HOW I BECAME A MAN, BY LUIGI ABBADELLI

Janet Reid ran another flash fiction contest over the weekend. Normally I'd post my entry, but I felt so certain mine had no chance that I didn't bother. And she chose mine as one of the semi-finalists! 

Flash Fiction writing contest! To celebrate Jeff Somers new book WE ARE NOT GOOD PEOPLE being selected as a PW Pick of the Week, I'm holding a surprise flash fiction writing contest!
1. Write a story using 100 words or fewer.
2. Post it in the comments section of this blog post (when the contest opens)
3. Use these five words in the story: Pants Magic Blood Spirits Cat
4. Prompt words can be part of a larger word , but must appear in whole in the larger word: magic/magician is ok, but not pants/phantasmagoria. 

Here is my semi-finalist entry:

How I Became A Man, by Luigi Abbadelli 

"Wearing short pants when you're ten is embarrassing. It dispirits the soul," I told Mama. 

"Che cosa è dispirits?" asked Nona. 

"He wants to wear long pants," Mama said. 

"NO!" 

Papa was reading the paper. I needed him on my side, so I said, "They're old world." 

Mama and Nona gasped because they're still hot-blooded Italians. But Papa was now an American. His framed naturalization certificate was proudly displayed below Pope Pius's picture. "Old world" worked like magic. 

Papa stood, straightened his shoulders and categorically declared, "My son will wear long pants!" 

.....


UPDATE: I didn't win, but I did make the semi-finalist list :)