Flash fiction
#109 – IkeaWardrobe
Jason stared at the screw. He was certain it didn’t belong.
There weren’t any other screws like it – not down by his feet, not tacked down the middle,… just this one, lone screw jutting out of the wood. It wasn’t even straight. Which joker put this thing together?
He wanted to twist the thing out. Thumb the hole flat. Perhaps add in a bit of filler.
“I deserve that, right?”
Another clod of earth cracked against the wood. He could smell the cigarette smoke from the men, 6 feet above.
“Right?”
“Shut up, snitch.”
Another clod slammed down.
(c) Tim Austin 2025. Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash
Today’s word was suggested by Tom Jamieson. Want to suggest a word? Pop it in the comments below!
#108 – Government
The leather benches stank of ancient sweat and stale skin, their cracked green seats bloating beneath the filthy water.
Rats swam through the sewer-foamed chamber, their whiskers twitching as a fresh carcass floated into the room. Ravens perched high in the rafters, cawing and chattering across the dark isle.
The birds would squabble and more would come. They would fill the room as evening fell, fretting and fighting for scraps.
But the rats knew that their jeers were pointless now.
Another body bumped into the room, its once-fine dress now bloodied and ruined.
The river provided for all.
(c) Tim Austin 2025. Photo by Raghav Srikanth on Unsplash
Suggest YOUR word in the comments below!
#107 – Shiver
Dew was already running down the glass as the waiter plucked it from his tray and settled it to the table. Emmie smiled up at him. So did her boyfriend.
Tom plucked five dollars from his wallet and handed it to the young man with a nod.
“Thanks man,” Tom chirped.
“What’s the mercury say?” Ellie asked.
“78,” the waiter replied.
Emmie touched the glass, a flicker trembling through her as Tom’s gaze met hers.
“Enjoy!”
The waiter hovered a moment more before moving on.
Tom was no longer smiling.
Emmie’s heart thundered.
Her cheek still stung beneath the makeup.
(c) Tim Austin 2024. Photo by Rohan Gupta on Unsplash
Suggest YOUR Word,… and I’ll write the first image it brings. Pop your word in the comments below!
#106 – Temple
.
Della thrust her palms into the stone around her waist, torch-light gleaming from the floor, two feet beneath her face. Her khaki trousers tore the ancient plaster away and she crashed down onto tiles that hadn’t felt tread or breath in a thousand years.
In a moment she was standing, the torch held forward, gazing out into the gloom: oblivious to the blood flowing across her cheek.
“Monotehp’s folly,” she breathed, watching as the light struck out into the gloom. “I did it.”
She smiled at the discovery. Hers alone.
Torchlight shone. Treasures gleamed.
Eyes watched her from the dark.
(c) Tim Austin 2024 Photo by julien OLLIVIER on Unsplash
Suggest You Own Word in the Comments Below! 🙂
#99 – Election
Isaac looked down at his sleeping daughter, his fingers stroking gently at the edge of her crib. A shard of moonlight bathed the child and, in the quiet serenity of the nursery, Isaac couldn’t imagine any sight more beautiful.
“I,…” He swallowed the words down. He knew she couldn’t hear him but the pain was too raw. “One day you’ll understand”
“You must wake her.”
“No.”
His wife was rushing, their suitcases clutched tight in her hands.
“Isaac! We don’t have time!”
Angry shouts and breaking glass split the air. Isaac’s daughter smiled, dreaming.
“Give me this one moment,… please.”
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Jilbert Ebrahimi via Unsplash.
Never forget.
Though it seems we already have.
Thanks to Chris Phillips for today’s word. Chris is a fellow Flash Fiction aficionado and editor of Flash Fiction Online. You can follow him on twitter @chriscoflips.
Tomorrow brings my 100th story! What will it be? Visit tomorrow morning to find out!
#93 – Milk
White droplets patted against damp straw, soaking through and pooling against frozen concrete beneath. Billowing steam span through the air and glimmered in the breaking dawn.
Two dozen cows mooed and lowed as their teeth ground in a grumbling, champing chorus.
Still the milk spilled from the machines, streams gathering together amid the red mud that caked each beast’s hooves.
Four dozen eyes saw the black truck arrive. Four dozen eyes saw the man wash his boots with disinfectant.
White streams became red as the man handed papers to the farmer. The cow shed door closed for the last time.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image via Freestocks.org
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I’m nearly at 100 stories – let’s boost this into 200. Explore your favourite genre using the tabs to the left and share your favourite stories far and wide! I can’t do it without you 🙂
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Tim x
#89 – Euphoria
Blinding green light pulsed through heavy black air, fixing faces like photographs – caught in their euphoria. Jermain Wallace watched arms and mouths melt together in sexual abandon – tiny slivers of lust matched to music.
The bass trembled in his chest and rode through the floor: the pill dissolved on his tongue. The faces rippled to blackness and he rose his hands high to worship.
The empty Ibiza desert echoed around him as he opened his eyes.
His shirt was blood-stained. The blood was not his.
Jermain didn’t care.
The bass was all he needed. The bass was God.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Melissa Askew via Unsplash.
An interesting image to form a story from this – quite wonderful that I didn’t know precisely where it was going to end up!
Great thanks to supernatural romance author extraordinaire Rebecca Pollard for donating the word. You can find her on twitter @authorRebeccaP. Say I sent you 🙂
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Suggest your own words by tweeting me @timaustin2k or popping a note in the comments of this post. See you tomorrow for “Corner”!
#88 – Torn
Eddie’s mouth was hanging open. He wasn’t entirely sure what had happened.
Around him people were staring, forks held comically close to mouths, awkward coughs and murmurs circling the room like sharks. Behind him a door slammed closed.
“Can I get you a towel, sir?”
The Maître D remained professionally aloof but Eddie could see sympathy in his eyes.
“I,…. think I’ll have the bill, please.”
Eddie picked up the two halves of paper, her telephone number shredded. They’d been talking about their blind date. She’d asked what he enjoyed.
Somehow “Chilling to Netflix” was the wrong answer.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Todd Deimer via Unsplash.
Today’s story title was suggested by songwriter and author Vicky Jones. You can find out more about Vicky at vickyjones.uk. You can also follow her on twitter @VickyJones7
You too can suggest a One Word title – just pop your word in the comments or tweet it to me @timaustin2k using the hashtag #onewordonestory
Follow the site for more stories! Tomorrow: “Euphoria”. See you then 🙂
#87 – Fragile
Ben needed the woman beside him to shut up.
“Jimmy is such a good kid! He was first in his class at math for the whole of last year.”
A picture of a teenage boy dropped onto his lap.
“I don’t think,…”
His words dried in his mouth. The boy in the picture looked so happy. The Boy looked so peaceful.
“Ben Sharpe?”
The secretary was calling for him.
“Doctor Simpson will see you now.”
Ben looked at Jimmy’s Mother. She hadn’t stopped crying for 20 minutes. Ben passed the tattered photograph back to her and retrieved his antidepressants.
“Good luck”.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Jake Campbell via Unsplash.
I’m on the search for new words! If you’re reading this and you want to suggest one, please do! Just pop it in the comments or Tweet it to @timaustin2k using the hashtag #onewordonestory.
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See you tomorrow for “Torn”
#86 – Burning
The flames lapped at the wood and circled in the thinning air. A large crowd was watching as the fire danced and swelled, entranced by the hypnotic sweep of the blaze.
Music was playing loud and children were dancing. Cold boxes filled with beer gleamed in the firelight. The field was full of people talking and laughing together as the last rays of the day sank below the horizon.
The sheriff stepped forward, his hand lifting a microphone to continue his speech.
“Black Lives Matter, they say,…..” The crowd was laughing.
The children played and watched the white crosses burn.
(c) Tim Austin 2016. Image by Thomas Shellberg via Unsplash.
The first image that came to mind with this word was the KKK. It is a stain on humanity that this group still exists and that any group like this still exists. But it does and it’s worth remembering that, in these dark times. Humanity still has a long way to go,….
I’m still on the search for new words! If you’re reading this and you want to suggest one, please do! Just pop it in the comments or Tweet it to @timaustin2k using the hashtag #onewordonestory.
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See you tomorrow for “Fragile”.
One Word, One Story 