The Musical Chairs Blogfest: Countdown

This is my entry in this month’s Absolute Writer Water Cooler. The idea goes something like this:

Why don’t we do a blogfest related to genres? A sort of musical chairs.

As in, why don’t we all list our names, websites and preferred genre. Then through a fair and scientific method *cough* drawing names from a cup *cough* we’d each be assigned to a genre different than our own. Each of us would be responsible for writing a flash piece (under 1000 words) in our assigned genre during the month of January.

So what do you think? If you’re interested, post your info and let’s start the chain game…

I had to chose between Erotica or Historic. So I chose historic fiction. Let see if I can pull it off.

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Cape Canaveral, Florida, June 16, 1969

T-Minus 5 minutes….

The stands filled up with reporters, VIPs and family members. I sat as high as Dad would let me, on a blanket borrowed from mom. The sky over the Floridian plane was clear as far as the eye could see. A few white wisps of moisture reflected the bright June morning sun. I just turned 12 a month before.

4…

No hippies in this crowd. This was as far in the U.S. as you could get from Haight-Ashbury. The men wore light colored polos or white shirts with black slim ties and square Rayban sunglasses. A little transistor radio blared the control towers narration of events. I knew all the lingo by heart. My dad worked for NASA after all. But then everybody Dad’s worked at NASA. My Dad worked in the rocket assembly building were they put together modern days towers of Babel.

3…

All eyes, both on the stands and through the TV cameras, of the entire world, focused on the majestic white tower named Saturn V. White plumes emanated from the gantry. I grabbed Dad’s binoculars. My eyes focused on the giant red letters on the side, seeing if I could pick up any activity that would signal the moment of launch.

2…

I felt the anticipation in the air. My mother clapped her hands in nervousness. Little Lisa squirmed in her seat.

1…

No turning back now. The man from the Control Center sped through the procedure. He started to countdown the second by second at t-minus 12. My heart beat faster with each second. It was now or never. The bottom of the gantry disappeared in a gout of red flame and white smoke. At 9:32 a.m. the rocket lifted off. It climbed slowly into the air.  The thrill of the moment flooded my senses. The clapping, the cries of elation, the roar of the engines, all retreated into a distant recess in my mind. All I could see was a titan climbing to Olympus on a pillar of fire.  The dreams of thousands generations condensed into a single moment.

I’ve followed the pillar of flame through school, the Air Force Academy, the astronaut program and now I sat, listening to another countdown in my earpiece. As close to that pillar of fire as anyone could be. On top of it to be precise.

T-Minus 5 minutes….

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Well that’s my take on Historical fiction I hope you like it. Make sure to visit the other entries on the BlogFest:

Week One (January 7th)
Regan- http://www.reganleigh.com/?p=1955
Gary- http://bigwords88.wordpress.com/2011…airs-blogfest/
Claire- http://clairegillian.com/2011/01/06/…-duty-mom-ops/
Hillary – http://hillaryjacques.blogspot.com/2…-blogfest.html
GradyHendrix – http://www.gradyhendrix.com/

Week Two (January 14th)
Amanda- http://www.amandaplavich.com/
Dolores- http://dianedooley.wordpress.com/201…urban-fantasy/
Ben- http://ben-bradley.blogspot.com
Agnyl78- http://iototasi.wordpress.com/2011/0…c-17-material/
Jamie- http://jamiekswriter.livejournal.com/
Cole – http://www.colealpaugh.com/blog/
Scarlett- http://scarlettparrish.blogspot.com/

Week Three (January 21st)
IdiotsRUs – http://juliazknight.wordpress.com/
Janine- http://janinesclayson.blogspot.com
Aheila- http://thewriteaholicblog.wordpress.com/
Mike- http://dispassionatewitness.wordpress.com/
CScottMorris- You are Here already!

Week Four (January 28th)
Sianshan- http://chapmansian.blogspot.com/
Ralph Pines- https://ralfast.wordpress.com
rmgil04- http://writersinprogresswip.blogspot.com/
Proach- http://www.deannaproach.com/
Regypsy- http://regypsy.wordpress.com/
LadyCat- http://carolsrandomness.blogspot.com
LadyMage- http://www.katherinegilraine.com

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