“Prisoner 416 has escaped. Prisoner 416 has escaped.” The intercom boomed its announcement as the explosion rocked the compound.
The van careened down the narrow alleyway and skidded to a stop.
Ally pulled the door open in front of the young man crouched behind a dumpster.
“Josh! Get in!” She shouted.
“How did you know where to find me and how do you know my name?” Josh landed in a heap on the cargo van’s floor.
“I’ve always known.” She touched a rough hand to his cheek. “I’m your sister.”

(I hope you enjoyed today’s story. I write these micro-stories from a prompt word in one minute. I can edit as much as I want after the one minute, but the bones have to be there before the alarm rings.

The challenge behind today’s story configuring the action. Who had exploded what? Did Josh do it as a means of escape? Did Ally do it to help him before he even knew she existed? To be honest, I’m still not sure I succeeded. Those sorts of plot points have to be resolved to make a compelling tale. I have a feeling this one would take a longer story. But perhaps it works as it stands. What do you think? 

I did this same, “micro-story a day” skill-building project in 2010. It revolutionized my writing and prompted the development of my “Flash Your Fiction” workshop for writers. To see the stories from that project, go here.”)