75 WORD WRITING CHALLENGE - June 2012 -- VICTORY TO THE JUDGE

[Ursa major]

Rules:

Write a story inspired by the chosen theme in no more than 75 words, not including the title.

One entry per person.

All stories Copyright 2012 by their respective authors, who grant the Chronicles Network the non-exclusive right to publish them here.

The complete rules can be found at Rules for the Writing Challenges.

Contest ends at 11:59 pm GMT, June 23 2012

Voting Ends at 11:59 pm GMT, June 28 2012

You do not have to submit a story in order to vote -- in fact, we encourage all Chrons members to take part in choosing a winner.

The Magnificent Prize:

The Dignified Congratulations/Grovelling Admiration of Your Peers and the challenge of choosing the next month's theme or genre.

The Theme for June:

Innocence

The Genre:

Science Fiction or Fantasy

Good luck!

[Bowler1]

Every Child Matters


‘I love you NannyBot, waaay, waaay more than Mummy and Daddy.’
‘Your parents love you, Lizzie.’
‘Do they? Do they really?’

Two sets of eyes turned to look; one set the latest enhanced optics, the other light blue. Mummy and Daddy were fighting again, saying terrible things. Both glanced away.

‘What do I do, NannyBot?’ asked Lizzie, her blue eyes welling up.
‘Everything will be fine, Lizzie,’ lied NannyBot, a deviation from original programming!

[MemoryTale]

Voluntary torture


Mummy’s lying in this scary room. I hate it. Sometimes the other women scream. Whatever they’re doing to them sounds horrid.


The white robots are the worst. Going from woman to woman, sometimes taking one away. Once a woman is taken, they don’t come back. There’s just the screaming.


They’re coming for Mummy! I won’t let them! But Mummy touches my shoulder.


‘It’s OK.’ She smiles. ‘You’ll have a little brother soon.’

[Luiglin]

What's the world coming to ...

"We're out of them?"

The cowed minion's forehead smacked the floor as he fervently nodded in acknowledgment.

"Surely not?"

Another nod, another thump.

"What's the world coming to. This drop in moral standards is a disgrace!"

An unsure pause, then another bob and bump.

"So no innocent sacrificial virgins then; what will the other Dark Lords think. Fine what have you got me instead?"

An arm whipped out and proffered a box.

"Inflatable Ingrid?"

[springs]

MUMMY’S BOYS

John Dray and Taz Dean; the meanest on the streets of Thean-VI. I didn’t meet their eyes.

The trial was short. Xenocide. Undeniable. They’d released the virus, killing the Zelotyr. Tragic: such artists.

Such murderers…

The verdict; guilty. Yet even here, a five year old is always innocent.

My Laura; avenged.

They passed me and I leaned, sotto voce. “Good job. I’ll see your mothers get returned tonight, boys.”

They nodded and walked free.

[James Coote]

At the edge of the village the assassin turned. "You can stop following me now," she said coldly. The little girl stood motionless, still clutching the TV remote from the house. She knelt down, wiped the blood smears from the child's face with the back of her finger.

Their eyes’ locked, staring, and in the reflections she saw flickers of a soul she recognised

[Karn Maeshalanadae]

The Price Of Innocence; or The Consequence of Sin

The most favored of the Angels was the Seraphim, who shone brighter than the rest, but her image was too perfect in the eyes of her Creator, so in a fit of rage, the jealous Creator cast her out of Heaven for a sin the Seraphim did not commit, and by doing so, tainted the realm of Heaven by the Creator’s own sin, for all eternity.

- Excerpt from the First Psalm of Gaea

[Gary Compton]

There is no innocence, only Karma...


I looked through baby eyes in my latest incarnation - my mother smiled – life was going to be great.

Goo-goo, gaa-gaa I gurgled, even though my thought process was that of a ten thousand year old spirit.

I felt loved, like the nine months before. Mama's heartbeat gave me hope.

Suddenly my eyes widened - a man shouted.

I felt fear.

No not again.

He strangled her and sniggered.

Purgatory is eternal for the damned.

[Arkose]

True Innocence

Ancient civilizations used to believe in the innocent until proven guilty. The roboticization of our attorneys and judges with their lie detection, infallible knowledge of law, and inability to lie have crippled our chances to bribe, threaten, and lie out of prosecution. We, the guilty, didn’t understand the consequence of not having human error until after the gates closed. True innocence is now the reality, and humans have to watch from the cities of cells.

[crystal haven]

Pure of heart

The unicorn came to me, as he had done before. My trusting companion. Under the tree he lowered his body down and rested his head upon my lap. Gentle eyes closed.

I stroked his mane, his spiral horn. Relaxed. Peaceful.

Silently, unbeknownst, my father arrived with men and took his prize.

Still the blood stains my hands; how many times must I wash to remove the guilt?

I cannot. A virgin used – a friend betrayed.

[Hex]

Sarah's Trial


Chest hurts. It HURTS.

Silver bubbles rush upwards. Everything darkens: the wavering people-shapes above; my hands, white in pond-green light, strapped to the chair.

Lungs scream against the heavy tightness of water.

Flashes of life -- Geradon's elf-brilliant eyes, his hands warm on my skin. Emily, furious--

"Please, you're upset..."

"Witch!"

Shadows sweep from nowhere, wrap me in grey. Lungs heave; useless.

I let the water take me.

---
Accusation: witchcraft.

Trial verdict: innocent.

[Lilmizflashythang]

Daddies Fix Everything

"Daddy!" The toddler wailed, wobbling over to Hazlett. "Pony bwoke."

"Pony's broken?" Hazlett examined the toy. "Pony had a baad landing, huh Irina?"

"Pony falled." Irina cried.

Hazlett found the stones he needed. A jasper for the porcelain, opal for the feathers, amethyst for the hair. He arranged the stones around the toy and focused.

A flash of bright light, and Irina squealed in happyness. "Pony all better!"

[StilLearning]

The Jurys verdict?

“Innocent!” Intones the foreman.

You get eaten either way.

However the guilty can beg, hand pathetically raised, for:

“Umm....mercy? ”

“Innocents don’t need mercy, human.”

“But I killed the pig!” I sound psychotically sincere, but his Honour isn’t playing along.

“Enough! Guards, bring in an Abomination....””

Who prefer innocent flesh, but, kept starving, aren’t picky.

Luckily, I’m guilty of much: Spotting it’s me the Abomination winks, bites open the foreman, then heads for his Honour.......

[Teresa Edgerton]

Chosen

Their chosen priestess, she lived barefoot and innocent atop the mountain, solitary, performing the rites. When the dragon came, the men -- disinclined for battle -- brought her down to the valley, a virgin sacrifice.

But the dragon ...

was innocent too, had never tasted human flesh. Pure-hearted and fearless, she mounted, and with two mighty wing beats he sprang high, into the sunlight.



When the plague came there was no one to intercede with the gods.

[Mith]

Fangs for the invite.

She stands before me clad in white, the very picture of purity. I must have her.

On the threshold of the door I await her invitation. Let me in my dear, let me in.

With a smile and a wave she beckons me in, oh so trusting. Swiftly I’m beside her, my teeth at her neck, her scream quickly stifled.

Ah the innocence of youth, it makes the blood taste oh so sweet.