Fiction in a Flash

Footprints, slide removed, fossilized childhood.

Snowy April, daffodils without sweaters.

Authors note: this was a longer prompt written for a daily writing prompt for reddit. The theme was the reddit hivemind, so I went for a very Matrix-y approach while writing this. I once was among them. Captive to a machine that bent my mind and governed my morality. It was only a fluke that I happened to escape that one day... My capsule malfuntioned, throttling me onto the cold, merciless floor. This was the first time I had looked beyond my own little oval world. The room which housed us was scarcely lit, with only the cyclic red light of the capsule arrays guiding my vision. I looked up and was distraught to see the thousands upon thousand of containers they kept us in. These jet black tubes essentially took over all necessary functions of our body: nutrition was supplied through a thin tube, waste was expelled in the same fashion, and our happiness was sated by a monitor. Hobbling in shock, I quickly found the elevator platform and descended to the bottom level from the towering capsule array. Reaching the bottom, I was surprised to find that there were no security guards patroling in the chamber. Just my luck. I snuck away from the platform to the nearest door way. Strolling cautiously along the hallway, I began to see the inner workings of this facility. To the windowed laboratory on my left, hapless people were being installed and synced with their capsules, the scientist working that inane hour making sure their vital signs are normal before and after. To my right, a midnight welder was making the final touches on what seemed to be the next generation of capsule device. The capuslites I left behind won't be happy about this I thought to myself. After skulking around the facility for another hour, I found the entrance to my prison. What I didn't expect was for a man to walk in front of the gate. Frozen in place, we stood there a few moments in silence. "...Who are you?" I asked with the fear tinged crackle of my voice. The man just grinned and said "Welcome to the world beyond Reddit."

Wake up, Jarek Gajos. Every morning I awake to the call of the State, just like everyone else. To ensure citizens are productive and working towards the State's cause, a nationwide mandate was passed: all citizens must receive the Patriot Patch. Keep your pace, Jarek. Work was stressful before the State decided my mind had a vacancy that needed to be filled. They watch me, through my eyes, my thoughts and my feelings to see if I align myself with them or not. Every citizen is being tracked. Some see this as a test of loyalty but we are imprisoned.

Leaves fluttered to the ground like the artful sparrows that clung to the treetops. Their songs were met by the untimely crunch of a traveler’s boots. Cole was a boy in his early teens, dressed in a worn, brown leather cloak. His only possessions were a small satchel filled with miscellaneous objects and a steady walking stick he had carved while traversing the land. Cole, you see, was an apprentice conjurer undergoing a trial. To prove his mastery of magick, Cole was tasked with journeying to the planes only accesible to conjurer kind. Now Cole enters into the Forest Betwixt.

And we're back! After an almost 2-3 year hiatus and dealing with migrating from one blogging platform to the next, I hope to update this blog regularly again. For those who are new, I'm William Hirsh and this is my blog. It's main focus is experimenting with flash fiction (stories around 100 words or less.) I decided to relaunch the blog again as I've been brainstorming several cool ideas for ways I challenge my writing further. Starting today, I will try to publish new 100 word flash fiction stories regularly on Monday, older flash fiction/writing from the previous blog on Thursdays and Five Word Stories on Fridays. I also hope to collaborate once again with writers so if you have any pitches for flash fiction stories, email me at [email protected]. Until next time, -William Hirsh PS: a new flash fiction story will be posted right after this!

A harsh winter would deter most creatures, but those who can survive experience the wonder of life anew in Spring. Down the road, in a drainage ditch, a symphony of young spring peepers had begun rehearsing aside from Cliff, who would not sing, and was generally in a state of inanition. Glumly, Cliff sat on his reclusive lily pad, only moving when hungry. It's after the cacophony ends that Cliff is truly at peace. Gazing upon the shimmering sky, Cliff remembers his early years as a wee tadpole. Life in double, Cliff wonders how he can get another chance. Author's note: while looking for interesting writing prompts and finding nothing to spark my imagination, I began to look for words that I had not used before. From inanition, I thought of the spring peepers I could hear while walking home and later conceived the character, Cliff, an exasperated frog. I plan to write more prompts that use unlikely word combinations in the future.