Category: Flash Fiction

Travelling Life’s Road A sharp curve was on an entrance to the bridge.  One day the road was free of traffic and dry, Glenda  driving at moderate speed when in the middle of the curve the car suddenly spun in a complete circle, Glenda frozen as her world whirled.  She gently braked, the car stopped.  […]

Are Possessions Vital? Irwin had a standalone computer and a laptop–he only needed one.  He also had two cars, theirs and his late mother-in-law’s.  His wife drove that red car to work–Irwin worked from home, did not need a car, yet they maintained both.  And storage lockers filled with possessions they were unable  to part […]

Brain’s Brain Brian’s brain and stomach held a conference (with his kidneys, bladder, liver, lungs and heart sitting in, his muscles shuddering.)  A few years ago the conference became weekly.  Today’s conference theme: Improving Communications.  Everyone but Brian’s brain came prepared, with notes.  “We don’t communicate at all!” Brian’s stomach angrily began.   His brain […]

Life On Film Tom had a career related to movies, working with actors once they reached thirty, men and women who were aging out.  Films used young leads.  Audiences wanted youth and fine bodies.  The thespians expected their careers to wither into supporting roles, solely due to age.   Which was when Tom’s work began.  […]

Frank And Society Frank believed happiness came from managing expectations of society.  He managed  expectations of politicians, accepting they lied (at least disassembled,) often failed to keep promises, on occasion sexually harassed their office staff and could be remarkably vague when bookkeeping.  Frank’s key to happiness: lowered expectations of society.  These days, Frank wondered how […]

Roads Each morning he woke (which took about an hour, reading the news on his computer, drinking coffee, taking his morning pills.)  Then, settled, he’d ponder what to do that day.  Every day he had to decide which fork in the road to chose.  Right or left, into the sunshine or darkness.  Clarence had roads […]

Talking And Listening Eddie worried that few of his friends or families or colleagues listened to him—and he loved to talk.  He inserted witty or perceptive comments into conversations which were ignored.  It not that they disagreed.  It was that—what?  They were bored?  Was it what he said?  Or was it…him?    He analyzed what […]

Ice Cream Milton loved ice cream.  The delicious coolness in his mouth, the wonderful soft flow into his throat which warmed his tummy.  On a cone, in a bowl, waiting on a spoon.  Once a summer treat, now an any time treat, waiting in his freezer: tubs, pops, cones, sandwiches.  Milton savoured ice cream every […]

Meat And Civilization Meat originally came from hunting, which brought power, satisfaction and food.  Bringing home a Mastodon leg was cause for celebration.  Such power over nature–eating it.  Far more satisfying to hunt and kill than plow manure and grow crops.  Charlie was at the start of a career as a butcher (taxidermist by hobby.) […]

Violence In Entertainment Arnold, an advanced theologian, had given a lot of thought to violence in entertainment.  Virtually no one on Earth (except Arnold) realized that the use of violence in entertainment was regulated by a pact between God and the Devil, drawn in the first centuries A.D., after the debut of  Oedipus Rex.  God […]

Getting Behind The Curve Barbara knew society rarely butted out when it came to butts.  She felt a need to get behind this trend before it bottomed out.  Why were naked butts on the beach, even on TV–too cheeky?  Barbara understood attraction to faces, even to chests–but one’s behind was behind one.  Folks only saw […]

Living The Dream Alexandria was remarkably successful–in her dreams.  She fought crime, she invented the cell phone, she was a CEO.  She would tell friends and they would tell her, “In your dreams.”  She had worked ten years as an assistant clerk in a drug store.  She struggled with her boring job but went home […]

Heroes Of Might Warren’s favourite computer game was a turn-based strategy game which mixed resource development and killing stuff.  It had multiple settings for characters, situations and difficulty.  By now, Warren, after hundreds of hours, had worked his way up to the hardest levels.  One evening, at the most challenging level, he had the oddest […]

Disconnect Henrietta worried being herself was wrong and lived her life in denial of who she was.  She felt disconnected from other people.  She would rather watch videos (she preferred limited series, short with clear plots) than fabricate small talk.  She loved her family and friends but felt distant—separate—apart.  She was not anti-social–just not social. […]

Arnold Makes A Difference Arnold climbed the corporate ladder but could only climb so high, frustration dogging him on every rung.  He was driven to succeed–to produce, to be someone, to leave a legacy.  But how could one person make a difference?  Power was distant for regular fellows.  How could Arnold make a difference?  Become […]

I have a friend in Nepal. I edited one of his novels, which was published a few years ago in India. He has sent me these short stories: So close, yet so far   It was just half past eight in the morning when Rajesh was about to approach the cement factory of Chovar which […]

Ethan And AI For Ethan, maintaining a routine had reached a critical level.  Work was impossible without a routine.  Back against the wall, Ethan needed to create a reliable daily schedule for constantly  changing work meetings and deadlines.  Naturally, he turned to his company’s new AI to create his schedule.  Unfortunately, the AI loathed humanity […]

What Movie Makers Do Not Want You To see Nose hairs.  No movie ever shows nose hairs.  Nor ear hairs.  Nor armpit hairs.  Never hairs on breasts.  Hair on the head is good, but bald spots are concealed. For film makers, some body hairs must be denied.  Bad teeth—not white, broken or even missing.  Bad […]

Peas and War Peace was very upset that peace was in pieces.  Few felt appeased.  Their lives had become a shell game with peas.     Most folks around the world had peaceful lives.  Most never threw a punch much less deliberately harm someone.  They knew of terror from the sky only through TV.  During wars, […]