This story was written for the Friday Fictioneers weekly prompt from Rochelle Wisoff-Fields on her blog, Addicted to Purple. Check out her blog and click on the blue InLinkz frog below to read other stories and to add your own!
Copyright David Stewart
The Final Concert
(100 words)
The last generation of night creatures rustled. The band in the gazebo watched the conductor.
The tuba let out a low moan, too soon. The conductor shook his head. No one turned to look. Though they’d practiced, they understood that this was no rehearsal, and nerves would play their own part in the final concert.
The first flute waved to her son and grandchildren, arriving with a picnic blanket.
A distant grumble sounded; the earth shook. The conductor raised his baton, there was an intake of breath, and the last musicians of the world played an accompaniment to its end.
I hope you’ll also check out my story published with Necessary Fiction this past week. I’ve also been participating in the Three Line Thursday contest run by Grace Black, and won a Golden Ticket from the FlashDogs this week to write for their upcoming anthology! I’m very excited for the opportunity! Check out the FlashDogs on Twitter through #flashdogs and write three lines each Thursday based on a lovely photo prompt!
Unmapped Country within Us 
I can just imagine the band playing their music while the earth is crumbling all around them. Loved the last paragraph. Congrats on getting your story published and for having the opportunity to write a story for an anthology.
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Thank you! : )
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Wonderful story! I can just imagine this happening (frightening). The world is ending and they are playing their last concert.
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Thanks!
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Dear Emily,
Like the band on the Titanic, your characters went out in style. Very well done.
Aloha,
Doug
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Thank you!
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Dear Emily,
Congratulations on the publication. There’s something about seeing one’s name in print….
Nice story this week.
shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you! : )
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Beautifully wrotten, Emily, with a frightening conclusion. At first I thoughtthe shaking heralded an earthquake, localised only. But your phrase, ‘the last musicians of the world’, summed it all up. 🙂
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Thanks, Millie! I’ll check out the Blog Tour, too! You’re very thoughtful.
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It’s nice that someone is playing the world out 🙂 At least it has brought people together at the end.
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That’s what I’d like to think! Thanks.
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Great story, Emily. I love the line about the first flute waving to her son and grandchildren. There’ll be no running and screaming with this apocalypse – they’ll face the end with a picnic whilst music plays. 🙂
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Thanks! : )
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That was a surprise ending. What a concept! Like Doug, I thought of the Titanic too. Well told.
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