Category: Flash Fiction

Presidential Halloween For his first real Halloween in office, the new President had something special planned.  It filled him with glee.  First, Halloween night festivities, then his speech—at the end of which he would introduce his new Bible.  Halloween arrived.  Candies were handed out, contaminated with smallpox.  ICE agents went from door to door, arresting […]

How The New President Will Dominate The Midterms The new President knew he was not popular.  Mid-term elections were due in a year and he needed to control the legislature.  Already tax increases and health care cuts had been delayed until after the midterms.  What would swing more voters his way?  He needed voters to […]

Political Werewolves Marvin was fine until one evening, while canvassing with his candidate, the full moon rose.  His candidate transformed into a beast, growing a beard and sharp fingernails, bit Marvin and then ran off.  The next morning the candidate apologized and explained that the extreme politics of the last few years had turned him […]

Phone Calls Phone calls were always demanding.  Fred remembered as a child his family’s large, heavy black phone with the rotary dial.  Fred remembered reading a newspaper column seventy years ago about what to do if someone phoned during your favourite TV programme, Gunsmoke.  Not answering was not an option–the phone might keep ringing.  You […]

Seeing Inside George doubted anyone would tell him the truth about what they thought of him.  To find that out, he had to read their thoughts, see inside their minds.  He built a helmet.  It covered his head, eyes and ears.  On the outside, he looked like himself.  That morning, he drove to work, parked, […]

Poor Life Choices As he aged, Warren often thought of his life choices–not ones he’d gotten right, meeting his partner, raising a family—but his mistakes.  His poor life choices.  Rejecting advice.  Not accepting help.  Not realizing who he really was.  Sabotaging important aspects of his life, throwing a shoe into the works.  Not thinking things […]

Debt Angela was sick and tired of what defined her, who she was: debt.  Student loans had to be repaid on top of rent, food and other expenses.  She drove an old clunker, wondering how long before she could no longer afford it.  Her job paid well, but well, never enough.  Angela had to  rid […]

Politics and Johnny And Dinner Long ago Gods created the Earth.  When life on Earth, already chaotic, reached the level of intelligent animals, the Gods knew how destructive politics were, so they created an invisible barrier between the average human and politics.  Only the most aggressive people became politically engaged.  People ignoring politics helped the […]

His Fantastic Voyage Sex.  If there was one thing Marty was sure and unsure of, it was sex.  Rarely were he and his partner on the same page, at times not even the same book or even language.  It was satisfying and unsatisfying.  It ended and never ended.  He knew he was too focussed on […]

Finding Time For His Own Goals He loved his family but they were a lot of work.  His wife and two adult children always had needs.  He was not certain how much they helped him, exactly, but he knew what he did for them every day, every week.  He enjoyed being their resource, being depended […]

Theodore had money, but never quite enough.  Around him were folks who had it worse.  When he looked at the news, Theodore saw most problems arising from so many people being poor.  Clearly, a lack of money was the problem, and more money for more people was the solution.  Fortunately, Theodore was a talented psychoneurobiologistmeditationalist.  […]

Stolen Land Fred lived on stolen land—land taken over hundreds of years earlier by migrating settlers who either pushed the original inhabitants out or killed them.  He felt guilty but what could he do?  Now was now, then was then.  Now was when unmarked graves were found on the sites of former residential schools.  Millions […]

In Brian’s twenties, he moved into a new apartment every year.  Nothing wrong, he just enjoyed upgrading.  There were many changes, some major, but Brian felt settled.  Now eighty, Brian felt in his heart he was still in his twenties though his body was clearly aging.  He woke with some energy, which lasted until he […]

Shameless Donald [Reader Advisory Warning] Donald regularly spoke grabbing pussies—his excuse was that he was a veterinarian.  In fact, Donald did not like cats (or animals generally.)  He had little interest in managing his business, requiring regular bailouts from his parents.  His main interest had always been himself and promoting himself and having sex.  Websites […]

Living With Fate His mother was 96, he was 76.  Both were weary.  She felt frail, alone, husband long gone, waiting for the end.  He was retired, widowed.  Both needed resolution, but only the natural was available, and could take months, years.  It was a natural time but an unhappy time.  They needed something more, […]

Self-Image What did others–colleagues, friends, family–know about him that Jamie did not?  Being an experienced opticalphysicistbiologist, he designed and built a helmet which, worn and plugged into his brain, would allow himself to see and hear what others thought about him.  He was simply curious.  But before going to work he put the helmet on […]

A Pilfered Life Ted’s prescription pills were depressed. Ted needed them but resented taking them, at times avoiding them for weeks.  By his mid-seventies, Ted never woke refreshed.  By the time he was 80 it took two hours and a mug of coffee before he could do more than read on his computer.  Moving left […]

It’s A Wonderful Life My name is George Bailey.  I did not lead a wonderful life.  This is my obituary, for when I die.  No one else will write my obit because I am not important.  Why is a life of helping others not important?  Clarence is my guardian angel. The last time I thought […]

Preparing for a Colonoscopy I’ve had digestive problems for almost two years, my doctor thought a colonoscopy was due.  I thought it would be routine, that I had reactions to gluten and lactose at least.  The last couple of years, my digestive system started to fail.  Diarrhea occurred with increasing frequency and unpredictably—it did not […]

The Climate Satellite Mistake The new President did not believe in climate change, that it was a weird ruse by woke people to change the economy.  He worked to stop green energy, instead promoting oil and coal.  The facts were not relevant.  What was relevant was what he believed.  His nation had sent into outer […]