I didn't win the @99fiction competition...

[agilebrit]

So I'ma post the story I wrote for that here. It will also go on the backs of my business cards, in rotation with the other two. I've decided I don't like the title much, so I'm excising that.

And, go:

Everyone loses the race against Death sometime, but I wouldn't go without a fight. I raised my sword, while he stared down at me in what might have been bemusement if skulls had expressions. "Dragon," he said mildly. "Behind you."

Oh, cra--

It swallowed me whole. As I splashed headfirst into the stomach, its heartbeat thundered from right. . . over. . . there. The stench was appalling. Funny, the things you notice.

I hacked my way through internal organs and armored hide and lifted my chin, dripping slime and blood. "Well?" Death nodded--and vanished with the dragon.

Yeah, I had fun with that.

In other news, I've incorporated some well-deserved crit into the Janni story (many thanks to texanfan!) and am about set to retroactively outline Ghost Ship fic to see where I went wrong. Deadlines wait for no writer.