30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 30 “The left, no. The right,” I say to the street performer. I’m sure the white pawn is in his right hand. He got lucky the other times, but I think I’ve figured out what he’s doing. “Are you quite sure?” he says to me. He asks this every… Continue reading Influence
Category: writing challenge
The Magic Chip
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 26 In the video, the magician takes a chip from a bag; he places it on the counter and rolls up his sleeves. Then, he makes a big production of showing his hands are empty. Slowly and without any tell-tale hints that he’s making “moves,” he raises the chip… Continue reading The Magic Chip
Christina
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 25 She’s doing it again; she shouldn’t be able to hold the tiny blunt, let alone take a hit, but she can and does. “Whoa,” that’s some good stuff,” Christina says as she exhales a cloud of acrid smoke. The four of us, James, Seth, me, and her, are… Continue reading Christina
Brian Finds a Journal
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 24 June 1, 2021 It was a Tuesday, and I was running late. The subway broke, so it wasn’t really my fault, except that it was, and it had happened before. My manager and I agreed (more she than I) that I would allow for such happenings by showing… Continue reading Brian Finds a Journal
Buster’s Business
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 23 At first, I had thought gravity stopped working. Slowly the details of what had happened come into focus. I was driving, and then my truck became airborne; I remember screams, pumping the brakes, then landing with a crash, and then? I must have blacked out. When I came to, I… Continue reading Buster’s Business
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
Mr. Bojangles
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 21 “We got another two reports, like yesterday, Sheriff,” Suzy says. “Give me a second here, Suz. I’m not even in the door yet,” I say, shaking the snow off my coat. There go my dreams for a slow, uneventful day. This town is nothing once the college kids… Continue reading Mr. Bojangles
Monolith 5 – Wendy’s Well Part 2
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 20 Other monolith stories I’ve written: Monolith Monolith 2 Monolith 3 – Tammy’s Choice Monolith 4 – Many Miles Away Monolith 5 – Wendy’s Well Part 1 (the prequel to this story) “Yes, sir, the stairs just sort of went away. I can’t explain it any better, Sheriff. I’m… Continue reading Monolith 5 – Wendy’s Well Part 2
A Tea Party in Hell
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 19 This is the third story in a series. Charlie Bennett SIRIRI The prince of the third level of hell preferred to hold his tea parties in a different place. That was why today, he was on the second level. The screaming and agonizing and endless complaints from the tortured made… Continue reading A Tea Party in Hell
Cuando el Sol y Luna Eran Amantes
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 18 Even after all this time The sun never says to the earth “You owe me” Look what happens with a love like that It lights the whole sky Hafiz The Karankawa people had a legend, one of the greatest love stories ever told; they called it “Cuando el… Continue reading Cuando el Sol y Luna Eran Amantes
Amina’s Birth-Tattoo
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 17 February 28, 2195 Ultimately everyone on station Magellan had to pull a tour of duty on earth. During the lottery, Amina drew an eighteen-month assignment to NorCon Station 7. Situated in Antarctica, Station 7 sat at one of the harshest climates on earth. When she got her job… Continue reading Amina’s Birth-Tattoo
Amina
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 17 February 28, 2195 Ultimately everyone on Magellan had to pull a tour of duty somewhere on earth. The administrators liked to pretend that it wasn’t mandatory, but it was. During the annual lottery, Amina drew an eighteen lunar cycle stint at NorCon Station 7. Situated in Antarctica, Station… Continue reading Amina
Gerald
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 16 Dazed, Gerald exits his cabin by breaking the window in the loft then dropping into the snow. “It must have been Maude’s table that saved me, ugly battleship thing. Oh, and the table is no beauty either,” he cackles to himself. Maude was Gerald’s ex-mother-in-law. The table was… Continue reading Gerald
The In Betweeners
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 15 The problem with disguising interdimensional portals as a door or window is eventually some busybody will try to pass through it. Then the gig is, as they theatrically say, up. T. S. Livingstone, Memoirs of a Traveller Margaux and Philippe were thrilled with their new house. She was his mother;… Continue reading The In Betweeners
Mirrors 3
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 13 Hold it up sternly! See this it sends back! (Who is it? Is it you?) Walt Whitman, A Hand-Mirror At first, it was just a campaign of rumors. At least that’s what most folks told themselves. Some misinformation spread for some reason or another. But then, after enough… Continue reading Mirrors 3
The Mars Option
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 12 Lieutenant Commander Sheila Sykes squeezes herself into the tiny Martian cavern. Technically she is breaking protocol with this unaccompanied entry, but she has a hunch. The rock in front of the cave had seemed an unlikely coincidence. It looked way too circular, uniform, evenly shaped to be a random occurrence.… Continue reading The Mars Option
On the Lam
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 11 This is the third installment in this story Finding the Glasses Around the Fold I make it to Gstaad before being captured. But it’s not one of Bobby’s goons that catches me. It is the entity that left me the four-dimensional sunglasses. I felt jerked sideways as in… Continue reading On the Lam
Marty
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 10 “Son? What son? I have no son.” Sonia can still remember the detective’s words to the policeman and Tony’s expression. His father’s words appeared to hurt the teenage psychopath more than Marty’s stabbing had. An honest cop had learned that his son was one-half a serial-rapist team that… Continue reading Marty
Elsie
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 9 My head is pounding like a drum. I come to and wish to go away in the same breath. Where was I? Sleeping apparently, duh. But the bigger question is ‘where am I?’ I have yet to open my eyes, yet I feel something is off with this… Continue reading Elsie
Moonglow
30-Day Flash Challenge, Day 8 11:07 PM She was supposed to have gotten off two hours ago, and she is exhausted, as tired as she’s ever been. Suzy pulls her name tag off her Nurse’s smock and places it in the center console. She flicks her smartphone on, unlocks the screen, sees she… Continue reading Moonglow
