Tag Archives: Flash Fiction

May 31, 2017

Thin-Skinned Deep

Today was The Great Unveiling. Crorrarq glanced at himself in the mirror. It had been seven years since the occupation. Seven years of blending in under a layer of celluloid, masking his true nature. Crorrarq was one of millions.

The Elders had vehemently opposed the event. “It’s much too soon. We’ve been observing these humans,” they said. “How can we expect to be accepted for who we are when they don’t even accept their own? You’ve seen them. Building their walls, hoarding their riches from the poorest of their kind. Killing each other for money and resources. Turning away those who are weak or different. No,” they warned, “humans are far too barbaric and uncivilized to accept us as neighbors.”

But the decision was made. Votes were cast. The Great Unveiling would go on as planned.

At noon on that fateful day every alien on the planet revealed themself to the humans they had grown to love and who claimed to love them. It was a dreadful day. The humans saw only monsters where once they saw friends. Every alien was rounded up, imprisoned and ultimately executed.

The Elders had been right all along. It was much too soon.

~kat

(199 Words)

For Sunday’s Photo Fiction Challenge based on this photo by our host Al.

12 Comments | tags: 200 words, aliens, Flash Fiction, Photo Prompt | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Flash Fiction, Life Lessons, Under 300 Words

May 30, 2017

Twittering Tale #32 – 30 May 2017

By Kat Myrman

About the challenge: Each Tuesday I will provide a prompt, and your mission, if you choose to play along, is to tell a story based on that prompt in 140 characters or less. If you accept the challenge, be sure to let me know in the comments with a link to your tale.

A final note: if you need help tracking the number of characters in your story, there is a nifty online tool that will count for you at charactercountonline.com.

I will do a roundup each Tuesday, along with providing us a new prompt. Have Fun!

Twittering Tale #31 – The Round-Up:

From Michael at Morpethroad:

His last day was Thursday. He never liked Thursdays.
Pension day was weirdo day.
Odd people and odd kids.
He prayed they stayed home.
(130 Characters)

From Kitty at Kitty’s Verses:

Call of duty, or a sick grandson he’ll attend to? But for now all he wanted was a cuppa coffee to give his over working brains a rest.
(134 Characters)

From Lorraine at In 25 Words More or Less:

Jim rode the escalator to the march and rally staging area. Nervously, scanned a large rowdy crowd. Found his marching mates: Save. Social.
(139 Characters)

From Di at Pensitivity101:

Some people always over-reacted.
All this fuss over a bloody mouse in the basement!
(82 characters)

From Through My Heart Web/Soul Connection:

Dreamt a beautiful retired life,but reality hit me hard.I will stand once again.People think oldies are useless.Here I am proving all wrong.
(140 Characters)

From Reena at ReInventions:

Son! Date the girl you love amidst nature, for true bonding and heart-warming conversations. I’ve seen underbellies of malls n multiplexes….
(140 characters)

From Kathryn at Another Foodie Blogger:

Once again he drew the short straw. Once again he found himself the first riding down the elevator to investigate the mysterious black bag.
(139 Characters)

From Willow at Willowdot21:

The quiet was deafening, unlike last night. The screams the blood the fear. The worst had happened. The world sickened him. He felt so sad.
( 139 characters )

From Peter at Peter’s Ponderings:

Lucky Luke. He’s been fully employed all his life. Retired now, he volunteers at the National Escalator Museum. Life has its ups and downs!
(139 characters)

From Jane at Jane Dougherty Writes:

Just don’t look round, old man and you’ll never know what hit you. Or that the bomber had an accomplice and he never left the building.
(135 Characters)

From Kirst at Kirst Writes:

Harry was too old to run. He could only watch from the escalator. His voice shaking, he radioed for back-up. Dear God, let them hurry.
(135 characters)

And my tweet:

Some retirement! After 40 years, all he got was a gold watch and a “good luck.” But he felt useful and it was better than bagging groceries.
(140 Characters)

Well done everyone! I am afraid this prompt was a bit more timely than I had anticipated when I selected the photo. What a nightmarish world we live in. Your tales reflected this. The terror, sadness, fear and frustration. My thoughts, as I am certain, yours, are with all who suffered loss this past week.

Thank you for your words. I believe the words of writers and poets help us to release the pain, frustration and sorrow in these troubling times. What a gift you gave us this week in your tiny tales.

I feel the need to switch things up a bit. This week’s photo prompt is, at first glance, a close-up of a common house fly. Or is it? Perhaps it is some alien being…or a mad experiment gone awry…or General of the Fly on the Wall Brigade collecting intel for the allies…or a devil looming with a hoard of others…or is it just a common pest creeping too close to someone’s picnic lunch. Once again, many possibilities for this wonderful photo from photographer, Virvoreanu-Laurentiu on Pixabay.com.

Have fun with this one. I’ll see you all at next week’s Round-up!

Twittering Tale #32 – 30 May 2017

The Telltale Fly

Was it reincarnation? The way the fly stared at her gave her chills.

John? She asked, as she smacked him wth the swatter to off him a second time.
(140 Characters)

-kat

39 Comments | tags: 140 characters, Challenge, Flash Fiction, Photo Prompt, Twitter Tales, twittering tales | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Essays, Flash Fiction, Twitter Tales

May 25, 2017

Disturbed

By Kat Myrman

photo by Carson Arias via Unsplash

When Frieda was young, her older brother tormented her, decapitating and hiding the heads of her baby dolls, stuffed animals and lego toys.

He was a troubled soul, you see, who was later institutionalized after he directed his gruesome compulsion from inanimate toys to small animals.

Poor Frieda was troubled in her own way and her acting out as an adult years later, while seemingly harmless to living things, was no less disturbing; her home, a hoarding nightmare of empty lego boxes piled floor to ceiling and piles and piles of the heads she was never able to find as a girl.

~kat

For Sonya’s Three Line Tale Challenge based on this interesting photo by photo by Carson Arias via Unsplash.

5 Comments | tags: 3 Line Tales, disturbed, Flash Fiction, Horror, Three Line Tales | posted in 3 Line Tales, Challenges and Writing Prompts, Flash Fiction

May 24, 2017

The Fixer-Upper

By Kat Myrman

PHOTO PROMPT © J Hardy Carroll

“It has potential.”

“Um, if you say so.”

“Picture this John. The kitchen goes here.” Molly tossed a shelf out of the way, sweeping her arms to display her vision. “This space is perfect for an open floor plan. Just look at those rafters! The bathroom is already plumbed. We just need new fixtures and…and…”

“Molly, you said ‘we’. You remember I’m an accountant right? I don’t know anything about…”

Molly laughed and nuzzled into him, “I know, silly. We can afford a contractor at this price. So…?

He couldn’t say no. “Well, looks like we bought a warehouse house!”

~kat
(100 Words)

For Rochelle Wisoff-Fields Friday Fictioneers Flash Fiction challenge inspired by this photo by J. Hardy Carroll.

20 Comments | tags: 100 Words, Challenge, Flash Fiction, Friday Fictioneers, Photo Prompt | posted in 100 and Under, Flash Fiction

May 22, 2017

Twittering Tales #31 – 23 May 2017

By Kat Myrman

A final note: if you need help tracking the number of characters in your story, there is a nifty online tool that will count for you at charactercountonline.com.

I will do a roundup each Tuesday, along with providing us a new prompt. Have Fun!

Twittering Tale #30 – The Round-Up

Photo titled “Calm” from Pixabay.com

From Michael at Morpethroad:

It was a symbol she knew it instantly.

Fate was tipping in her favour?

He’ll be pleased she thought as she stripped off, clean undies and all.

(140 characters)

From Reena at ReInventions:

“The laws of physics do not govern the world”, opined the lady “Art and artists will always have their way.” The water in the glass smirked.

(140 characters)

From Kathryn at Another Foodie Blogger:

In anger the witch slammed the glass of water hard on the table, unleashing her frozen spell. Unfortunately, she forgot to exempt herself.

(137 Characters)

From Soul Connection at Through My Heartweb:

He never believed Planchet,Friends forced to join.Mins later,moment he removed finger frm a coin,Half filled Glass on table started Shaking.

(140 Characters)

From Willow at Willow 21:

It was a silent still night the moon was full he could count the stars.
On the table his glass began to wobble he knew at once, avalanche.
(139 Characters)

From Kitty at Kitty’s Verses:

A sip is all, to quench our thirst,
Need we worry about the glass being half empty or full?
Or is it for others that we are concerned?
(133 Characters)

From Di at Pensitivity:

Forever an optimist, half full or half empty, she knew where to top her glass up.

However, getting the angle right was another matter.

(133 characters)

From Irena at Books and Hot Tea:

“Small earthquake, I guess,” she shrugged.

The ghost sighed. He’s been giving her signs ever since she summoned him. She’s never noticed.

(136 characters)

From Lorraine at In 25 Words More or Less:

Sent remembories, he twitted.

She blinked back the past: “up” Magnetic Hill and Indigo Girls.

Bittersweet magic; his twisted glass of road trips.

(142; 23)

From Kirst at Kirst Writes:

The mother of all hangovers, yet again. He was getting too old for this. Reached for the water… oops! Could’a sworn that glass was level.

137 characters

…and my twitter tale:

“It’ll be fun,” he said. 3 days at sea, 4 more to go, she glanced at the glass of water on the table. The thought of a sip made her sick!
(137 Characters)

Great Job everyone! Another fine roundup. You all have quite the imaginations! 😉 On to this week’s photo prompt from Pixabay. I figure this guy has a few stories to tell. Hope you have fun with this one. See you next week!