Tag: microfiction
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10. Message from the Stars
“It’s happening again Ma’am.” Jane Brown, head of the Pacific Ocean Space Monitoring Station, looked up to see Richard, her junior technician, in the doorway. The strain on the young scientist’s face was evident. It was only three months since the new telescope had become operational. They had not expected to pick up messages…
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9. Nine Lives
It is said that cats have nine lives. As Trixie, the black cat, peered over the rooftops below, she had a sinking feeling she may have used up all her lives already. She placed one paw in front of the other and edged along the wall. She had used up one life when she had…
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7. Goblin Cabs
“If you had the chance to change your life, would you?” It was a strange question to hear on a street corner and the guy who said it was a strange-looking guy. He wore jeans, a sweatshirt and grubby sneakers, but his eyes shone brightly and his expression was impish. “You don’t look so happy…
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5. The leaf with five points
The writer had set herself a task. She would write a story each week, a piece of microfiction, based around a number. She would apply herself with the same discipline as an athlete and the same dedication as a scientist. Only through practice and determination would she realise her dream of being a real…
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4. The Fourth Chair
Carl did not like his brother-in-law Phillip. Phillip always seemed to know things, almost like he could read Carl’s mind. From their first meeting, to the day of Susie’s wedding, to the funeral of Carl’s aunt a few weeks ago, Phillip had that smug smile. But now Susie and Phillip had arrived on the…
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3. The Three Elements
The heat of the sun was intense. The fire warmed his limbs, as strong as a kiln. His dust-encrusted eyes flashed open. At first, all he could see was the blinding sunlight in the cloudless sky. Staggering to his feet, he gazed around a red desert. He took a step forward into this strange…
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2. Two guests
There is something disturbing about an abandoned hotel. A house can fall into disrepair, windows broken, steps sagging, weeds sprouting through the floorboards. A house is easily forgotten. A hotel however is always waiting – waiting for someone to arrive. The hotel above Lake Hanopui was one such hotel. Built in the 1920s in the…
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1. Muse
He first saw her in the middle of the city and he knew at once that she was the one. A dreamy girl with a sweet smile, eyes meeting his just as she disappeared into the crowds. He searched for her in vain. He was late for university that day. He saw her again over…
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Flash Fiction 15. Christmas Past
Grandpa didn’t have any technology at his house, so whenever he came to visit, he stared closely at the automatic garage door, sensor lights and indoor climate control. Lindy thought it was funny, but her mother just said Grandpa preferred to live the old way. Lindy couldn’t help showing off her new tablet though,…
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Very short stories
How much can you do with two sentences? Here are five very short stories. The sunrise that morning was the most beautiful she had ever seen. With the clear pure light on her eyelids, the assassin began walking slowly across the desert. * * * * * The doorway he had summoned was a portal…