A new short-short story contest is accepting stories of up to 100 words, on the theme of 'bridging the divide between religions.' This appeals to the cynic in me. Surely Trump has proven the power of very short fictions, and I would love to be the person who finally ends worldwide religious strife. Plus, 100 words, even brought to a lapidary finish, takes, what? like maybe half an hour? And, further enticement: first prize is $20,000, about 40 times the average prize for microfiction. Also, no entry fee. And there's the $750,000,000 Powerball prize, and yesterday Connor McGregor went 10 rounds with Floyd Mayweather, so why not take a long shot and be one of the expected 35,000 writers to enter?
Anyway, here are my entries, in draft form. The high moral imperitive and the very tight word count beg for parables.
1. The Queen on her deathbed, as penance, offered her wealth as an award for the finest parable on the topic of healing religious strife. So lavish was the promised award that hopeful writers of many nations submitted their finest work to the jury. Many thousands of heartfelt parables arrived, and the jury read and deliberated for a year. Finally, they announced that the authors should share the award equally, "For," the chief judge said, "such unimpeachable sentiments, so earnestly expressed, should not end with one person victorious over others." And each writer did receive a copper coin bearing the Queen's likeness.
2. There appeared over the city a vast iron dirigible, groaning low in the sky, venting coalsmoke. Upon its black flanks were inscribed the admonitions of conscience the citizens had long forgotten, so anodyne had they become: "Love one another," said one, in towering gothic letters. "Can't we all just get along?" said another. "Straight the gate, narrow the way." "Enter absolutely into peace." The citizens cowered below the dirigible, united in fear. A generation grew up, and one day the dirigible was gone, blown away by a storm. Those who had known only its shadow quailed at the Sun.
