Tag Archives: flash fiction

July 7, 2014

He’s a Natural Man… – Friday Fictioneers

This is probably the latest I’ve ever posted a Friday Fictioneers story, since I usually do it on Wednesday. But we just got back to North America and this whole week has been up in the air (partially literally). I’ve been the first on the list before. Maybe this time I’ll be the last on the list.

He’s a Natural Man…

“It’s for our landlord,” I told Joe, pointing to the festivities. “He’s never bathed, ever. After a few years, lichen started to accumulate. We tried to get rid of him but by then, he had Greenpeace on his side, seeing that he was so much a part of the environment.”

“Sounds disgusting,” Joe said.

“Well, yeah, but he’s kind of a local treasure now. After the town accepted him, they fought hard to get him recognition. Let’s go: the party’s starting.”

We walked over to where a huge banner proudly proclaimed:

CONGRATULATIONS KARL ZIMEKIS ON MAKING THE NEW SPECIES LIST.

32 Comments | tags: dirty, fiction, flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers, funny, Greenpeace, species | posted in Friday Fictioneers

June 26, 2014

Bruised Heartwood – Friday Fictioneers

By David Stewart

I’m currently on the road and writing this in a hotel. As always, I wish I could read more of the other stories but I should be able to pretty soon in the future.

Bruised Heartwood

The gnarled old oak tree on the hill loved Jenny. He loved watching her spread her picnic blanket in his shade.

“I’ll dress up for Halloween,” he said, and propped a goat’s skull in the crook of his branches.

But no one saw or cared, even Jenny who was at a party.

His heartwood was wounded deeply, and tearing up roots long planted, he rampaged through the town.

They caught him, cut him down, chopped him up. “Trees go bad,” they said.

But Jenny didn’t dance around the fire they made and her heart ached, although she didn’t know why.

17 Comments | tags: fantasy, fiction, flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers, love, tree | posted in Friday Fictioneers

June 20, 2014

Mommy’s Little Miracle – Friday Fictioneers

By David Stewart

I’m quite late this week, but I’ve been pretty busy. Still, the end is in sight: two more days until we move. Things will still be hectic, but at least I won’t have all the packing and cleaning I have now.

Mommy’s Little Miracle

Swish, swish.

Pastel colors brushed onto old, warped walls. The pungent smell of new paint mingled with the lusty cries of new life in the next room. The last few days had been a whirlwind of activity, a maelstrom of emotions: anticipation at the hospital, a few moments of fear and now, pure elation.

She had long given up on having a family, but now here he was, her little miracle.

Well, almost hers. Her eyes flicked to the TV news. A few more months. When she had outlasted the searches and the Amber alerts, he would be hers forever.

16 Comments | tags: Amber alert, baby, creepy, fiction, flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers, kidnapping, painting, woman | posted in Friday Fictioneers

June 11, 2014

The Procedure was Painless – Friday Fictioneers

By David Stewart

Hi everyone. I’m still completely swamped with moving and packing but only for a few more weeks. I feel really bad I haven’t been able to read more of the other Friday Fictioneer stories, but be patient with me, if possible. In other news, my two-year blogging anniversary just passed. In some ways, it seems way longer than that.

The Procedure was Painless

Saja’s tongue ran over the foreign terrain of his now-vacant gums. He looked down at his weaponless paws.

Guards escorted him to the ship, alert for predators.

“Welcome aboard,” the captain said. “When we reach Languenpax, everything will be provided: food, mates, anything you want. Still, you’ll need to be caged for the journey.”

“Why?” Saja asked. “I’m not dangerous anymore.”

“You’re still extremely strong. We do have a weakening procedure . . .”

Saja just nodded. It would be worth it, he hoped. Nevertheless, as they led him away, he cast a last glance back at the wild savannah of his birth.

35 Comments | tags: boat, fiction, flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers, journey, lion, wild | posted in Friday Fictioneers

June 4, 2014

Day 219 – Friday Fictioneers

By David Stewart

Day 219

My iPad is a telescope, turned backwards: the world tiny, but terrifyingly clear.

It’s a biology experiment, they say. But of course they wouldn’t tell me if it were psychological.

Most websites are blocked except CNN and BBC. Suspicious.

Horror constantly splashes across my screen. The sudden economic collapse and ensuing conflicts. The European epidemic killing millions. Famine, War, Pestilence.

Death.

I can leave this cave anytime. The blinking green button winks at me seductively.

I want to end this madness and go outside and see it was all just a test. But I’m afraid it’s not, so I stay.

53 Comments | tags: apocalypse, caves, death, experiment, fiction, flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers | posted in Friday Fictioneers

May 28, 2014

Standing Between Realities – Friday Fictioneers

By David Stewart

Standing on the Edge of Realities

“I’m such an idiot! I walked through that arch, back to this world, and I find her sleeping with my co-worker. I came back—gave up paradise—all for her! Stupid! I can’t go back now—the magic’s all gone—and I’m stuck forever in this tepid modern world. I just want to belong somewhere: I’m only an outsider now.”

The cop was having a heck of a first day on the job. “That’s terrible, sir. Really. If you’ll just step back from the edge of the bridge, I’ll buy you a coffee and you can tell me more about it.”

58 Comments | tags: betrayal, bridge, fantasy, fiction, first day, flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers, magic, other worlds, police, suicide, woman | posted in Friday Fictioneers

May 22, 2014

Foggy Bottom Brain Surgery – Friday Fictioneers

By David Stewart

Hi everyone, did you think I would miss Friday Fictioneers this week? I’m over 24 hours late from when I usually post this, but I wasn’t feeling inspired. The problem with doing these every week for so long is that I don’t want to write just any story and if I don’t get an idea I really like, I just keeping thinking and thinking. I don’t know if this is exactly a good story, but it’s unapologetically bizarre, and that’s okay in my books.

Foggy Bottom Brain Surgery

Dr. Singh was sweating like . . . there was no better analogy than what he was at that moment: a doctor performing brain surgery on the king of the Bhligli, whose cognitive organ was in their buttocks. The Blighli never thought sitting down.

The tumor was an active thing, dodging the scalpel and hiding in the forest of alien ganglia.

“More suction, the whole thing is filling up with fog.”

Slurp. A greenish appendage disappeared up the vacuum tube. The nurse cringed under his wrathful look. “Do you think that was important?”

“For the sake of the human race, I hope not.”

54 Comments | tags: aliens, brain surgery, doctor, fiction, flash fiction, fog, Friday Fictioneers, funny, science fiction | posted in Friday Fictioneers

May 19, 2014

Currents Run Deep

By David Stewart

Currents Run Deep

Triliton’s mining ship the Ocean Duchess set sail from Dover with the mission to strip mine the ocean floor. It was carrying a new machine that extracted all nutrients and left only bare rock behind. It was also carrying a saboteur.

<Five days later>

“They got Tre!” Joy said at the Ecological Army headquarters. “They caught him setting the dynamite.”

“Is he alive?” Nel asked.

“They brought him into a small room for a couple hours. He’s unrecognizable now. Here’s a picture I stole from a security camera.” She turned her iPad.

“Bastard!” Nel squinted. “I never thought I’d see Tre in a suit. Is that a Mercedes he’s driving?”

“Yep. They made him the Director of Environmental Affairs. Six figures. He won’t return my calls.”

“It just shows the evil we’re up against.”

<Five years later>

Joy could barely restrain from punching Tre when he turned up late one night at her apartment.

“How could you, Tre?” she demanded. “You sold yourself to the enemy.”

“Haven’t you been getting my donations?” he asked. “They were anonymous, but I thought you’d figure it out. Plus, the mission is finished.” He flipped on the TV.

“TRILITON’S ENTIRE OCEAN MINING FLEET SUNK. ECO-TERRORISM SUSPECTED.”

6 Comments | tags: Alastair's Photo Fiction, eco-terrorism, fiction, flash fiction, mining, mission, sabotage, ship | posted in Dusk

May 14, 2014

Mob Mentality – Friday Fictioneers

By David Stewart

As a writer, I’m intrigued with situations where there is no easy answer. A story is so much more complex when you can sympathize with all parties and put yourselves in their shoes. As you read this story, ask yourself what you would have done. I’m curious to know.

Mob Mentality

The mob of infected surrounded the car, their pounding fists turning it into a drum.

“How can you?” they screamed. “Where’s your heart? We’ll die without that medicine.”

Craig keyed the loudspeaker. “There are only ten doses left. We need them to replicate more or millions could die. I’ll return in two days.”

“You expect us to believe that?”

“Sir, I can’t get through,” the driver said. “They will eventually overturn the car.”

“Run them down,” Craig said finally. As the car bumped forward and the screams increased, he punched the dashboard. “Idiots! Can’t they see I’m trying to help?”

41 Comments | tags: fear, fiction, flash fiction, Friday Fictioneers, infection, medicine, mob, outbreak, sickness | posted in Friday Fictioneers

May 11, 2014

The Best Mother’s Day Ever

By David Stewart

Happy Mother’s Day everyone. This is my bizarre tribute to mothers everywhere. For those of you who don’t know, this is part of a weekly photo prompt, where the challenge is to write a 200-word story based on a picture. Skip down below the picture for the story.

For my regular readers, I’m sure you’ve noticed I haven’t been posting much lately. I have been working hard to finish a manuscript of a novel so that’s taken most of my time. I just finished today, so I should be posting more from now on.

The Best Mother’s Day Ever

“Happy Mother’s Day, honey. I got you something really special!”

“What is it?” Debbie asked, taking the box from her husband Robert’s hands and opening it.

“It’s a gun,” he said. “You shoot yourself with it.” Seeing her look of horror, he continued quickly. “No, no, it doesn’t hurt. You know how you never have enough time to do everything you need to? This gun helps you split up your body so you can do more things at once. Great, eh?”

“Uh huh, I see. How does it work?”

“You just point it at a body part and fire and it detaches. You can still use the body part and control it though. You shoot it again to reattach it. Imagine how efficient you can be now.”

“Sounds great,” she said brightly, and shot him.

Twenty minutes later, Debbie was sitting on the couch, eating an ice cream sundae and watching a movie. Robert’s left arm was cleaning out the gutters; his right arm and legs were out picking up the dry-cleaning; his head was watching the kids; and his torso was mowing the lawn, somehow.

She smiled. This was the best Mother’s Day ever.