I reach forward and shut the music off before the calliope crashes to the ground again. I’ve been sitting here in my car, stalled, for almost an hour, listening to and pausing this crazy song over and over. This used to cheer me, an impossibly nonsensical koan. Merry-go-rounds, sneezing, wheezing, and tripping. Yet despite my… Continue reading Ready for Freddy?
Category: fiction
Dogface Hamlet
A dog beyond fences story. The figure appears at the mouth of the alley. Again. He walks the lane repeatedly. Something in him won’t let him stop this unsolicited patrol. He misses the dogs the most. Oh, how he had enjoyed their unconditional love, their unrestrained joy over his presence. Him! His physical appearance left… Continue reading Dogface Hamlet
I Published Five Books!
I’d intended “The Man in the Tree” to be my fifth book published. It was an accidental mouse click that lead to it being the first. Buy it here. Mr. Bojangles is a collection of all the stories created during my first 30-day flash challenge in August 2021. Buy it here. This is probably my… Continue reading I Published Five Books!
Second 30-Day Flash Challenge
My Favorite Twelve Stories On June 30, 2022, I completed my second 30-day flash fiction challenge. Here are my twelve favorite stories produced during this challenge. Day 2 – The Ladder in the Box (a dream) – I love the imagery in this story and it was honestly something I dreamt of one night. Day… Continue reading Second 30-Day Flash Challenge
Hexagram 57, Wind over Wind
June 2022 Flash Challenge, Day 29 As the doctor retraced the spots, the man remembered the trails and how simple life could be there. He’d blown through a lot of savings, planned his hike endlessly, then hiked an anemic 500 miles before calling it quits. The actual number was closer to 380. The last 120… Continue reading Hexagram 57, Wind over Wind
Liza Saves a Bunny
June 2022 Flash Challenge, Day 27 The sad thing was, it was not her rabbit. The tragedy might have been much worse if LeRoy had not been there. The young boy became a hero when he chucked his oversized history book at the shooter’s head. LeRoy was a hero, and the town was abuzz with… Continue reading Liza Saves a Bunny
Red Bike
June 2022 Flash Challenge, Day 26 I can still recall the day I first saw her bike. It was a deep red Trek that was, in her words, “not too girly.” Classic Nikky. She was one of a kind. I remember entering the Starbucks and having one of the kindest, most beautiful people I’ve ever… Continue reading Red Bike
Donated to Science
June 2022 Flash Challenge, Day 17 Why did I drop that damn gun? Occasionally a few grains of coffee will get in my eyes or a splash of water from the fill tank. I have only the loosest perception of light through the white plastic enveloping me, enclosing my head. They say the brain has… Continue reading Donated to Science
Mr. Auk
June 2022 Flash Challenge, Day 14 The people of the earth collectively pause whatever they’re doing and shift their attention to the solemn ceremony. Today it is Mr. Auk, a retired fisherman in Thailand. Who knows where it will be (or IF it will be) next month. The sleeping wake in time to watch. A… Continue reading Mr. Auk
Rapid Transport
June 2022 Flash Challenge, Day 13 The smell of falafel is always the first thing I notice in the Cairo terminal; recirculated air is laden with the scents of parsley, mint, cilantro, and garlic. The bustling hallways of disembarking passengers and the vendors selling their falafel, hummus, and baklava. I woke on a sleeping couch… Continue reading Rapid Transport
Lou Cypher
June 2022 Flash Challenge, Day 12 The first thing I noticed about him was that he dressed impeccably in a black silk suit, the whitest shirt I’ve ever seen, and a red silk pocket square. His beard was salt and pepper but neatly maintained, and he carried himself with crazy confidence. His eyes were friendly… Continue reading Lou Cypher
Glitch Mendelsohn
June 2022 Flash Challenge, Day 9 I hurry my pace and steal a glance behind me. Damn it. They’re still there, the three teenage boys following me. Again, I allowed myself to forget that I’m an eighteen-year-old girl. What is my name this time? The body might be 18, but its rider is much older.… Continue reading Glitch Mendelsohn
If You See Me Running (a playlist)
June 2022 Flash Challenge, Day 7 1. Eminence Front, The Who (5 minutes 38 seconds) I am walking north on Pebble Vale. I start the GPS watch. Start week 7, program number 1 on my C25K app. I load my playlist and start it playing. The crisp jingle of piano keys segues nicely into a… Continue reading If You See Me Running (a playlist)
Blythe
June 2022 Flash Challenge, Day 6 It is surprising how much misinformation the media and books have regarding monsters. The idea that the only way to kill a werewolf is with a silver bullet? Laughable nonsense. Or that vampires can’t go out in the sunlight? Silly and baseless. Most of them don’t like being in… Continue reading Blythe
Gargoyles
June 2022 Flash Challenge, Day 4 “I think they are supposed to be guardians or something, right?” Kimberly says, peering upwards at the three buildings that make up the bulk of our burb’s central square. Ken looks ready to speak again. “Go ahead,” I say. “While symbolically linked to defense, their original purpose was to… Continue reading Gargoyles
Papa
June 2022 Flash Challenge, Day 3 Uncle Kenny never rises before noon on the camping trips. So far now, it’s just me, Cheryl, Adam, and dad, finishing our breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast. The cool air and the smokey smell usually make me feel giddy in the mornings. That isn’t the case this morning.… Continue reading Papa
The Ladder in the Box (a dream)
June 2022 Flash Challenge, Day 2 I decide to leave the doctor’s report in the car. If I bring it inside I will not stop reading it. I need some space from it. Then I’m outside the car. I don’t remember getting out of the car, but here I am. Then I’m on the stairs… Continue reading The Ladder in the Box (a dream)
Gamer
June 2022 Flash Challenge, Day 1 I glance again at the poster on the front wall. It hangs above the third of five large-screen monitors. Each gamer has a second screen that mirrors what is on their monitor. I swivel behind me and see three cameras sitting at the back of the room. If it… Continue reading Gamer
Finding Harry
An addict returns home. My most recent overdose triggered mom’s stroke and death. I’ve been gone almost nine years, but now I’m back at the farm with Dad. I will stay here a bit, try to find my legs, figure out what’s next for me. I’ve struggled with the black dogs of depression my… Continue reading Finding Harry
My Dead Dad and I Talk Technology
I really ought to be able to explain this better. I used to be an engineer for chrissakes. But that was a long time ago. Since then, I migrated to computer programming. Now I’m no longer in the technology field at all. I’m a massage therapist. I can’t believe he’s here. He died in 92.… Continue reading My Dead Dad and I Talk Technology
Stories by Shawn 