Category: Flash Fiction

New Times, New Entertainments Changing audience demand led to horror films mutating from featuring traditional monsters to making monsters out of reality.  First came true story horror, then personal relationship horror, then endless living in reality symbols horror.  Relating, audiences craved more.     The first TV/web new horror was broadcast as the nightly news, presenting […]

A Dragon’s Legacy Donald the Dragon dwelled on his legacy as his life neared its end.  It would all be over in two years.  He might live a little longer, but did it matter?  After that, his power would be gone. He snorted, sitting on the mountain top, looking down at the city.  Should he […]

Emulating Dogs Mutt’s best friend was his dog: loyal, loving, always thrilled to see him.  He could not say that of his wife, his children, his friends and relatives, certainly not his colleagues—no one was so trusting and loyal.  However, it was disconcerting that his best friend was his dog.  Something should change! Mutt often […]

Fall Should I love Fall at all? Flowers drying, dying air less soothing, cooling.  Fall is ends–but it depends how you see it as you flee it.  Winter and snow soon will show the power of nature to unnurture.   Play then destroy, a child’s toy.   A warning? (to change before reborning?)   or […]

Life As An Amusement Park George grew up with few expectations.  His father was born into a society where he could expect a decent job, a house with a front and back yard, a peaceful retirement.  George was born into a society where expectations were limited, divorce common and he would likely call home a […]

Elections This is not much of a story.  I am not inspired.  I apologize.  Arnold, 2,500 years old (unusual genes and the Mediterranean diet) always believed voting was personal–his voice speaking out—as it was in his first ‘election’ in a village of 37, where everyone met to ensure someone would act on the water problems. […]

Aging Shrinks His World Lilipud’s world was shrinking.  81 now, physically shorter, posture stooped.  Thinning hair and hearing.  Moving slower while everyone else moved faster.  He was good sitting but thinking of standing took effort while walking was manageable but through mud, always pushing.  He once loved concerts, theatres.  Now three hours was too much […]

The Reality Theme ParkThe Reality Theme Park is open to all. People are drawn to it for the unusual experience. In daily life, we rarely look at the unpleasant. There is a Park in many major cities–and every capital city. Politicians and their staffs often feel an obligation to go to experience Reality at least […]

Why We Create Stinkers Towards the end, pretty much everyone involved, including Patricia, knew it was a stinker.  It could have been a publisher or theatrical producer or opera composer, but in this instance it was a film.  Even the Producer thought the script shallow and derivative, but there was enough money to turn it […]

Star Draggin Once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away (across the street does not work,) a grand adventure began–because Fred wanted more. That was the extent of his tale, truly: he had little and wanted more.  He wanted what the elites had–justice, love, good beer (Fred avoided beer because it looked so […]

Ballrooms And Bunkers The President was remaking the capital city in his imagined image.  Haunted by monsters from his past, he demolished part of the official Presidential home to build a huge ballroom–however, renovations on official land required approval.  The President never waited for approval–his motto was steam ahead, never apologize.  His solution?  Declare a […]

Ernie Uses His Bore-0-Meter Ernie did not wonder why no one listened to what he said to them.  He knew.  He was a bore. How did he know?  Through science.  Ernie invented the Bore-0-Meter to determine his boredom level.  He wore it under his shirt, and listened to the results in an earpiece.  It registered […]

Diplomacy Diplomacy was hanging out in the Club, patiently explaining its concerns to War and Anger.   Peace chatted with Envy in one corner, Jealousy with Love in another.  Only Friendship was concerned with what Diplomacy was saying.  War and Anger listened with obvious impatience as Diplomacy told them: settle disputes by knowing what the other […]

Arnold And Mediocre Arnold was very wealthy, proud of himself–but had come to accept he was mediocre.  He did not want to be mediocre.  He wanted to be known for creating original things (whatever they might be.)  Yet he had no original ideas—neither, he reasoned, did anyone else.  Over five thousand years civilizations had plowed […]

Sam Watches Horror Movies Sam was 81.  He settled into his favourite armchair, his Jaws shark popcorn bowl full, and turned on Netflix to watch the latest horror movie.  Sam loved chills, vicariously experiencing danger.  Creative gore was cool.  It was a cheap thrill which hurt—and affected—no one.  Sam loved cheap thrills, they were vital […]

Treading Water All his life Dan felt as if he was treading water–even when there was no water.  He had a good family, successes, yet always felt naked and floating, going nowhere.  The sunny blue sky grew dark, there was rain and wind and turbulence.  His main task was keeping his head above water.  He […]

Needing To Be Productive Milt was a writer who wrote about writing–and if not writing, reading writing (which he found enlightening.)  He thought he was right so (despite some insights) he continued to write (often into the night.)  Insights?  He had few readers, wrote only on online blog publications, writing every day as if an […]

Wildfire Smoke George did not want to breathe air he could see: orangey brown, a steady haze in the sky.  It was a yellow alert, not the worst but people were advised to stay indoors, breathe through masks.  The smoke was Covid, a spreading disease, a disease of fire.  Wildfires start with lightening–a message from […]

Waiting To See Spider-man Victor was excited to see the new Spider-man movie–but the first weekend, every theatre was sold out.  Theatres continued to be sold out as the week progressed.  The success of the new film was phenomenal, around the world.  Victor was thrilled at the film’s success.  If you asked why Victor was […]

You Are Never The Boss Society was broken.  Felicity believed it could be fixed.  Her government was a swamp, as was the corporate complex complicating things.  It had to be drained, cleansed, restocked.  It was a reflecting pool of society.  She had just finished college, with a B.A. majoring  in Nothing Useful with a minor […]