Form: Flash Fiction

301-1,500 words

Tell Me All the Ways

My stomach growls as the baseball game ends on TV. Damned Yankees lost again.  “Aida, can you bring me some milk and cookies, please?”   “Coming right up,” she says. A few moments later, she comes into the living room with…

Wickedly v. the State

Bailiff Henry: “All rise. The court of Adverbial Malfeasance is in session.”  Judge Zelda Sol walks through the chamber door and sits in the oversized leather chair behind the bench.  Judge Zelda: “Good morning, everyone. Public Defender Miles Mercer, you…

The Rocks Like a Baby in the Cradle

Nearly 10 o’clock. Jimmy Jones stared at his 5th grade homework assignment.  “Write a very short story of 100-300 words, using the title prompt: It Rocks Like a Baby in the Cradle. Oh crap, why did I wait so late…

Waiting for Rainbows

Noah stood at the door of the ark and checked off the final animals on his list. Grasshoppers. Check. Anteaters. Check. Zebras. Check. Koalas. Check. Unicorns?  He looked up at the unicorns, the most beloved of God’s creatures on earth,…

How Long Does Pizza Take?

My phone chimes as an offer pops up on my food delivery app. I click “accept” and head for Penny’s Pizza. A few minutes later I pull into the parking lot and look for a space.  My breath catches when…

The Sentence

I. Innocence I stood with my lawyer before the judge, and he asked if I had anything to say before pronouncing sentence. The only person I wanted to hear my words was the man sitting in the back row, smiling.…

Dad’s Order

As I browse the menu at the Happy China restaurant, one entrée takes me back to my early teen years. Moo Goo Gai Pan. Oh my gosh, I remember that! Dad’s favorite dish every time he ordered our family Chinese…

The Story That Wrote Me

I have a story to write; I have a tale to tell.  With pencil sharp and page untouched, I wait in silence for the words to come.  The words arrive, not with fanfare, blaring trumpets, or birds chirping their cheerful…

BFAM

Today, I discovered I have a BFAM. No, it’s not some exotic disease or a terminal illness. It’s not a mental disorder or psychological dysfunction. It’s something deeper and more life-changing than that. Let me explain.  A few days ago,…

Washington Cherry Pie

The doorbell jangled as a couple walked into the Smith Family Farms Cafe and took a seat at the crowded bar counter. Vera handed them menus and greeted them cheerfully, “Happy Independence Day!”  “Hi,” the man replied. “We’re only having…

Male Mom

“Bye, honey, I’ll see you tonight!” I shout out to my wife, Jelinja, as she opens the front door to leave. “Be home in time for dinner.”  She grins back at me. “Well, of course, babe, I would never miss…

The Connection Conundrum

I remove my new laptop from the cardboard box and tight styrofoam packing, and carefully unwrap the sealed plastic wrap encasing it. I admire the sleek, brushed metal case that feels so solid and light in my hands. I got…

Three Hikes at Silver Lake Trail

Carol peered down the curving lakeside path that disappeared into the dense forest a hundred feet ahead. New to the area, the locals had insisted the five-mile Silver Lake Trail was a “can’t miss hike” that everyone should take, so…

A Day in the Life

I live alone in a one-room studio apartment, with no partner, roommate, or pet to keep me company and ease the crushing loneliness I feel. The room is small, with minimal furnishing — a bed, sink, toilet, desk, chair, and…

TACO TUESDAY

The timer started. I’m doing a 15-minute writing sprint with Keiren Westwood, a writer I follow on YouTube. Now, I don’t have a story or even an idea at this moment, so I will free-write and see what comes…. The…

Daddy, I’m Scared!

12-year-old Lucy Smith rushed into the living room, clutching her Bible, tears on her cheeks.  “Daddy, I’m scared!”   “Aww…come here, baby.” She ran to her father’s open arms, and he enveloped her in a gentle hug. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.…

The Little Box

They weren’t worth much money, but they were priceless to me. Because they were my dad’s. Those vintage little tie tacks in the shape of guitars, locomotives, dune buggies, anchors, and crosses. Those cufflinks fashioned from Indian-head pennies. The old…

As You Wish, Master

Art browsed through the bric-a-brac on the crowded, dusty shelves in the old antique store, finding little of interest. He spotted an odd-looking object tucked away in the back that looked like a little metal pitcher with a handle and…

In the Shadows of Dusk

The dying embers of sunlight fade to dusk, casting long, eerie shadows through the windows of the small bedroom. Clara hastily packs a tattered blue suitcase on the bed with a few clothes, personal effects, and a framed wedding photo.…

God, Gail, and the Cosmic Gulf

I finally met God. Yeah, I’m serious, this isn’t a joke. I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. Lots of people say they’ve met God, that they know him personally. They pray, meditate, receive impressions, dreams, and…

Chips and Consequences

One warm September afternoon, Jake Salsa, quarterback of the high school football team, walked with his teammates to the student car lot after a bruising two-hour practice in the blazing sun. They laughed and joked about the things all high…

By His Own Hand

Jayal knew the only way he could ever escape the oppressive totalitarian state was by his own hand. For a month, he pretended to take the sleeping pills they allotted him each night, saving them for the night he would…

But I’m Glad It’s You

A lone silhouette approaches in the flickering lamplight, a petite, feminine form, skirts flowing in the breeze and high heels echoing across the cobblestone street — click-clack, click-clack. I step out of the shadows into her path. “Oh, my!” she…

Borders of Belief

One warm summer evening, Lukas reclined on his lounge chair by the pool, scrolling through his phone. “Yay, they’re deporting all those illegals!” he exclaimed. His roommate, Jing Lee, reclining on a nearby chair soaking up the sun, peered at…

A Rapture You Won’t Miss

I’m startled awake by the sound of a blaring trumpet. What was that? The moonlight streaming through my bedroom window tells me it’s still night, but my wife’s side of the bed is empty. Where did she go?   My breath…

Luck In The Wind

“Ma’am, I think you dropped this,” said the voice behind me. I turned around to see the pretty self-checkout attendant holding a lotto ticket. She smiled and held out her hand to give it to me.   I shook my head.…

The Lightkeeper

The wind shrieked, and the rain thrashed the lighthouse like a hundred whips, mirroring the storm brewing inside Elias. After three decades as a lightkeeper, he had seen more than his share of Nor’easters on this rugged coast. But tonight…

The Internal Inferno

My religion taught me to live in fear. Fear of demons in the shadows, tempting me to stray from the straight and narrow path. Fear of sin that could curse me to Hell’s eternal flames. Every night I pray for…

Icy Halloween

It was a brisk Halloween night, and Alejandro handed out candy at his front door to an endless parade of trick-or-treaters dressed as ghosts, witches, zombies, clowns, princesses, superheroes, and horror movie characters. But the most popular costume this year…

The Runny Rabbit

Every day, Bunny Rabbit loved to run through the lush green meadow in the pine forest, feeling the soft blades of grass tickle his paws with every bound. He adored the fragrant scent of the wildflowers that dotted the land…