Four minutes in and I knew I had made a colossal mistake. I wondered too far off the trail and found myself deeper into the woodlands, where the thick Cypress trees towered over me, blocking out the sun. Realizing this I made an attempt to turn back, but then the hairs of my body started to stand and I had an uneasy suspicion that someone — or rather something — was stalking me. From the brush lingered a large dog-like creature with a heavy coat of blackish grey hair, baring its sharp canines at me with contempt. But what horrified me the most, a sight I'll never forget until the day I die, was then this creature drew closer it hoisted itself up, and this beast, this large dog-like animal, was then standing on its hind legs, almost like a man.

#werewolf #horror #flashfiction

Mother has been away for some time now. I cannot frankly recall when she left, but I was rather glad when she did. She was an overbearing woman. Whenever she wanted something she would smack the wall with the butt of her cane, stirring up a cantankerous racket until her ungrateful demands were met.

BUNK! BUNK! BUNK!

Now it is just I alone in this old house, enjoying the peaceful bachelor life. Peaceful, until I heard that very sound mother would make from her bedroom.

BUNK! BUNK! BUNK!

I approached her door carefully. "Is that you, mother?" I stuttered. Slowly, I creaked the door open. There she was. The room was dark but I could make her out from the moonlight that shun through her window. My mother's decaying corpse laying in her bed as she once did, waiting to command me once more.

#horror #shortstory #flashfiction

I have to teach the Standards, but, the standards are such an imposition. This must be the upteenth time I’ve thought that, but, before this Pandemic, kids were more tight-lipped. Am I terrible for missing the way they used to just stare at me?

Wait, come’on now. You don’t feel that way, not really. Truth is, these kids learned engagement on-screen. I mean, everything seems clearer in HD, with LED. I keep saying to myself that TikTok’s to blame, but that’s insane, because I had a MySpace back in the day. It’s all the same really.

Exactly four kids in class read last night like I asked. Twenty-percent isn’t good enough; it’s not what’s being asked of Me. I wish I could just snap my fingers and make them see our standards of learning aren’t meeting kids’ needs.

Could I just start with that? Snap-snap.

Oh, woops - the kids are staring. I should have planned what I was going to say before tasking their attentions.

“I’d like to know what you all think of Beowulf so far,” I decided on after a few moments’ pause to collect my thoughts.

At least half the class exchanged scrunched-up looks; the other half set their faces into the walls, windows, and tops of their desks.

“I don’t get it,” one kid who’d read said.

“It’s... boring,” said another who hadn’t - but their tone expressed they had sincerely tried.

“Tedium is the worst pain,” I offered. Grendel. If Dark Age heroism doesn’t grip them, maybe John Gardner’s antihero will.

“So why are you making us do this?” demanded a student who was almost always on the edge of having had enough.

I thought carefully before responding. Why was I making them do this? The quick answer is that it’s on the required reading list, but kids don’t/won’t care about that. Besides, I have a degree in English and love reading, and I couldn’t be swayed to like Math at their age, either.

“Wyrd oft nered unfaegne, eorl, ponne his ellen deah,” I answered in a deep, practiced voice.

Giggles. Exchanges. Raised hands. Outburst of, “WHAT?”

Grinning, I rephrased: “If you’ve got the guts, you’re not doomed.”

* * * * *

@bykaileyann

#flashfiction #fiction #prose

He loved her...no, he didn't...yes, he did, he smiled at her yesterday...no, that was because they were friends...but he only ever smiled at her...yet she was nothing special for a girl, nobody he could love...but he was nothing uncommon for a boy, only someone she treasured more than her life...but nobody'd ever loved her so...yet he might...oh, here he came—and answered her question with a sweet smile and a boyish first kiss on the cheek.

#romance #flashfiction

The boy saw the world through eyes of clear, sweet water. And that was why he was at the Institute. Walking in a solitary way down the great halls of the most secret society on Earth, he almost felt overwhelmed. Until he saw the people—his people, for every person was his. He winced at the pain hidden in the eyes of the father speaking to his daughter, the anxiety in a young girl's walk, the rejection the obese woman hunched at. But then his all-seeing eyes cleared, and his heart was filled with love, for he was here to help.

#flashfiction

It hits me like a wind and I wake up, bleary-eyed and confused. At first I don't compute the face above me. I only see black eyes, peeled back lips, fangs. It's not their cold expression, but their icy breath that tears panic through my chest.

@Featherson #Nightmare #thriller #Flashfiction

.::Rule I | No Contact::.

“Grab her or she’ll get crushed!” A gruff voice tore through the spray of ash and dust and sunk into my ears.

There’s only time to shield my eyes from another explosion corroding the stoned walls around me before a set of hands attached to my waist and yanked me from the spot I was paralyzed in.

Pushed against still standing walls protected by steel overhead bars, the coolness of the cracked structure is the only sense of comfort amongst the blasts of heat whistling around me and scorching my backside. Suddenly, the shadow of a figure swallowed me up.

“Give her the shot, Esteban. Now!” The same smoky voice from earlier sliced clearly through the chaos. It’s accompanied by a gloved hand that pinned me down, keeping me from twisting around to face a possible enemy.

A more pencil thinned shade with a squeakier delivery joins him. “But Cree, surely you have other matters to consider! Like our defenses, if you do this it’ll leave us without-"

“Defenses? Listen to those screams! The Shakers are killing every last one of us trying to get their hands on her.”

“I understand that, but please. To stifle her abilities now is madness!”

Another shrill, ear-piercing whistle echoed over us and combusted with nearby chunks of rock.

“Dammit Esteban, if you won’t help me then get out of the way!”

Shuffling takes place behind me and out of the corner of my eye, the slenderer frame of a bearded man fell to the ground.

“If she stays hidden and remembers the rules, she’ll stay safe!” The harsh tone called out again.

Something pierced the back of my neck, stinging it seconds before it’s numbed all together. Finally released, I spun around to face my dusty-faced captures but it’s only for a moment when another blow from behind us sent me running in the opposite direction.

“Cree, we should go after her. If we let her go now, how are we supposed to find her when the time is ready?”

“Stop worrying, Esteban. We’ve been preparing for a day like this for years. Everyone knows what to do and as an Explorer, I’ll scour this planet and the next to find her again.”

Their words faded behind me as I focused on getting away from the terror-filled screams and jagged pieces of hurtled rubble flying towards me.

Too busy looking forward as I ran, I trip; landing hard on my elbows and knees. Cheeks tear-streaked and tending to my bruises, the ground began to shake violently...

::: ::: :::

A thunderous boom rocks the ground, startling me out of my accidental slumber and causing my hand to crush the pair of fresh eggs settled next to me.

“Aw, crap. That was breakfast!” Shaking my hand free of the goopy mess, I pout at my now smashed efforts at a treat from today’s typical routine. A second roaring crackle rings throughout the sky, snapping my eyes to the trail of thick black smoke hissing from a careening aircraft.

What the hell- Is that a plane?

The craft spirals downward before zipping sideways in a final landing dive towards a plethora of tall Evergreens. Also known as my backyard.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

Rule I: No Contact

-- Compromised due to some idiot with too much free time.

&::&::&

.::Rule II | No Connection::.

As I examine the burning wreckage and start wheezing from the wind directed smoke blowing directly in my face, this is no joke.

Shoot, I’ll have to move again. But, maybe I can salvage something first.

The nearest town is 20 minutes away by car, giving me enough time to grab what I need and escape before anyone sets their eyes on me.

Approaching the melting metal with caution, a family of deer have already conquered their fears and have begun chewing grass nearby.

“Jeez, come on guys. Show a little caution, would you?” I wave a hand to shoo them away from the smoldering crash site incase the fire suddenly decides to spread, but they barely move. “Guys, hey! Act like I have some authority, please.”

Stepping towards them, my foot suddenly snags an exposed tree root, and despite throwing my hands out to catch myself, I still smack face-first into the dirt where agonized moans escape me as I hold the side of my face and slowly sit up.

“Darn tree. You nearly killed me!” I shout at the limp log covered in jeans and a jacket. With sprouted arms and legs. And a groan.

“Wait a minute.”

Rule II: No Connection

-- Compromised due to the possibility of this not-so-dead person totally blowing my cover. And it's not my responsibility to keep them quiet. Which is just frickin’ great.

&::&::&

.::Rule III | No Changing::.

A bucket of cold river water sends the tied-up intruder into sputtered, gasping breathing; only calming himself once his eyes lock onto mine.

“June?” His breathless laugh piques my interest. “Look at those horns, of course it’s you! After so many years, I actually found you. Yes!”

I scan him from head to toe, stopping at his crooked smile. “How do you know my name? And who are you?”

“It’s me, Captain. Cree. Your Lead Shift Explorer.”

“Captain? Hang on- You’re my what?”

“Damn, do you still not remember?”

From a distance, a surrounding series of explosions go off one after another, forcing the ground to shake as much as it did earlier. “What the hell was that?”

“Damn that serum on your memories. Those are Shakers; a disgusting bunch. This is an all-out war and I have something with me that’ll help you.”

“Me?”

“Which in turn will help us.”

As another cascade of bombs rain down, I realize I don’t have much choice. Using a nearby fishing knife, I cut him free. “Help me what?”

He shoots towards his bag and digs around in it. Grinning like a mad man, he then presents a syringe. “Shapeshift.”

“What?”

Like lightning, he sticks the needle in my bicep. “Unleash your inner beast, Captain, and tear them to shreds.”

Rule III: No Changing

-- Compromised due to the breaking of Rules I and II.

Result: Total annihilation.

#Rosemandle #fantasy #flashfiction #adventure #action #1000words #unleashed #shifter #quickread

Edith had been a naughty girl all year, and she knew it. Her grandmother tried to warn her to be good or something bad would come, but she never believed it. So it was the night before Christmas when outside the window there arose such a clatter, to which Edith sprang from her bed to see what was the matter. She met not with glee but utter terror that it was not St. Nicholas but his darker half, Krampus, the Christmas devil, came to visit instead, carrying with him his rusty chains and an old burlap sack. With a twisted smile and a wicked cackle, "Merry Christmas, Edith, the naughtiest of all children, for you I did not bring presents yet I bring punishment."

#horror #Christmas #holiday #Krampus #flashfiction #HarryHorrors

“Take her to the moon for me, okay?” Spike asked while slurping cold ramen off chopsticks.

“Man, Spike, why don’t you take her yourself?”

“I would…was going to… but-“

Spike stirred his cold noodles and stared into the chipped bowl. His friend, more accurately, partner in crime stood behind him and scratched at the crotch of his spacesuit waiting for Spike to finish his answer.

“You just couldn’t man up and do it yourself, huh.” said Roscoe.

“Yeah, but…” protested Spike feebly.

“Yeah but, yeah but. Yeahbuts live in the woods man…or at least they used to. Rosco looked out the space station portal down at Earth as if he could see any Yeahbuts hopping through the woods.

“Listen dude, you just don’t know how hard it is, I can’t seem to live with her and heck if I can’t live without her. She’s so messy and never shuts up, something has to change.” Spike threw his chopsticks on the table and lowered his bubble helmet solar visor.

“You know that old commercial slogan, man” Roscoe reminded, ‘JUST DO IT’. “

“Yeah, easy for you to say, you didn’t have to live with her, you don’t have a dog in this fight. So don’t give me that crap.”

“Look man” Roscoe tried to wipe at his nose but his helmet prevented him, “This was your problem to begin with. You were advised by the agency not to bring her along. And besides, my freight weights are checked very closely, one ounce over my limit and I’m dry docked until the next Earth launch. I can’t make any money that way.”

“Ok, ok, Roscoe, I can’t take her constant chatter anymore, I’ll pay you a thousand credits to haul her to the moon this cycle. Just drop her off there, someone else is sure to take her in.”

A small meteor the size of a wheel of Swiss cheese streaked past the space station. The two men didn’t speak for a few minutes, silently weighing their choices. Roscoe craned his neck in a circle and scrunched his lips together, trying not to voice his decision. Spike turned and faced his roguish friend wearing a basset hound expression. Roscoe couldn’t hold his answer any longer.

“Man, you beat all. You DO remember I was the one that brought you two together, right?” Spike nodded his head and tried to wipe his eyes, but the bubble helmet prevented him and a tear dropped deep down into the cavity of his spacesuit.

“Ok Spike, you’re definitely going to owe me man. Bring her to the dock in an hour and I’ll hide her in cargo. And if I get audited at the moon base, I’m rattin’ you out man. Believe it!”

“Sure, no problem Roscoe. We’ll be there in an hour. Thanks, thanks a lot buddy.”

“Dang straight you will, man.”

The two spacemen went their separate ways in the station’s gravity tunnels. A small coronal ejection from the sun spit at the slowly twirling spaceport. An hour later Spike entered the cargo hold of Rosco’s ship.

“Now remember, she likes crackers and if along the way you could maybe talk with her a little, softly, you know, give her some love?”

Roscoe grabbed the covered cage out of his friends hand.

“Gimme that dang parrot man.”

“Her name is Lucille.” Spike admonished.

“Just gimme that yakking bird, man.”

#flashfiction #sci-fi #humor #spacemen #spacestation #williamcalkins

It’s rumored the universe is constructed of infinite dimensions. Each sliver delineated as a color-tone split from a prism. Some dimensions have red oceans and yellow mountains. Other dimensions have silver wraith silhouette-people navigating turquoise gondolas. Another dimension said defined with stark, black and white contrasts garnished with orchid-purple clouds. Every dimension is different, vibrantly different, shockingly different. The universe doesn’t measure time, it warps time. Myth and legend tell of travelers that surf between the prism rays, bursting forth into infinite alternate universes. Try it yourself. Go sailing on a boiling sea or souvenir shop at a kaleidoscope bazar. Base jump off a volcano erupting diamond lava. See other beings, unusual entities doing the same thing- they’re only slightly different from you. Begin the dare, but beware, the journey is a once-in-a-lifetime, one-way-ticket. You can't bring anything you see back with you to show your friends and family. You can’t use anything you’ve learned to become rich and famous. And once embarked, you won't be able to come back to the same dimension you started from. Your mind will have changed, been indelibly irradiated with secrets from all the other alternative dimensions. It's a small price to pay for immortality- wouldn't you say?

#fiction #fabulist #sci-fi #flashfiction #alternatedimensions #williamcalkins