The clarity of night writing contest...."When the lights went out"

I feel like a kid in a candy store lately. I came across a web site recently called Absolute write.com. (http://www.absolutewrite.com/) . If any of you reading this have ANY interest in writing in general , I very highly recommend this site which I will be adding to my link list. The last few days I have gone here and clicked link after link to so many killer sites and blogs that it just blows my mind. Each one leads me to two or three MORE neat blogs or sites or valuable information. Most of them are in some way “writing related” but even if you have no interest in writing anything more than a blog I encourage you to visit. You may be quite pleasantly surprised.

I LOVE to read, and as such always have a book somewhere close by. The endless information on this site along with the countless links found within reminds me of how I feel when I walk into the local used book store down the road from me. The countless links are not unlike the endless shelves of books to be browsed, borrowed, bought, and read. The only thing missing is that ‘book’ smell, and I think my imagination provides that for me at times. That love of reading at some point sparked an interest in me to try and write something myself. I haven't acted much on that spark but i guess this blog,which i tend to use for 'fun' writing, has been one step along the way. It has allowed me to explore that interest while being safely hidden in anonymity behind my computer screen. Absolute write(or AW as a lot of people call it), has helped me take another of those steps, that of sharing some of my "not just for fun" writing.

One of the many links I came across along the way was a blog by Jason Evans called The Clarity of night.(http://www.clarityofnight.blogspot.com/). Jason is hosting a writing contest. I won’t bore you with all the details (NOT that I find them boring by any means but if you have no interest in writing you may). I will however say that in this contest he has provided a picture and you are to write a story (250 words or less) from said picture. 250 words or less……. I have been accused of being long winded when writing be it email, posting, letters or whatever) many many many times. You only have to look at all my other posts to see that lol. I guess it is God's way of evening out the fact that i am TOTALLY the opposite in everyday conversation.

:::::: mental note to self::::: DON’T do that ‘many many many times’ stuff or you will really be out of words.

As such I can use up 250 words without blinking an eye. However, staying UNDER 250 and still managing to tell a story, now THAT could be a problem.... A challenge...... Just to put that into perspective a bit, This very post right this second is now close to 375 words already….. I LIKE challenges so I figured, what the hell. If you would like to join this contest head on over to Jason’s blog and enter. I am, and while crossing my fingers in hopes of not being the writers version of William wong(I THINK that was his name), of American idol infamy below is my submission….

When the lights go out

In 5 seconds 450,000 volts of electricity travels unseen like the wind thru the trees. It crosses numerous power lines to light up countless cities around the world. Barry Levine knew this all too well from years of working for the Citrus grove electric company to ‘keep the lights on’ as their motto says. How many nights had he braved the elements while Mother Nature threw limbs and debris at him at 40-80 miles an hour? Keep the lights on, Right.

His loving wife always told him his job would be the death of him. He set out every night for 17 years to prove her wrong and until now had succeeded. She had also accused him on numerous occasions of putting his job before his family which irked him to no end. Sitting here now, just before midnight he knew she was right on both accounts.

The lights had gone out for him at 4 minutes till midnight when the guard pulled the mask down over his face. How much time was left? Two minutes or mere seconds he did not know. He felt a bead of sweat trickle down his left temple just as officer Ulrich finished checking to make sure he was strapped in tight. At this moment,most people would be thinking about their family,heaven,or hell. All he could think was

450,000 volts………

5 seconds………….

and God I HATE when she is right!


Hope you enjoy, as always all comments not just the good ones are welcome.

NOte: i came back and edited this one a bit so it isnt my exact entry but close.

Rob