a sage-king who opposed the cult of human sacrifice associated with Tezcatlipoca, God of the Smoking Mirror, and favored Quetzalcoatl, the Feathered Serpent. Flowers and feathers were the favorite offering of the Plumed Serpent. Moreover, flowers and feathers are a metaphor for poetry. Individual words, scattered petals, the down of tropical birds. The temples of blood sacrifice could be transformed into temples of flower and song. A sublimated offering to the Heart of Earth and the Heart of Sky encapsulated in the Classical Nahuatl kenning for poetry: in xōchitl in cuīcatl, meaning, "the flower and the song." The following poem is part of a longer work, and is in a state of flux, so take the waters as they flow:
By Rob Angeli6 days ago in Poets
Comments (17)
Dear Heather - Permission to speak freely? You asked for feedback. Are you a Teacher? I'm so far out of the loop but I realize the F' word is totally colloquially accepted, if for no other reason, as a tip of the tongue filler word; it just doesn't get a rise as it once did long ago. But, I see a lot of 'Atta-Girl' comments may disagree. I'm just an adjunct biz law pro-bono professor; giving back to the community. It is never relevant in my arena to do F' fillers; or workable. Not my intent to make a big issue or insult in any way at all: I will delete it in a few moments so not to embarrass. Perhaps you do this as a Fit-In Tactic: Never write for 'Them'...be you, Heather, a very good thing. Please forgive this intrusion. I say this with respect for your marvelous talent even if it weren't F'WordLess. j.in.l.a.
I always enjoy that moment when the reader finds out the significance of the title. Great reveal!
Marvelous work! Keep it going—congrats!
Well done on the T.S.! 😁
lol. This was both intense and well written but also somehow, hilarious at the end. Awesome job. Congrats on TS! Subscribed ;)
Hahahha, that was unexpected. Brilliant. I love how captivating it was, and then surprise! Thank you.
Nice writing!
Very intense... I could hear the tension music playing. Great work building the atmosphere.
Love the momentum! Congrats on TS!
Impressive work with the brief form!
What a delightful and engaging read - so deserving of the TS! WELL DONE!
Great title and micro - I'd read the 104th's attempt!
Simulators!!! Well Done!!! Lovedit!!! Congratulations in T S too!!!❤️❤️💕
Wow,the story is very interested and awesome
Oh, how cool!! I loved the surprise at the end. This was such an engaging read :) Congratulations on Top Story!!
Congratulations on your Top Story
And around it goes again, love the concept