15 weeks! Wow that’s a lot of writing! A huge thank you, and round of applause to all the participants. Here’s the roundup of all the stories. There are some gems in here!

And a note: The Author Aerobics challenges will be on a hiatus while I work on the “Two Sisters” serial for Serial Central. Don’t you worry, there will be a lot more fiction to come.

Week 15 – Something Old Challenge

• Wordless by Harry Markov – Two strangers on a bus, playing the same game day after day.
• Excerpt: Midnight’s Child by T.S. Bazelli – There are many kinds of death.

Week 14 – Make it Fresh Challenge

• Robin Bonnett by Aidan Fritz – Foiling the Sheriff of Nottingham with well aimed lazerbolts and deft hovercar maneuvers.
• Once and Future by Stephen Watkins – Not Sir Galahad, but Rob the accountant is destined to revive the once and future king Arthur.
• Thirst by T.S. Bazelli – In the desert there are so few chances for survival.
• The Maiden’s Resolve by Harry Markov – Every blow cost 100 lives. The princess wept.

Week 13 – Layered Conflict Challenge

• Nipping at Mani’s Heels by Aidan Fritz – Lothar will do anything to vanquish the shadows for his daughters. He makes a bargain he may regret.
• The Shadow Pilgrim by Stephen Watkins – Do you know why night flees the day, and why day flees the night?
• Quick Draw by T.S. Bazelli – The sun was shining and the air smelled of rain. It was a good day to die.

Week 12 – Action Challenge

• Just Like Me by T.S. Bazelli – Things get heated in the Demetriou household.
• Bright Hands by Stephen Watkins – In Taruth’s hands, the light becomes a spear, a shield, a wire trap.
• Grian Cloch: Stone of the Sun by Aidan Fritz – Caen’s wings burned as he descended too quickly. They called them Gods, but he knew the truth.

Week 11 – Internal Dialogue Challenge

• Fireworks Mods by Aidan Fritz – He aimed for the bell, and they came after him. It wouldn’t be so easy.
• Kathryn’s Child by Stephen Watkins – It’s name was Shiva and it was her creation.
• Fire Shooting by J.P. Cabit – You don’t want to be on the wrong end of this barrel.
• The Old Woman and the Dragon by T.S. Bazelli – It’s never wise to keep a dragon as a pet.

Week 10 – Setting Challenge

• Peka’s Showdown by J.P. Cabit – A story that will make you shiver. Peka’s alone in the wilderness and there are wolves about.
• The Immigrant and the Gatekeeper by Aidan Fritz – Coon is being tested, but the new world will not listen to his plea’s.
• Where it all Began by Stephen A. Watkins, Jr. – Aran returns home to face the puppet master of his fate.
• Adrift by T.S. Bazelli – No one wants Kate. The only place she feels at home is adrift on the sea.

Week 9 – Emotion Challenge

• My Mother by J.P. Cabit – Natasha works at an airport and she’s having a bad day. What could go wrong?
• Edmund’s Flight by Aidan Fritz – A story about a teleporter and a boy with a flying bee carpet.
• The Guardian by T.S. Bazelli – Saving lives is thankless work.
• The Steed and the Page Boy by Stephen A. Watkins Jr. – Two survivors remain on the bloody field: a dragon, who has lost his fire, and a page boy who has lost his master.
• The Secret Last Thoughts Of… by Harry Markov – “They pull the metal plate I lay on and lead me through the kitchen. It is a slow procession as if I am a Sunday ritual.”

Week 8 – Telling Challenge

• Bite by Harry Markov – (author aerobics debut!) The princess awakens to her prince with a scream.
• From That Eternal Summer Isle by Stephen Watkins – Sometimes you forget you’re not human.
• The Tree of Souls by Aidan Fritz – Growing a soul tree is difficult work.
• Through the Pearly Gates by T.S. Bazelli – The afterlife for writers.

Week 7 – Genre Bender Challenge

• Don’t Look For Too Long by J. P. Cabit – A peek at a skewed reality, where looking into mirrors could have some dire consequences.
• The Last Gunfighter by Aidan Fritz – A genre-blender! How many genres can you identify?
• Glass Half-Empty part 1 by T.S. Bazelli – Hardboiled / Noir / Steampunk – To be continued on Monday.

Week 6 – Details Challenge

• Reflections of Niccolo by Aidan Fritz – Images glimpsed in a mirror. Are they real?
• The Natural Disaster: A Just-In-Time Story by J. P. Cabit – A race against time and a natural disaster.
• Mirror Mirror by T.S. Bazelli – Who’s the fairest of them all?

Here’s a list of the stories from weeks 1 – 5.