Flashes of Inspiration
Here are some 25-word flash stories. I wrote them in response to a fiction thread asking for stories of exactly that length. I thought it was impossible to do that until I gave it a go. Each had to include a specific word in story used as the title. I hope you’ll find some of them amusing.
Change
The chameleon met his old friends for their high-school reunion.
They all said the same thing.
“You’ve changed a lot.”
Free
A street poet offered me a poem for ten bucks.
“No thanks. Anything cheaper?”
“If you don’t need it to rhyme, I’ve some free verse.”
Button
Warning! Never press this button!
He pressed it anyway.
The screen emitted hypnotic lights and sounds.
His mind ceased functioning.
The television claimed another victim.
Adversary
His adversary was in the mirror, mockingly copying his every move.
So he smashed it.
Victory!
Unfortunately, the shards sliced his throat
He died, too.
Children
The vampire children gathered in the cave entrance, their feral eyes shining in dawn’s half-light.
The sunlight frightened them back.
But tomorrow they would feed.
Goodbye
She waved goodbye to her husband at the station, tears streaming – until the train had gone.
Then she smiled.
Her new lover was waiting.
Basket
Marisa filled her basket with everything for a great dinner party: fine wine, delicious food, scented candles.
The only things she forgot were the guests.
Eggs
I cracked the egg and tasted the creamy orange yolk. Yum!
My comrades were appalled.
“NO!” they cried.
“What?” I said.
“That’s the last dodo.”
Spring
Spring started with rain. And more rain. And even more rain.
The downpour was endless.
Noah looked up at the dark, cloudy sky.
“Not again!”
Spring (again)
In the spring Laura loved watching the tulips and daffodils growing, but they made her sad, reminding her that life was beautiful outside her cell.
Eggs (again)
Every Halloween several children gathered outside his house – hurling eggs and yelling abuse. He didn’t care. Ignoring them was cheaper than paying the alimony.
Key
The arrogant man showed off his multi-million-dollar house to the famous painter Picasso.
Picasso drew the man’s key and smiled.
“That’s worth more,” he said.
Safe
The safe contained all of his valuables.
“Where’s the key to the safe?” his wife asked.
“Er … locked inside.”
“That’s stupid!”
Yeah, he thought.
He should have put her in, too.
Key (again)
He did not know why everyone panicked when he produced the key for the door.
“Wait until we’re back on the ground!” the passengers shouted.
Glare
Josephine noticed everyone staring at her on the crowded Parisian street.
“Why are they staring?” Josephine asked Marcel.
“Oh – we’re on Rue Du Glare.”
Something strange happened as I was messing around writing those tiny stories. I found taking a few minutes to write some 25-word stories turned out to be a excellent way of getting my creative juices flowing for that day. If you become stuck writing something, I’d recommend trying it. It inspired me to write some longer stories with much larger word counts.
John Moralee (C) 2013
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