A Flash Fiction Blog - Very short stories (under 1,000 words) that reveal character, give a glimpse of the human condition, and simply entertain.
His mind had been blank, on autopilot, focusing only on whatever was happening at the moment. In fact, he managed to get though his murder trial by living in the moment. The walk into court with his lawyer, listening to the lawyers questioning witnesses for the prosecution and…
Read MoreGeorge took his son, Brett, to the Hartsville little league tryouts He was worried about him. He’d bought him a new baseball glove, a ball and a bat just a week ago. Brett had never shown interest in baseball before. Now, at nine years old, he suddenly decided he wanted to play on the town’s little league team.
George had played ball as a kid, including little league. He’d been relegated to…
Read More…Stan was more than a little bit reluctant to meet anyone. Just five months ago his then fiancée had terminated their relationship by showing up at his condo one Tuesday morning with…
Read MoreJimmy Vinci wasn’t interested in her. His mother kept at him though. “Stacy is a lovely girl, Jimmy. Give her a chance. You’re gonna like her, believe me. I know these things.”
“Ma, she’s not too good looking. I don’t want to say…
Read More“Do we have to invite your entire family this year for Christmas Eve?” Ian asked.
“Well, we do that every year, don’t we?” Lucia asked. “We have your family Christmas Day, right?”
“I guess so. But…
Read More…On the day before Thanksgiving, he was already feeling lonely; he knew he would spend the holiday alone. He spent most days alone. He had no family and not many friends. Sitting in his freezer was…
Read MoreBill, the elderly man in the memory unit, was well liked. The staff, who were quite surprised by how many friends visited him regularly, liked him too. There was an innate kindness…
Read MoreWhen Carlos walked into the crowded living room, everyone stopped talking. They turned to look at him. The look on his face suggested the news was grim…
Read More…One Tuesday evening, as they reached the drug store, where they usually turned around and headed toward home, Emily said, “Keith, describe…”
Read MoreThe old man sat quietly in the coffee shop surrounded by young people. He calculated how many years it had been since he was a young man, just beginning to taste life. He decided that if 21 was the right age to begin…
Read MoreHow we ran into each other that Sunday afternoon was we were both furniture shopping at the Cool Springs Furniture Emporium. I saw her bending down to get a better look at what she referred to as a…
Read MoreStephanie sat quietly in the local coffee shop. She was having a hard time constructing a memo to her boss. The subject matter was simple enough, but she couldn’t concentrate long enough to complete more than a sentence or two before her mind wandered…
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“How many more of these reports do I have to grade?” Jason, a bored 45-year-old English teacher, counted them. “Let’s see, 26 students and 12 are graded, so…
Read MoreSteve woke up feeling cold. His 53-year-old bones really felt it. Sometime during the night, his blanket had slipped off the bed. January at the Jersey Shore is usually frigid. He called Jake, his…
Read More“I’ll have biscuits and gravy, please.” The diner was nearly empty.
Martin looked at Kimberly and said, “We just drove eleven hours straight. The whole trip you’ve been talking about fried chicken, okra and corn bread.”
“It’s too late for a big meal. It’s comfort food, Martin. I’m tired…
Read More…“Oh, how wonderful,” one of the ladies said. “I’m excited for you both.” The other ladies concurred. They were smiling and each one in turn gave us hugs. Another woman said, “You look…
Read More“Oh! You’re the guy who saved that baby! Last month, right? I saw you on TV. That was bold, man.”
“Yes, I’m the guy. Thank you.” The men didn’t know each other. They’d crossed paths at a raucous house party.
“Were you scared?…
Read More“My wife loves Christmas,” John said. “According to her there are only two seasons, Christmas and summer.” The man was talking to his friend and co-worker, Joel, while they rode the train home from work. John was the shorter man and still trim. Joel, was tall and portly.
“And that bothers you?” Joel asked...
Read MoreJerry Sikes, 67, took another trip on his four-wheeler from the garage to the dumpster in his old neighbor’s back yard. With some difficulty he heaved trash bags, heavy with memories, that had been orphaned when his neighbors…
Read MoreEllen and Andrew Rohm, a couple in their late-thirties, walked into the Burrito Picante excited and happy…
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