Posts Tagged ‘short stories’
fire, flash fiction, short stories, stories, trifecta writing challenge, writing
In Fiction on December 12, 2012 at 1:06 pm
Shadows on the Wall
The fire rages and the timbers fall. Ash and smoke and glowing filaments twist into the sky and disappear. A distant siren wails.
In the yard, my curved shadow stands long upon the ground. Never have I felt such heat, nor such freedom – nor such aching, terrible guilt. I fear I am a sick man.
They say every story has been written and, by that token, every life (for what is a life if not a story) has already been lived. Specific joys, specific tragedies – these change – but the basic arc of any one life, the skeleton beneath it all, is nothing more than a copy of some ancient form. Read the rest of this entry »
flash fiction, friday fictioneers, short stories, stories, writing
In Fiction on December 7, 2012 at 2:15 pm
Down The Hall, Through The Door
Jay was stuck in a dream and had been for some time.
Months.
Years.
Ever since the accident. Read the rest of this entry »
flash fiction, short stories, stories, trifecta writing challenge, writing
In Fiction on December 4, 2012 at 10:50 pm
The Chemist
The chemist was lank and pale and had a liquid smile.
“I want to thank you, gentlemen,” he said.
Henry sipped his drink. To both sides, half a dozen men nursed amber spirits and listened thoughtfully. They had come for their payment.
“Our product is unique among narcotics in that it is readily absorbed in the bone,” the chemist said. “This affords certain advantages, not least of which is ease of transport.” Read the rest of this entry »
flash fiction, pietro barbino, short stories, trifecta writing challenge, writing
In Fiction on November 26, 2012 at 7:43 pm
Original Sin
Pietro Barbino stumbled through the forest, chased by visions, his head swimming from wine. It had been years since he’d last seen Giovanni – in the flesh – but the boy followed him everywhere now.
“Please,” Pietro cried to the misty trees, “leave me in peace!”
Still, Giovanni staggered doggedly behind.
The boy never spoke and his face never changed – it was bruised and unblinking, the tongue swollen, thrust between chipped teeth and bloodstained lips – but his judgment was clear enough, and Pietro wept to look upon him. Read the rest of this entry »
flash fiction, friday fictioneers, short stories, stories, writing
In Fiction on November 23, 2012 at 2:58 pm
A Question of Genre
Someone once asked if my life was a tragedy or a comedy.
We’d stopped counting drinks at that point. I was still wearing my suit, though the tie had been lost some hours before.
The pretty girls had all stumbled off – the ugly ones, too – back home or into someone’s bed, but we were uglier still: old, old men. We’d finished our game of chess and sat down for a drink with Death instead.
I have memories of nights like this, and better mornings – and pretty girls and ugly girls, sweet girls and mean girls – and the one I took home long ago and never gave back…
Tragedy or comedy? What a stupid question. Read the rest of this entry »
flash fiction, friday fictioneers, short stories, stories, writing
In Fiction on November 17, 2012 at 8:30 pm
It’s a day late, a dollar short, and a good 25 words over weight, but in the interest of maintaining some semblance of a normal posting schedule during NaNoWriMo, I present to you this week’s Friday Fictioneer’s story!
Short-Lived Light
“The specific energy of a lithium battery is about a million joules per kilogram,” Grandfather said. “The human body, meanwhile, requires six to eight million joules each and every day.” Read the rest of this entry »
flash fiction, friday fictioneers, short stories, stories, writing
In Fiction on November 9, 2012 at 12:03 pm
It’s finally Friday, and as much as I may neglect my posting in the name of NaNoWriMo, there’s just no way I can give the Fictioneers a skip, so let’s get to it:
Read, comment, and have a great weekend!
Gudrun and Knut
The storm raged and the grey winter crept toward the cabin, until the wind blasted the windows with ice and all was sealed within.
Gudrun trembled.
“What comes in this storm, Knut?” he asked. The dog stared curiously, his tail low and still. “What gods or monsters hide in the white?” Read the rest of this entry »
flash fiction, friday fictioneers, science fiction, short stories, stories, time dilation
In Fiction on November 2, 2012 at 2:24 pm
Toys That Fly
When I was a child my father bought me a helicopter with a rotor driven by a rubber band. He wound it for me, and it climbed into a black sky freckled with stars.
Now, in my window, there are more stars than anyone has ever seen, adrift in a river of light.
At this speed, for us, time is nearly still, but everyone on Earth is long since dead – not just everyone we knew, but everyone who was ever destined to be, all the generations of men forever and ever.
When the crew finally dies, I wonder, what will our ship be then? Read the rest of this entry »
flash fiction, hadji ali, short stories, stories, trifecta writing challenge, wednesday wiki-prompt, writing
In Fiction on October 31, 2012 at 8:32 am
This week I’ve decided to combine a couple prompts (namely, my Wednesday Wiki-prompt and the Trifecta Writing Challenge). This wasn’t out of any sort of creative ambition, the week just started to get away from me and I need to keep planning for NaNoWriMo!
Anyway, Week 4’s prompt was this article on Hadji Ali, a vaudeville performer who specialized in controlled regurgitation (yep). The Trifecta prompt was the third, more general definition of whore (as in, someone who sells out for money).
Give ‘er a read and let me know what you think below!
The Egyptian Miracle Man
“Almina, my darling, do not take these things so seriously…”
Hadji Ali watched his daughter in perplexity. She paced the room, a furious tigress. Read the rest of this entry »
flash fiction, friday fictioneers, short stories, stories, writing
In Fiction on October 26, 2012 at 2:15 pm
As October goes on, so does my constant vacillation between abstraction and creepiness in my stories (though I did just take a break from all that to play dress up with some of my favorite dead authors).
Give this one a read and then head on over to Rochelle Wisoff-Field’s page, the brand new home of the Friday Fictioneers. Happy weekend everyone!
Passing Time
The coffee never gets cold. Read the rest of this entry »
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