PC Miniature 57: Apex

[Ocicat]

PodCastle Miniature 57: Apex

by Lauren M. Roy

Read by Laura Denson

A PodCastle Original!

Bronze-plated dragons with snapping shrapnel teeth guarded the landings. Those who weren’t eaten faced a wind-up Sphinx that spat out ticker-tape riddles. She hated it when they answered incorrectly; the Sphinx’ broken voice-recorder played back their dying screams for hours, until she went out and gave it a kick.

Rated PG: Contains riddles

[AliceNred]

I've listened to this one a couple of times. It is so quick and a lot to take in such a very short amount of time. Kind of like a shot of aged liquor with a kick at the end.

[DKT]

Interested forumites can read along here (It was a semi-finalist in our flash fiction contest.)

[Unblinking]

Interested forumites can read along here (It was a semi-finalist in our flash fiction contest.)

Ah, I was sure I'd heard it somewhere before.  That would be the place!

It's an interesting idea, but to me it never develops enough to be interesting.  The stage is set very nicely, but the curtain closes before Act I is complete.

[Wilson Fowlie]

It's an interesting idea, but to me it never develops enough to be interesting.

[Unblinking]

It's an interesting idea, but to me it never develops enough to be interesting.

Huh? 

[DKT]

It's an interesting idea, but to me it never develops enough to be interesting.

Huh? 

I think Wilson is amused (as am I) that you called it an interesting idea, but then said it never develops enough to be interesting.

Zen, dude. Very zen. Now go make yourself a White Russian. 

[Wilson Fowlie]

Yep.   

[Unblinking]

I think Wilson is amused (as am I) that you called it an interesting idea, but then said it never develops enough to be interesting.

Zen, dude. Very zen. Now go make yourself a White Russian. 

Ah, I get it.   

I think you know what I meant though, despite my terrible wording.  The premise is interesting but the story ends before it does anything  with the premise.

[Wilson Fowlie]

Oh, I totally knew what you meant.  I would've reacted completely differently if you'd been unintelligible.  It was just that how you put it was amusing. 

I almost used words to respond, but then I decided that the image was more in the spirit of the thing.

[LaShawn]

Ah yes, I remember this one from the contest. I liked it. Still do.

[Fenrix]

I still think this is quite pretty now produced in audio. I'd love to see or hear a longer story that builds on this.