Welcome to Thursday 360!
Are you a Christian writer? Think you can write a mind-blowing short story in 360 words or less? Let’s see what you’ve got!
Here’s How it Works
New posts will publish here on Thursdays. Write a 360-word (or less) flash fiction story based on the photo prompt (featured near the bottom of this post) and enter it in the comments section below. The results will be posted the following Thursday along with the new prompt. Winner will get the opportunity to display the Champion’s Badge on their website.
Rules and What-not
The rules are pretty simple. All entries for the current challenge must be posted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday, June 29th. They must be original, unpublished stories inspired by the photo prompt and they must have no more than 360 words (title doesn’t count). Stories don’t have to be Christian in subject matter, but cannot contain foul language, erotic, anti-Christian content, etc… (Let’s try to keep it G-rated, folks.) By posting, you attest that your entry conforms to these rules; I am in no way liable if it doesn’t. I reserve the right to reject/delete anything that does not follow the rules.
All entries remain the property of their authors.
Results for Last Week’s Challenge
Champion: John Mark Miller for his story Fatherhood.
Congratulations! Here’s your e-badge, John.
The Prompt
And here’s the prompt for this week’s challenge.
Remember the deadline is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday, June 29th.
Also, remember to become a follower so you can get email notifications of results and new posts.
Check out Christian Flash Weekly after you’re done for another great contest to help you hone your short fiction skills.
Whitney L. Schwartz 
It Was Worth It
WC: 360
“Watch your heart, Baby,” Daddy whispered to me as he tucked me in every night. “Always watch your heart.”
“I vill, Datty.” I promised.
It seemed to take forever, but finally I was seven and not a baby. “Protect your heart, Honey.” Daddy instructed. “Protect your heart above all else and wait for your one and only prince.”
“What if my prince doesn’t come?” I asked him seriously.
“Your prince will come, don’t you worry.”
Tick, tock. I was now 13. Dad didn’t tucked me in.
“Guard your heart, Amanda.” Dad would say when I said goodnight. “Set up a strong wall and don’t let anyone in unless they’ve proven themselves. Set up the guards to keep watch and make sure they know how to use their arrows and swords. Guard your heart, Amanda, like it’s the most precious thing in the world. Because it is.”
“I’m not a little kid, Dad!!” I would protest. “I don’t need the prince and princess story anymore.”
Fast forward more. I’m 15. Brandon asked me to go on a date and I accepted. His looks alone crumbled the walls around my heart. The night of the date, there’s an accident. Dad never came home. I came home with Brandon to see cars, people and tears.
That was the first night I didn’t hear Dad’s talk. So I told it to myself.
“Watch your heart. Always watch your heart. Protect your heart. Protect your heart above all else and wait for your one and only prince. Guard your heart. Set up a strong wall and don’t let anyone in until they’ve proven themselves. Set up the guards to keep watch and make sure they know how to use their arrows and swords. Guard your heart like it’s the most precious thing int the world. Because it is.”
I rebuilt my wall, tighter than ever. I waited for my one and only prince.
And then I found him. Or he found me. No. It was like God reached down and pushed us both together.
On our wedding day, I gave away my first kiss to my forever husband.
Thank you, Daddy. It was worth it.
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I had a really hard time shaving it down to 360 words!! 🙂 Hate it when that happens! Oh well. I made it. 😀
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