19 Comments

Oh my. Your prose feels like living flesh, and dying in that it is still alive. Out of the three stories you wrote for GWC, this is definitely my favorite. What a fitting tale of Ragndrök to end it all. I believe I won't be the only one who was reminded of Cormac McCarthy after reading your story.

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author

It’s a satisfying compliment to hear that my prose feels alive. Thanks, Hyun Woo.

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Wow. The visuals are haunting. This whole piece is haunting, actually.

"The monumental torches which had once been houses revealed horrors better left unseen." and the line about overcooked fish... your prose is always so *alive*. Hard, but very, very good.

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author

Thanks, EB.

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Awsome! Read your Story before going to bed. Glad to have done this instead of watching stupid YouTube Videos!

Cant wait for the next entry.

Best

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May 4Liked by Eric Falden

This is just brilliant. I love it. So well paced and the flashbacks just keep building the emotional hit in the present. Gorgeous.

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author

Thanks for reading, Ben! I appreciate your compliments :)

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Great interpretation of the prompt to deliver a heartbreaking but riveting short story. I loved how you wove in the past to the present, building the suspense. I'm standing up and 👏👏👏

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author

Thank you, Ann. I was certainly glad that I got to re-use a story premise, since I already had the conflict and characters to begin with and I could spend my effort by adding more weight!

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May 2Liked by Eric Falden

Finally getting around to reading. This one is received. You did your original justice--and more. Can't wait to do the write up for this!

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Amazing! This was so full of suspense and raw feeling. What a dark ending indeed. This is excellent. A tragedy that can strip one bare of humanity had it not been for that little spark of feeling and nostalgia in the protagonist. Great work Eric. Thank you for sharing this piece

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author

Thanks, Ika. I hope you had fun following this competition. Be on the lookout for more stories here...

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I will

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This is my favorite of the stories of yours I have read so far! Well done!

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author

Thanks, DA. I appreciate it.

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The four-word description that sprang to mind after reading was, "Medieval Orkney Isle Apocalypse."

Some great worldbuilding in the piece, with a few "zoom ins" on the personal tragedy. The scenes felt brief, but that's the nature of 2k words.

Succinctly: Splendid Carnage.

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author

Yeah, the scenes were meant to be as concise as possible and not just to hit the wordcount. Rather than stretch the microfiction itself, I just wrote seven (!!!) more to fill out a story. Thanks for reading!

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Oh, this was heavy. A very poignant ending though. The end was the end, in every sense. Best of luck and congratulations, my fellow competitor! I've enjoyed every single story and I'm sure I'll enjoy the stories to come.

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I enjoyed reading the piece and then learning about your process and seeing the original microfiction - thanks for sharing!

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