Category Archives: Flash Friday Fiction

A Burning Desire – 156 words

“Just friends,” he insisted. He wasn’t ready for anything more, not after the last one.

I wanted to prove it to him, show him that I’d be there for him, show him that I would do anything for him. Not like her. She wouldn’t even eat Mexican food. Claimed it was too hot. Ha.

And so here I find myself, bursting into flames, although not the way I imagined. This is taking the spark of desire a bit too far, don’t you think?

On the other hand, did you SEE his abs?

I know I’m a little soft and squishy – not the type you’d think would do this. “Better suited for a desk job,” mom always said.

I’ll show her. I’ll show them all. I’m on fire for this man.

I just hope I don’t end up with a scalded spirit. Because Lord knows I’m going to have one hell of a case of heartburn.

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Sometimes I go serious with my FF entries. Other times the first thing that bubbles to the surface is snark. I went with it this week, enjoying the silliness and plays-on-words, with a dash of romance thrown in for fun. What do you think?

What would you write? There’s still time! Hop on over to Flash Friday Fiction and submit your story!

Make It So – 154 words

When we were children we dreamed that if we rode fast enough through the tunnel we could launch ourselves into space. We’d find ourselves astronauts on an Apollo mission, or on the bridge of the USS Enterprise. You’d be Kirk, I’d be Spock.

We’d ride as hard as we could, pumping our legs, leaning furiously into the bike handles, closing our eyes at the last minute as we prayed for escape.

It never worked. The only thing temporary blindness brought us was split lips and skinned knees.

I pedal leisurely toward the entrance, no longer naive enough to believe in rescue. I just want to pay my respects.

It’s then that I see the bicycles. Two of them, against the side. No one in sight.

My eyes widen. For just a second, my mind asks, “Did it work?” Without conscious awareness, I grip the handlebars tighter, and ready my approach.

Beam me up, Scotty.

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Ha ha. What do you do when given this photo prompt and are instructed to include something about space travel? When you’re me, your mind leaps to Star Trek, obviously. But what would you write? Head on over to Flash Friday Fiction to read others’ entries, or to contribute your own!

As always, comments and feedback are greatly appreciated.

Sole Sisters – 160 words

The shoes betray you every time.

You think you’re pulling it off, with your knock-off Chanel dress and fake Prada bag. The average Jane may fall for it. She might think you’re living The Good Life.

I know better.

You arch your plucked eyebrow and purse your carefully shaded lips, as if to tell everyone on this bus you’re only here because it’s some sort of undercover fashion shoot. A Day in the Life of Someone Else.

I know better.

I know my Manolos from my Miu Mius, my Jimmy Choos from my Christian Louboutins.

You’ve tried to get away with the Payless special.

As if you’re going to make it here. In those heels, baby, you ain’t making it anywhere.

If you can’t walk the Louis Vuitton walk, there’s no way you’re talking the Dolce & Gabbana talk.

I settle back into my seat, smiling to myself. I’m good at spying fakes.

As they say, takes one to know one.

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How could I go serious with this prompt? Especially since we were required to incorporate something about a detective in our story? So I didn’t… I went tongue-in-cheek (or should I say tongue-in-shoe?). What do you think?

I hope you’ll hop on over to Flash Friday Fiction to try on the many other delightful entries. And why not give it a go and pen one of your own? As Sherlock might say about this week’s prompt, “The game’s afoot!”

Swan Song (152 words)

“Dance for the fun of it,” they said.

Our baleful stares betrayed our thoughts. We donned the dresses anyway.

“It’s a blood drive, to help patients like you,” they explained.

We know better. There is no help for us. The cancer that is ravaging our bodies leaves no survivors. We’ve seen too many children come and go to believe anything other than the truth.

Not their truth. Our truth. This is our last dance, our swan song.

They gave us balloons to distract you, so that you might not notice the frailty of our frames, the bruises and puncture wounds that dot our skin.

As if.

Ignore the hollows in our cheeks, the way our tutus hang on us like loose skin.

We dance in anger. We dance in rage. We dance in defiance of pain and death and life cut short.

“Dance like there’s no tomorrow,” they said.

That’s easy enough.

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I know, I know. I’m sorry. But I couldn’t write a happy, chipper story after seeing those faces.

Maybe you can? Hop on over to Flash Friday Fiction and share your interpretation of this pic (note: rules say you must include a dancer!).

And as always, I’d love your feedback.

Wounded Soldier – 148 words

They talk of war as if it’s a grand celebration, a joyous undertaking, the ultimate adventure. Have they forgotten the mangled limbs of their fathers? The grieving tear-stricken faces of their mothers? Do they not realize many among them will not return?

Given enough time anyone can forget anything. It is the blessing and the curse of our human existence.

I can’t forget. Can’t forget the hungry mouths at home. My own mother lost in a haze of bitterness, loss, and opium. There is no one but me to carry the flag, no one but me to beat the drum. And so I toil here, with these violence-hungry men and their groping hands and leering faces. I smile and flirt with deadened eyes as I carry one more round, one more round. Just one more round.

Wars are fought on more than one kind of front.

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This week’s challenge within our 150 word limit (+/-10) was to include something related to war. Let me know what you think of my piece – and I hope you’ll hop on over to Flash Friday Fiction to read the other entries, and perhaps post one of your own!