Week Seventeen

It was another record-breaking weekend at Trifecta, with a whopping 65 responses (67, if you count editors) to our prompt: "The phone rang at 4 am."  Those who managed to read all of the responses will agree--there is no shortage of bizarre, heart-breaking, or hilarious things that can happen at 4 am.

Relief  isn't quite strong enough a word to describe the editors' emotions as we realized that the burden of finding the three best pieces this weekend would be spread throughout the Trifecta community.  Thank you to everyone who read, commented and cast their votes.

In the end, Scriptor Obscura's piece, Waiting, was chosen the community favorite.  Using clear, simple language to describe a truly horrific situation, Scriptor gave us a haunting 33-word story.

The phone rang at 4am.

“I’ll be there right away.”

The tires whirred, spun, chains churning snow, wipers struggling against thick clumps.

He never saw the semi.

On the hospital bed, she kissed the tiny wriggling bundle, waited.

Second place was a five-way tie.  At first, we set about breaking the tie with our personal favorites. Fifteen minutes into that exercise, we realized that we were missing the point.  This is about which posts YOU liked the best.  So here we go.  

Second place was awarded to Feast After Famine for her piece, The Other Woman, which was self-described as "dark."  Hanging feet and overturned chairs?  Yes, dark.  And somehow lovely in spite of it.  

Second place also went to Edward Hotspur for his uniquely clever piece, Beside Himself, about a man who receives a call from the future.

Second place also went to Barbara at Purple Moose with her heartbreaking tale about a day we will never forget.

Second place also went to Karen with her story, Lost, about a mother receiving a message that her missing child is still out there somewhere.

Second place also went to Running Naked With Scissors who described, in beautiful, lush language, a woman forced to part way with her dreams.

And now on to the weekday challenge, where you have both more time and more words with which to tinker.  For newcomers, please visit our instructions page for all the information on how to participate.  Newcomers may also want to subscribe to our Facebook page and Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.  Also please think about linking up with our meet-and-greet, where we invite you to select next week's word.

On to the word.  This week we are using Tales From the Rhoen's suggestion.  We want between 33 and 333 words from (and including) the third definition of the word:

vulgar (adj) \ˈvəl-gər\

1: generally used, applied, or accepted

2: vernacular <the vulgar name of a plant>

3 a : of or relating to the common people : plebeian

   b : generally current : public <the vulgar opinion of that time>

   c : of the usual, typical, or ordinary kind

Good luck!