Category: Flash Fiction

The President Meets The Mole People He saw the world as a stage, he its star.  The new President went to the United Nations and, wanting to impress everyone, told the nations they were all losers.  He said the U.N. was corrupt, he was giving it far less money.  It was a proud moment for […]

Pigeonholed Some societies have a name for every type of relative, some a word for every type of cloud.  Melvin’s society had names for every type of person, based on politics, placing people in pigeonholes.  Everyone had a label for what they were.  It was so comfy!  You were conservative or liberal, rich or poor, […]

Cancel Culture The President had heard a great deal about cancel culture, and he agreed it if was the proper culture it should be cancelled so he ordered all the nation’s labs to stop growing improper cultures.  No one knew what improper cultures meant (and their funding was at stake) so they stopped any cultures […]

Woke? There were woke and anti woke.  Arnold felt both extremes needed some sleep.  Both misrepresented information, both knew they were the only way The nation, torn apart, was falling apart.  People were actually killing each other.  Political assassinations, school shootings, blowing up speedboats.  Arnold longed to hear snores.  But he heard only shouting and […]

The President’s Thin Skin The President’s political advisors worried that he was too thin skinned, reacting excessively to criticisms of him and his actions.  He thought he was fine and you never told this President he was wrong.  Therapy was not possible with this President, nor could they find effective drugs.  He had everyone terrified […]

The Bone Spur Cavalry The President did not like horses but did like riding, as it involved telling the horse what to do, giving him a sense of power.  Galloping into a fight also appealed to him (as long as he did not fight himself–he had bone spurs preventing military service.  During the one war […]

Late Night Blitzkrieg The President was angry when comedians on TV made jokes about him.  He did not mind private criticism–he just fired the disloyal subordinate (criticism was disloyal.)  He was used to being criticized publicly and, technically, he believed any publicity is good publicity.  While it always got under his skin befored, he could […]

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 […]