Round 3.2: Write a short piece of 500 words max that consists only of dialogue. It must qualify as historical fiction and contain a mythical creature.
"Itasca? Do you read me? I don't know if the radio's transmitting but here goes nothing.
"By the way, I'm not the pilot now. I'm just Amelia. And sorry for shouting all this but one of the cockpit windows is smashed out and it's damn windy in here!
"Fuel's nearly out. Starboard engine dead. Its propeller was ripped off. We're at 1000 feet and losing altitude fast. Port engine's damaged. Turbine cutting in and out. I suspect damage to the fuselage too.
"Yeah, never mind all that.
"Noonan is... well, he's... goddamn it...
"Fred thought he saw something over the plane last night. A glow through the clouds following us, messing up his star sighting. And before anyone calls us nuts or asks why we didn't report it, we were joking with each other what it could be... lightning, reflection of our lights, an aurora?
"Joke was on us.
"We'd further reduced altitude because of thick cloud cover. Were cruising at 7000 ft, 150 knots when the attack happened.
"Only caught a glimpse of the thing before it swooped off. Wingspan had to be a good 100 feet. It was easily twice the width of the plane's.
"The leathery red claw that smashed through the side window caught Noonan in the head...
"Still holding the line 157 337...running north and south. Can't sight you, Itasca. Maybe that's a good thing. Don't want to lead it to you.
"Wish I could tell Fred he could've gone down in history as a dragon spotter. The gone down wasn't meant to be taken literally though.
"That monster's last swipe struck the tail section. Elevator controls impacted. Let me tell you, the Red Baron's got nothing on this thing.
"Lady Lindy really is a sack of potatoes this time. Some dragon looking to make us a meal? Peel back the skin to get to the delicious soft middle? Maybe Putnam can spin a good yarn, if anything remains of us to be found. If you hear this George, make it a good one, ok? 'Amelia Earhart, famous cockamamie female ace on her second attempt to circumnavigate the globe gets taken out by a dragon'. I may have wet my britches a little at that, George. Good thing I've got your boxers on.
"Itasca, the only explanation I got is that the thing must've followed us out from Lae. Beast flies better than I ever could and just had to prove its point, I guess.
"Bloody hell! Turbulence just went insane. Unable to increase pitch. Tail elevators non-responsive.
"Altitude dropping fast. I can hear the dragon screeching above.
"Holy mackerel! You should see this thing, Itasca.
"Guess what? To hell with mayday. Diving now. No snacking for you. Let's see if you can swim.
"Opening throttle.
"At least I get to skip my birthday, right? No more worries about growing old. No turning 40 for this gal.
"Hooray for the last grand adventure! Tell my father I wish I ha–"
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Author's Notes:
✧Papua New Guinea mythology: Ropen - dragon-like winged reptilian creature that resembles a pterodactyl. Bioluminescent, nocturnal, up to 100ft wingspan. Flying dragon residing in mountain clefts.
✧Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan had taken off from Lae, Papua New Guinea in a Twin-engine Lockheed Electra 10-E on the morning of July 2, 1937 (10am local time). Attempting to circumnavigate the globe.
✧Itasca was a Coast Guard cutter stationed off Howland Island where Earhart and Noonan were headed.
✧"...on the line 157 337...running north and south" These were directional coordinates radioed in by Earhart to Itasca describing a line running through Howland Island
✧Manfred von Richthofen, aka The Red Baron.
✧Earhart likened herself to a sack of potatoes when she became the first woman to fly the Atlantic as a passenger.
✧Earhart boasted she flew in men's underpants because they were easier for quick pees. She had donated boxers from both her husband/publicist (George Putnam) and her lover (Eugene Vidal–an Olympic athlete).
✧Earhart's birthday was July 24, 1897. She would've turned 40 in two-week's time.
✧Hooray for the last grand adventure! (quote from Earhart's letter to her father in the event of her death)
