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
Tag: flash fiction
The Conductor
The bus jerks me awake. Or that’s what I tell myself. I still harbor a fragile little tendril of hope that I’m still sleeping, that this is only a dream. Awake. Asleep. Is there a difference? Or some method for knowing which is which? This bus is a train. Or is this train a bus?… Continue reading The Conductor
Carl
He sits in my passenger seat. He sniffs and makes the pinchy face I hate. I pretend I don’t see it. “Hell of a game last night? Am I right?” “Yeah, I guess.” “You didn’t watch it? The Eagles were on fire!” He must know I’m still playing catch-up with how he screwed me on… Continue reading Carl
My Name Was Kevin
By the time I stand up, my chin has stopped bleeding. The Christmas card and its insidious message lay forgotten on the dirty floor under the refrigerator. There is a lot of my blood on the floor. I feel the Latin phrases (incongruous with the playful polar bear and mischievous elves) careen through my brain,… Continue reading My Name Was Kevin
Plastic Wraith
The swirl of black plastic sheeting whirling a few yards from my windshield jerks me away from my ruminations. It really does look like a ghost. Halloween Wraiths are an irresponsible underground fad that has plagued north Dallas since October 1st. Irresponsible, reckless, and a damn dangerous thing to do. The idea that anyone with… Continue reading Plastic Wraith
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
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
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
Ray-Ray
Flash Fiction Challenge 100 – Day 57 Reagan answers her phone without checking the caller ID. “Hello.” Nothing. “Hello?” Reagan says. “Did you really think you could run away from me, Ray-Ray?” Only her father had called her Ray-Ray. Reagan had always found her stalker’s presumptuous over-familiarity to be nearly as jarring as his gruesome… Continue reading Ray-Ray
Stories by Shawn 