Flash Fiction examples
"The Two of Us" - flash fiction by David Feela
published by Sagegreenjournal.org
may be downloaded as a pdf ebook
directly from the publisher -Here-
Two other short samples are provided below.
The Tunnel
Traffic moved unusually slow, probably an accident in the tunnel up ahead, but because I had time to look around I spotted the sign half hidden among the trees: Mole Problems? Call 4U2–MOLE. Normally I ignore advertisers, so what got me interested is still a mystery. I dialed the number. “Hello, Mr. Mole speaking.” “That can’t be your real name” I said. “Yes, yes, the business has been destiny since the day I was born. How can I help you?” For an instant I was speechless. I didn’t have any moles. “Can you tell me what time it is?” “I’m sorry, it’s too dark to see a clock” Mr. Mole replied. “So you’re at the job site, very industrious of you” I said. “No, No, I live here. Is there anything else you need?” “You live underground?” I asked. “Did you expect me to live in a tree?” I could hear the sarcasm in his voice. Perhaps this signaled the beginning of my mole problems. “I’m sorry to have bothered you” I apologized, believing he’d hang up, but the line stayed open, a musky panting coming from the other end. “Are you still there?” I asked. “You don’t get rid of moles by just hanging up.” “I don’t actually have any moles” I said, “I just called because I’m stuck in traffic and didn’t have anything better to do until I saw your sign.” “Do moles attract you?” Mr. Mole asked. “I have no feelings whatsoever for moles!” I snapped back, but I was immediately sorry for my temper. I pictured the dirty burrow where moles live, the wife clearing a cavern under someone’s garden, preparing a cold kettle to mix a meal of pale roots. My problems with traffic were trivial compared to the struggles moles face, so I pulled over to the shoulder and settled back. “Go ahead” I encouraged, “I’m listening” and Mr. Mole started talking, all his dark secrets coming to the surface, passions that made my cell phone blush though I’d had it set to vibrate. |
Lucky
I woke to a banging at the door, a hammering really, the sound a SWAT team might generate preparing to serve a warrant. When I got to the door it was only Lyle, from two farms down who raises cows for a living. “You look terrible” I told him, “you better come in and sit down.” “I had a wreck with my truck” Lyle said. “Are you hurt?” was all I could think to ask, but he didn’t have a scratch and he was wearing his best bib overalls. “Nah” he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets, staring intently at the floor. “Then you were lucky” I said. “I guess so” he said. “Did you total your truck?” I asked. “Nah, nothing, not a scratch” he said. “Then what seems to be the problem?” I asked. “My wife, my mother-in-law, both my kids, my insurance agent, and the dog, they’re all dead” Lyle said. “Oh my God!” I exclaimed. “How in the world did that happen?” “I told you, I had a wreck” Lyle said. I glanced out the window and saw Lyle’s truck parked and idling in my driveway. I could see a stack of bodies in the bed of the truck, one bloody arm dangling over the tailgate. “Do you want me to call 911?” I asked. “Nah” Lyle said, “I’ll drive them into town just as soon as I feel calm. A wreck can sure shake a person up.” “You sure were lucky” I said again, “to have survived such devastation.” “I guess so” was all Lyle could say, never taking his eyes off the floor. I could tell he was upset, so I left him alone for a minute and stepped out to the porch. Two of the accident victims at the top of the heap had distinct bullet holes in their foreheads and I could see a rope still tied around the dog’s neck. The insurance agent’s briefcase must have sprung open during impact; a few forms were scattered on the lawn. I went back inside. Lyle hadn’t budged an inch. “Are you sure you hit something with your truck, or was this some kind of psychological wreck?” I asked. Lyle finally looked up at me. “I’ve got full coverage – collision and liability” Lyle said. He reached for his wallet to produce his driver’s license and registration and handed them to me. “Yes” I said, “I can see your expiration date is still a ways off and everything is in order. I guess I can let you off with just a warning this time, but you’ll have to be more careful in the future, especially when it comes to pounding on neighbors’ doors.” Lyle smiled for the first time. “I’m sorry about that” Lyle said, “the wreck and all, you know.” I istened to Lyle gun the engine and back down the driveway as I climbed back into bed. Lyle was usually a careful driver. I hoped he’d learned his lesson. |
