FINISH THAT THOUGHT #5 - RESULTS!

WooHoo! Yesterday's competition was fierce! You made it tough for Dr. Mike Reddy (well done)! Here are the judges comments and decisions (cross your fingers!):

Judge's notes: Thank you for a diverse set of stories, all dealing with the deliberately vague use of pronoun in their own way: some modified them to suit their tales, while others played on the ambiguity. A few of the stories were led by the special challenge words, but none were overburdened. 

Each of the stories captured my interest, from Jessica's capable spy, action adventure to Roger's search for his father in which Prathiba (@needanidplease) reminds us of having faith. 

RockChick's second-hand account, dealing with mental illness, and LurchMonster's rather visceral, spectral retribution both addressed some difficult topics; not everyone feels that comfortable stepping into the darkness, but some of the best horror writers come from such beginnings (or is that endings?).

Alan's "Taken" gave us a fishy tale that reminded us we can just be lucky some times. Rebecca and Jeffrey start us on unlikely quests that I for one would like to see concluded! 

So, the diverse range of stories made comparison hard for me. However, I looked for either coherent tales in their own right, or complete narratives that kept popping into my head, making me regret there wasn't another chapter. 

Judge's Special Challenge Champion:

Jessica West "The Capture"

Especially the use of 'curtain' in the opening paragraph added to the building of character. It suggested a caring mother who had trained her son as a precaution against her dangerous work. While I hadn't anticipated 'hot water' - so obvious now, of course - I think the fact that I feel the kidnappers, whoever the are, Trinity Guard or some new menace, have really bitten off more than they can chew here. So, hot water seems justified.

Judge's Special Challenge Runner Up:

Jeffrey Hollar "The Void Collector's Son"

Again the use of 'curtain', this time in a metaphorical way, persuaded me.

Grand Champion:

Jeffrey Hollar "The Void Collector's Son"

Using the title to solve the problem of the opening line's vagueness, straight away wove a complex fantasy setting with mystery and magic and an unlikable, but pragmatic hero. 

Grand Champion Runner Up:

Rebekah Postupak "The Carpenter's Daughter"

Firstly, no dragons :-) Well, not yet anyway. The story itself was intriguing because it has many of the qualities of a fairytale. I liked this because I could see the Blind Prince in future adventures.