“You think I don’t trust you? Unbelievable. I can’t believe you sometimes, Laura,” Liza says, dropping to her knees. She opens her fanny pack and fishes for something from its dark nylon depths. She stands up, holding the scarf. Oh no. Not this again. “Liza, the race is about to start. Can we put a… Continue reading Running Blind
Category: tender
Muertos
Halloween 2043 I swallow four more ibuprofen. The sciatica is hurting today. “You almost ready?” I startle at the sound of her voice. I startle a lot these days. I was just putting the finishing touches on my Halloween getup. We must always dress the same. She was such a creature of habit. This is… Continue reading Muertos
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
Same Old Dance
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 22 The thing is, I could tell what she was thinking the whole time, from her first spontaneous hug, to how she responded to my touch when we traded massages, how I responded to hers. I swore I wanted to; no needed to touch her every week. What would… Continue reading Same Old Dance
After the Rain
Flash Fiction Challenge 100 – Day 83 “Lying in the dark, it’s understood We are both lost And we won’t be found.” The Last Unicorn – Passenger When it was done, after he had gone through the normal stages of adapting to the new norm (single again), he felt surprised to learn that what he… Continue reading After the Rain
Shrinking
Flash Fiction Challenge 100 – Day 47 “Excuse me, but do you have these in a larger size?” I don’t know why I’m asking; I already know they don’t. And I knew this day was coming. The salesperson takes the box of shoe lifts from me. She studies the back of the box; she’s just… Continue reading Shrinking
Kitten Infestation
Flash Fiction Challenge 100 – Day 42 My neighbor wakes me up. I look at my phone. Damn! It’s only 7:03 AM! And it’s my only day to sleep late. Still, he’s a nice guy, and I try to stay on good terms with all my neighbors. I lean out of my bed, rest my… Continue reading Kitten Infestation
The White Elephant
Flash Fiction Challenge 100 – Day 40 “So how about a cup of tea?” the man says. “I think I’d prefer a beer!” she says. The man looks surprised. – “Yes! Let’s get a beer! It’s so hot out today; a beer will taste great.” “Mmm,” she says. He drives to their favorite place, The… Continue reading The White Elephant
The Last Sunset
Flash Fiction Challenge 100 – Day 37 The writing prompt today was ‘What is a dream you’ve had that you want to live in forever?’ That’s easy. It was a dream I had years ago, with all the plot holes and inconsistencies of a bad movie. I and some faceless others are hiking up a… Continue reading The Last Sunset
Mr. Morelli’s Upstairs Neighbors
“You would think someone had died!” Mr. Morelli huffs in frustration. His upstairs neighbors are at it again today! Every day it was the same; yelling, crying, and moaning. Get a grip! Some of us are trying to enjoy our retirement down here! He pounds on his low ceiling. The pounds never seem to do… Continue reading Mr. Morelli’s Upstairs Neighbors
Apple Communion
My daughter walks over to me. I’m still lying in our hammock. When she reaches me, I slide over and sit in the hammock sideways, gesture with a head nod, wordlessly asking her if she wants to join me. She doesn’t of course. This is how it starts. It’s always the same. She walks over,… Continue reading Apple Communion
Stories by Shawn 