There were so many great short stories (11 - 50 K). For some stories, in order for me to ascertain whether they fit in this category, I converted them to a TXT file. I've tried to include every author that has a story in this category. I hope I've succeeded, but if I failed, I beg your forgiveness!
Answers are due by 11:59 PM on the 28th. Happy Birthday, Clark.
SPIFFY DISCLAIMER THINGY! All the stories featured in this quiz qualify for the Best Short Story, but this quiz is not a stamp of recommendation for nomination. All the authors are included, but, of course, not all the stories are represented.
Recommendations for other eligible stories are *very* welcome and encouraged!
QUIZ RULES: Two points for getting the story and author from the quote; one point for getting it from the excerpt. Specify which is which, or you'll automatically get one point instead of two. Open hard drive and archive, *don't* forget to snip the excerpts in your replies, and don't forget the spoiler space when you post in the replies thread.
More elaborate quiz instructions can be found
here. Please post your answers
here. 3 Extra points if you can find which story I GE'd, but don't post here - PM or email me.
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Quote # 1: She frowned up at him. “By chop job, do you mean my new haircut?”
Quote # 2: “I kept pushing you away, even when I promised I’d stop. And if you’d died not knowing the reason, I’d never forgive myself.”
Quote # 3: “I only stumbled across it because I was out working on our story,” he replied quickly.
Quote # 4: And here in the night As I feel the inferno I stare in the dark Thinking what is eternal Pain. White-hot, blinding pain.
Quote # 5: Men don't fly. That's just a simple fact of life.
Quote # 6: “I’ve got a cab waiting outside,” Clark told her.
Quote # 7: “So what’s the big deal about the pumpkin? Let me see it.”
Quote # 8: The woman shrugged. “Well, what else, I guess? Who cares? Everything’s going to be okay after all!”
Quote # 9: "A café mocha," she said, trying to keep the impatience out of her voice, but failing.
Quote # 10: "Ah, he's a she, er, she's a she. This is... Midnight," he introduced the cat to her. "And you're, you must be Super...girl. Wow!"
Quote # 11: "Or that I don't know my best friend's tv watching schedule well enough by now?"
Quote # 12: “I’m not letting you in,” she told him. But he could tell she was close to giving in, and he let loose one more whine. “Fine,” she sighed. “But only for a little while.”
Quote # 13: “Criminal Law, among others. And KU has a very big reputation in the Midwest. It was originally a land grant college.”
Quote # 14: “I’m thirteen now!” I protest. “I’m practically a man! So how can you say…-?”
Quote # 15: “‘Each is an arrow, the last one fatal.’ But not for us,” he said. He’d been looking forward telling her his plans for the future. Their future. “Our final seconds will be the first step to life everlasting.”
Quote # 16: “What?!” he gasped. Why would she do such a thing? “Lois, no!”
Quote # 17: “Okay, tell me what to do if someone knocks on the door.” Clark prompted.
Quote # 18: “Oh, God, Lois. I’m so sorry.” His voice cracks, and his next words are barely above a whisper. “Come back to me, please.”
Quote # 19: “You have been walking back and forth out there for awhile. Is there anything I can help you with?”
Quote # 20: “It’s part of the act. The kids will love it when I rescue you. Well, the girls love it.”
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Excerpt # 1: She had a hard time not letting the tears flow now, but she wouldn’t revert to being a weak, vain woman who couldn’t deal with some personal adversity. At least, not while Clark was still there. She knew that he looked up to her.
Excerpt # 2: He stopped when he noticed Lois was shivering, and motioned to her to let him dry her off. He gently used his heat vision on her. It reminded Lois of yesterday, both her willingness to do anything to save Clark’s parents, and his power over her, emotionally and physically. She wrapped her arms around herself, grudgingly thanking him. It was what she needed, yet it made her feel entirely vulnerable to him.
Excerpt # 3: The instant she’d seen that look on Madge’s face a while ago, Lois had a sneaking suspicion that she herself might be Clark’s supposed significant other. It made a certain kind of sense, but she was looking for some level of confirmation. She was about to ask why she hadn’t been invited when Jimmy lowered his voice to an almost conspiratorial level.
Excerpt # 4: How did I let this happen? How could I have so blindly fallen into Luthor’s trap? How could I not see this happening? Because I was worried about Lois, that’s why. Because I love her. Because I would do anything within my power to keep her safe. Because her happiness is worth risking my life for.
Excerpt # 5: He's more than just strength and courage, though; he's also integrity. When he says something, he means it. When he promises something, it's a done deal. When he nods solemnly, you don't have to worry anymore. He's a super-powerful, self-proclaimed alien from another world -- do you have any idea how many horror movies there are concerning aliens?
Excerpt # 6: She looked him in the eye, almost daring him to say it, to tell her what it was about Lois Lane that Clark Kent didn’t like. There was only fondness and … something else in those eyes. Nothing about him seemed to suggest that he was trying to belittle her.
Excerpt # 7: Inwardly, however, he was seething — at the other boys for being so mean, at the bus driver for ignoring the entire incident, and especially at himself for waiting over a month to intervene.
Excerpt # 8: So they slept together. She started it. Maybe it was fear of being alone, maybe it was the world about to come to an end, or maybe, deep down, she felt an attraction to Clark that she would never, at any other time, have admitted to, but something propelled her to lean forward and kiss him. And one thing led to another, and before long they were lying next to each other in his bed.
Excerpt # 9: She nodded at him, hoping he'd take the hint and not start a conversation. Perry made them work together all too often, she thought. She didn't need to speak to him anymore than was required for her job.
Excerpt # 10: That thought burned a bright streak through her mind "he knew". She was in shock "he knew her secret." She tried to think what to do but all that went through her mind was "he knew".
Excerpt # 11: They sat in a comfortable silence again, each eating their chocolates. Clark decided he'd had enough of work for the day, and began to shut down his computer and pack his things. As Clark finished off the remains of his chocolate, he abruptly scoffed. Lois looked at him in mock-suspicion, still smiling.
Excerpt #12: He turned his head up toward her and felt his long ears flop. Lois was looking at him with a puzzled expression, and then she walked over and placed a hand on his back and started to bend over.
Excerpt # 13: He had realized the night of the White Orchid Ball and the morning after that he had never met anyone who affected him like Lois Lane. He still saw her in his mind’s eye as she sang at the Metro Club. And he couldn’t see a yellow chicken without thinking of Lois. Although as a farm-bred boy, he knew yellow chickens were baby chicks.
Excerpt # 14: She comes out the door looking radiant, and we head to my mother’s apartment together. As we honor the spirits, I wonder if Father approves of this girl. When night falls on the last day, we meet with my mother again to light the little lamp.
Excerpt # 15: He frowned. Wanda had shown no particular interest in books or reading. Even the fashion magazines she found boring and he hadn’t dared allow any recent newspapers or news magazines into their hideaway.
Excerpt # 16: Clark scanned the room with his x-ray and telescopic vision, but he found no bugs. The guard stood outside the door, but if they spoke softly he wouldn’t hear them. “It’s clean, Lois. Now speak freely. You know you can say anything to me. What really happened?”
Excerpt # 17: Clark laughed a throaty laugh, a sound Lois adored. He squeezed her against his chest more tightly, swaying slightly from side to side. Clark reached down and captured her lips in a sweet, longing kiss before reluctantly letting her go.
Excerpt # 18: I shake my head, ashamed of my deep — seated instinct to deceive her even as she was proving her love for me beyond the shadow of a doubt. My own voice resounds in my memory, committing us both to the point of no return.
Excerpt # 19: He reached in and removed a one-carat solitaire diamond in a platinum setting. It twinkled, glistened, and tugged at Clark’s heartstrings. He could see the simple ring adorning her finger next to a plain wedding band for decades to come. That one graceful piece of jewelry said…
Excerpt # 20: Once again, ____ brought her hand to her face to push back a stray hair, adding more frosting to the batter on her cheek. She’d recently changed her hair style. Rather than her usual long locks, she’d had it cut radically shorter into a stylish bob.
