LIE OR DIE – The Flash Fiction Reveal is Finally Here!

The day has finally come! We held a contest for the best flash fiction idea, we chose a winner, and we sent five authors out to spin the fabulous idea in their own direction. What was the winning idea? An awesome one from Aeicha Matteson:

The characters: 
Ryder - female, human, teenager, short in height, long brown hair w/blue streaks, bright green eyes, smart, sassy, tough.
Ax - (short for Aximander), male, demon (but was once human before being sent to hell), as a demon he has no permanent form, thus he possesses humans. He's cunning, vindictive, but incredibly charismatic.

The conflict: Ryder is a supernatural hunter (she hunts demons, monsters, evil baddies), but she has been possessed by the demon Ax, who has essentially bound himself to her...meaning no simple exorcism will release him. Ryder must find a way to break free of Ax while fighting for control of her own mind, body, and actions.

Their abilities:
Ryder - as a hunter she is skilled in weapons, fighting, and supernatural knowledge/lore but does not have "supernatural or magical" abilities of her own.
Ax - can shift/shimmer (teleport anywhere, including hell) and has enhanced/heightened abilities (strength, speed, hearing)...when possessing someone these abilities are transferred into them while Ax resides within them.

The authors have plotted and toiled for many hours to create their unique flash fiction version of Ryder and Ax’s tale.  Now you’ll all get to read them! Each author is hosted on one of the below blogger sites:

Fiktshun - hosting Tiffany King
Two Chicks on Books - hosting G.P. Ching
A Life Bound By Books - hosting K.A.Tucker
Magical Urban Fantasy Reads - hosting Megan Duncan
Taking It One Book At A Time - hosting S.M.Reine

So, go visit each site above and VOTE for your favorite! Why vote? Because on October 24^th, a Grand Prize winner will be drawn. What could you win? A pile of signed print copies of the authors’ books and some swag. Check out the official page HERE for a list (grand prize winner contest open to U.S. residents only but anyone can vote; one vote per person and you can vote on any of the blogs.) Want to earn an extra entry into the grand prize? Tweet the following and paste the link into the form with your vote!:

“I voted in the #LieOrDie Flash Fiction Showdown at http://bit.ly/rnwEtL . Why don’t you?”

So… GO check out the 5 fabulous versions of 1 amazing idea and GO VOTE for your favorite one!

Here’s our story from the fabulous G.P. Ching! It’s soo awesome!!!

Splitsville
by G.P. Ching

A year ago, when I recorded my little sister singing Tomorrow in her middle school’s production of Annie, my only intention was to embarrass her by posting it to YouTube. By an ironic twist of fate, her off-key rendition, blaring from my iPod, is the only thing preserving my ability to control my limbs.

Ryder, you keep this up, you’ll blow your eardrums. We have über hearing, doll. You’re pounding your temporal with 150 decibels, the demon says inside my head. His name is Ax, Aximander actually, and the only thing keeping him from completely owning me is that I did my research.

“It must suck being a metalhead stuck in the body of a girl who loves show tunes. All show tunes, all the time! I’ve got the entire soundtrack of the Sound of Music on here and I’m not afraid to use it.”

An approaching jogger crosses the street to avoid me. I don’t blame him. It’s 5 a.m. and I’m covered in graveyard dirt and bruises. Not only am I yelling at the top of my lungs, but I have more control over my right leg than my left. The resulting shuffle-drag, shuffle-drag of my gait would make Frankenstein look like a ballet dancer. Plus, my left hand keeps slapping the side of my head—Ax, trying to remove my headphones. Only, I have earbuds in, and since I’m fighting him with every ounce of mental energy I have left, he doesn’t have the dexterity to pull them out. He is, however, extremely strong. My head aches from the blows.

Turn down the music and I’ll leave.

“Bullshit. You’ll get full control and I’ll be your host for the remainder of your cruise. Not buying it, Satan's spawn.”

Flattery! If you keep saying nice things about me, I’ll stay forever.

I reach the Pinewood apartment complex and stumble up the urine stained stairwell to the second floor. I pray Michael is home. Ax is too close to chiseling through my mental barrier. I won't make it another block.

Michael...Michael...Oh there’s tons of stuff floating around your brain about him. Seems you had quite a crush on him junior year. Haven’t spoken since your friendship went splitsville over you becoming a demon hunter. What’s it been, Ryder? Two years? This should be a riot.

I pound myself against Michael’s door, relieved when it opens and there’s no one inside but him. I plunge my face, earbuds and all, into his fish tank. Ax’s hand slaps the glass instead of my head.

“Ryder!” Michael's voice cuts through three inches of water, glass, and fish. He grips my shoulders and yanks me out.

“Possessed,” I say. My body drops to the floor, writhing.

“I told you this would happen. You mess with demons, they mess with you.” Michael drops to his knees next to me.

Who is this guy? Ax laughs. You’re seizing and he’s lecturing you on the merits of your occupation. Great choice, Ryder. Why don’t you just hand yourself over to me now?

“Help,” I whimper.

It's true. I haven’t spoken to Michael in years. But he’s brilliant and his apartment was closest. Not to mention, I’ve always thought he might secretly have a thing for me.

“Show tunes?” Michael eyes my iPod incredulously. He straddles my body. My hand whacks him in the head of its own accord. Wrestling my arms straight, he pins them under his knees. “What the hell do you have inside you?”

“Singer. MetalCrush. Overdose. 1985.” I give Michael Ax’s human history. I hope it helps him more than it helped me.

Relax baby or I’ll have to do some damage in here. A facial tic? Blindness? Give in to me, Ryder, before I have to ruin you. Ax’s voice is a velvet caress against my skull. It would be a relief to surrender.

“Don’t give up, Ryder.” Michael shakes me by the shoulder. “Ax, from MetalCrush. I remember reading something about him in People’s greatest a-holes of history edition. I got something for you, Ax honey.”

Michael kisses me. Not like a little peck. He plants a major, total make-out, tonsil-hockey kiss on me that under different circumstances would rock my socks off.

EWWW. Fine. I’m outie.

And just like that, I’m alone in my head again. “He’s gone!” I say. “How did you do that?”

“I didn’t." His words brush my lips. "Ax was a total homophobe. I knew kissing a man would literally freak him out of you."

“Well, it worked,” I say. “Now, let me up.”

“Not yet,” Michael whispers. “That one was for Ax, but this one is for me.” He kisses me again.

My heart thunders in my chest. I surrender to his mouth like sinking into a hot bath.

Maybe, I realize, I was safer with the demon.

Great story right??? Now go VOTE for our author and do us proud!