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Alta’s Plume Awards are sponsored by the Euphony Literary Magazine. The four finalists for this spring’s flash fiction competition follow.

 26 Seconds 

00:00:26 | I shove 

00:00:25 | Him

00:00:24 | Into the lift

00:00:23 | The doors

00:00:22 | Close between us

00:00:21 | One final time

00:00:20 | He bangs

00:00:19 | Desperate and anguished

00:00:18 | On the glass

00:00:17 | I wave

00:00:16 | Teary eyed

00:00:15 | My last goodbye

00:00:14 | The timer

00:00:13 | Tick tick ticking

00:00:12 | Away at my life

00:00:11 | I watch 

00:00:10 | The elevator rise

00:00:09 | Bringing him to safety

00:00:08 | Just in time

00:00:07 | He is 

00:00:06 | Safe

00:00:05 | While I burn

00:00:04 | In his place

00:00:03 | And although his soul cries out for me

00:00:02 | Mine is lost in a fiery sea

00:00:01 | …

 Just in Time 

A bone-chilling screech exploded from the tangle of clouds hanging above the valley, followed by the rhythmic flapping of wings. For a moment, the battle ceased. Every soldier halted in their tracks, their eyes locked anxiously onto the sky. 

They knew what was coming. 

Reyna drove her sword into an oncoming soldier before shifting her gaze onto a winged shadow descending from the clouds, a smirk tempting her lips. 

Just in time. 

As the beast advanced toward the battlefield, its jaw snapped open, its throat glowing vermillion with the rising flames. A deep rumble resounded through the sky like thunder before a rain of crimson flames fell onto the thousands of soldiers below. Strangled screams filled the air as men fell all around Reyna, their writhing bodies enveloped in flames. 

Telarion circled the battlefield once, laying waste to the army of doomed soldiers before landing aside Reyna. The ground shook violently as the dragon planted his talons into the firm soil, positioning his left wing so as to protect his rider. Telarion slowly turned to gaze at Reyna, his blazing amber eyes filled with a lust for death. 

One never truly got used to the grim presence of a dragon. 

 An Unexpected Friend

Sarah approached the girl gently. It seemed someone else was putting her old hiding spot to good use. 

“Hi.” Sarah’s voice was barely above a whisper, knowing that it was easy to lose spatial awareness in these safe spaces. Startled, the girl rushed to hide her things and Sarah heard the sound of something small and metal scraping the floor.  

My heart goes out to you, she thought.  

Hiding what Sarah suspected was a knife, the girl rushed to stand up, but Sarah crouched down and looked her straight in the eyes. “It’s alright. I understand that you’re probably going through a lot right now and it feels like now one could ever understand the position you’re in, but I just wanted to let you know that it’s okay to not be okay. There are people that love and care about you and want to see you happy.” 

 The words flew out of her mouth, like her past therapy sessions emerging from the darkness. Small tears filled the corners of the girl’s eyes. Sarah sat down, her back against the wall. “Feel like talking about it?” 

And that’s how Lily found an unexpected friend just in time. 

Waves Along the Sand

 The coarse sand scratches at my feet and is carried away by the waves’ iron grip.

The tangy taste of the icy blue ocean and the medley of

orange, red, green, blue paint the sky like a Renaissance painting.

Was it, too, this beautiful on that day long ago?

That day when the image I saw was entirely different.

That day when the image was burned into your mind.

I stood in the same spot, but it was much different back then

When the grays of the world blended and blurred my vision

All I could taste was the salty water filling my lungs

And feel your arms lifting me back into reality.

If you didn’t come then, what would’ve happened? 

I’m sorry I caused you trouble and made you worry.

But maybe a part of me hoped you’d be there.  

Even though you’re gone, I’ll never forget

That day when you came

Just in Time.