It wasn’t even on the front page of the Classifieds. More to the middle back. Just a handful of words and a phone number: Print your eyes’ best pictures. New experiment and need subjects. Ask for Mel. So I call and ask for Mel. He says it’s just a minor surgery. No problemo, I say. After surgery, I wake up…
Category: flash fiction
Created by FlashDogs in 2016, #vss365 participants write a tweet-sized short story based on a daily word prompt. Originally planned to last one year, the prompts are now given out by a new host every month, each with their own unique style and word choices. The hosts were originally scheduled by Voimaoy until the start of 2020, when Arthur Unk took over host scheduling.
Most word prompts come from https://vss365today.com/
Blood Pressure
Rikki knocked on the door to room 114, before entering. She doubled checked her supplies and put on a fake smile. “Hi, Ms. Taylor. I’m Rikki. I’ll be taking your blood pressure before Dr. Kelvin gets in.” The elderly woman turned her head from the window to nod at the arrival of her attending nurse for the day. What number…
And Now I am Toast
My R180 HighSpeed toaster clicked into place displaying two pieces of New Haven ciabatta toast perfectly browned on each side. They laid flat on my Bernardaud small dinner plate. From the silverware drawer, I drew out my Sabre Paris butter knife. In two short cuts, I scraped Minerva Dairy Amish butter delicately and evenly to each piece only on a…
Tinman
Jerry flipped the switch on which gave way to an extremely tight stairs down to the cellar. He could barely fit down the steps without moving his shoulders. He grasped onto the railing and took very deliberate steps down, one by one. He told himself that this would be the last he’d take these steps. He’d quit if it came…
New Parent
I pushed open the door to the Newport Mini Mart, a small convenience store in the corner of Fourth and Madison. A cozy spot I’ve come to frequent due to the hot coffee and the pretty little lady behind the counter. “Good morning, Gladis,” I waved to the elder woman complete with a pristine smock and name tag. She smiled…
Desert
I awoke late one night. I was covered in sweat from the dry heat. My oscillating fan having given its last breath, the open bedroom window did very little to subside the aching fingers of Mother Nature. It didn’t call my name, per say, but it beckoned me to come to it. I raised out of my bed and walked…
Door
She took my hand and we walked for another mile or two over rough terrain. We’ve been hiking for two days now and I was about to call it quits. “It’s just over this ridge,” she said. How many times has she said that. Three times. Four? And the heat is setting in, it seems. I adjusted my backpack and…
Late Night Walk
The night was calm enough for a late night walk. The rumblings from the city had died down early for the evening. No sounds of gunshots or fireworks. I threw on a light jacket, checked my watch, and headed out the front door. The moon was full and hung high enough in the sky for a witch on a brom…
Mowing the Lawn
“There, there. Turn there; Fifth street,” James pointed his meaty index finger on the windshield as I confidently nodded my head, turned the blinker, and checked my rear-view mirror before turning down the street. We came from a small use road into a neighborhood of similar, single family homes. The road winded down a small drop and started back up…
family dinner
Jeffrey scrapped his knife into the plate, stabbed a piece of overcooked meat with his fork, and shoved it in his mouth. He chewed hard and with each bite he could feel the anger in him rising. The sounds echoed through the dining hall. His mother’s button eyes bore down into him as she smiled her plastic smile, never weavering.…