“𝑆𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚? 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑠?”
“𝐼𝑡’𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚.”
“𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑎 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑤𝑠?”
𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑒𝑑. “𝑁𝑜, 𝐷𝑎𝑑. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦’𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑤𝑠. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦’𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑒.”
“𝐼 𝑤𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢.”
“𝐴𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒.”
#flashfiction #400wordstory #3minuteread #UFOsky
“𝐸𝑎𝑟𝑡ℎ-𝐶𝑜𝑚 𝑠𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑜𝑤𝑛 ℎ𝑢𝑠𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑑?”
“𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑏𝑦𝑒. 𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐸𝑎𝑟𝑡ℎ 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑡. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦’𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡. 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑒 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑟.”
#sciencefiction #flashfiction #400wordstory #3minuteread
jackprestonking.com/f/what-we-li...
“Destination?”
“June 2nd, 2035.”
The salesman looked up. His hands left the keyboard.
“That’s last Saturday, Sir. Most people want to see dinosaurs.”
#sciencefiction #TimeTravel #love #FlashFiction #400wordstory #3minuteread
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑛 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑢𝑝 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑘𝑦...
#rapture #cosmichorror #flashfiction #400WordStory
“𝑆𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚? 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑠?”
“𝐼𝑡’𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚.”
“𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑎 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑤𝑠?”
𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑒𝑑. “𝑁𝑜, 𝐷𝑎𝑑. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦’𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑤𝑠. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦’𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑒.”
“𝐼 𝑤𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢.”
“𝐴𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒.”
#flashfiction #UFOsky #400WordStory #3MinuteRead
“𝐸𝑎𝑟𝑡ℎ-𝐶𝑜𝑚 𝑠𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑜𝑤𝑛 ℎ𝑢𝑠𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑑?”
“𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑏𝑦𝑒. 𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐸𝑎𝑟𝑡ℎ 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑡. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦’𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡. 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑒 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑟.”
#sciencefiction #flashfiction #400WordStory #2MinuteRead
jackprestonking.com/f/what-we-li...
“𝐷𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛?”
“𝐽𝑢𝑛𝑒 2𝑛𝑑, 2035.”
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑝. 𝐻𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑘𝑒𝑦𝑏𝑜𝑎𝑟𝑑.
“𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑆𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑎𝑦, 𝑆𝑖𝑟. 𝑀𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑠𝑎𝑢𝑟𝑠.”
#timetravel #love #flashfiction #sciencefiction #400WordStory #2MinuteRead
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑛, 𝑖𝑛 2023, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑦𝑒 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑑. 𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑, 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛-𝑏𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑝𝑢𝑝𝑖𝑙 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑡𝑒. 𝐼𝑡 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑒𝑑, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐸𝑎𝑟𝑡ℎ...
#cosmichorror #flashfiction #400WordStory #2MinuteRead
jackprestonking.com/f/the-truth-...
“𝑈𝐹𝑂 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝐹𝑙𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑂𝑏𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡. 𝐼𝑓 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛’𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑑, 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦?”
#flashfiction #weirdfiction #400WordStory #3MinuteRead #UFOsky #cognitivedissonance
jackprestonking.com/f/a-win-win-...
“Earth-Com says I can’t message my own husband?”
“You cannot say goodbye. Front line soldiers can’t know the Earth is lost. They’d lose their will to fight. And we must still win the war.”
#sciencefiction #flashfiction #400WordStory #3MinuteRead
“Destination?”
“June 2nd, 2035.”
The salesman looked up. His hands left the keyboard. “That’s last Saturday, Sir. Most people want to see dinosaurs.”
#TimeTravel #sciencefiction #FlashFiction #400WordStory #3MinuteRead
jackprestonking.com/f/time-for-l...
In honor of Tuesday's #Rapture...
#flashfiction #weirdfiction #cosmichorror #400WordStory #3MinuteRead
jackprestonking.com/f/the-truth-...
"You have to accept that you’re dead, and move on to the next world.”
Next world… Bah. Call campus security. I want this woman arrested...
#Paranormal #FlashFiction #400WordStory #3MinuteRead
“So that’s them? Your angels?”
“It’s them.”
“They gonna hurt the cows?”
She laughed. “No, Dad. They’re not here for your cows. They’re here for me.”
“I won’t let them hurt you.”
“Angels don’t hurt people.”
#flashfiction #UFOsky #400WordStory #3MinuteRead
“Earth-Com says I can’t message my own husband?”
“You cannot say goodbye. Front line soldiers can’t know the Earth is lost. They’d lose their will to fight. And we must still win the war.”
#sciencefiction #flashfiction #3MinuteRead #400WordStory
"You have to accept that you’re dead, and move on to the next world.”
Next world… Bah. Call campus security. I want this woman arrested...
#Paranormal #FlashFiction #400WordStory #3MinuteRead
But he just couldn’t write. He was dust inside. He needed help. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
#writersblock #flashfiction #400WordStory #3MinuteRead #WritingCommunity
“So that’s them? Your angels?”
“It’s them.”
“They gonna hurt the cows?”
She laughed. “No, Dad. They’re not here for your cows. They’re here for me.”
“I won’t let them hurt you.”
“Angels don’t hurt people.”
#flashfiction #400WordStory #UFOsky
Every second generation, the mysterious Anya appeared out of nowhere, married the firstborn son, bore an heir, then poof! Gone.
“What if it’s the same woman?”
“That’s impossible.”
“Like some immortal demon lover? Tied to my dad’s bloodline?”
#flashfiction #400WordStory
Her assistant had done a fine job massaging away rigor mortis, and Ethel turned the right hand up, so she could see the deep-lined palm. “Not one callus,” she said to the corpse, adding a judgmental tsk tsk.“ You never really worked a day in your life, did you?” From what he experienced as a foggy, gray cloud in the southeast corner of the embalming room ceiling, Professor Armand Curtiss frowned. Or would have frowned, if he had a mouth with which to do so. Of course, he didn’t seem to have eyes or ears, but here he was, watching and listening. To this rude woman. Insulting him. Her finger traced the upturned palm’s life line. “I wish we’d met sooner, Professor. I could have warned you this day was coming. You might have eaten better, drank less, taken care of yourself.” The head line was a ruler-straight gash across the palm, with no breaks or cross-lines. Ethel sighed. “You wouldn’t have believed me anyway, Mr. Reason. Mr. Science.” Of course not, he thought sternly from his vaporous corner. Palmistry. Superstitious nonsense. Supernatural gobbledygook.
Of course not, he thought sternly from his vaporous corner. Palmistry. Superstitious nonsense. Supernatural gobbledygook. “I’m talking to you like you’re alive, Professor Curtiss,” she said gently, no longer looking down at the body on the table, but turning her head slowly left and then right to take in the whole room, “because I’m not sure you understand what’s happened. You had a heart attack and you died. It’s common for souls to linger near their body until they accept the reality of the situation. I can feel you watching me.” The whole thing was outrageous. He refused to participate in this sideshow. Student prank, that’s what it was. Heads would roll. Expel every last conspirator. But first, he had to get out. Get back to the college. “There’s only one way out,” Ethel responded, as if he’d spoken the words. “I’ll bet a sophisticated guy like you never watched popular movies. But there’s a famous line from Poltergeist – ‘Go into the light!’ … It sounds dumb, I know. But that’s really what’s next. You have to accept that you’re dead, and move on to the next world.” Next world… Bah. Call campus security. I want this woman arrested. Ethel turned again to the open palm. She studied the heart line.
“Three marriages!” she exclaimed. “There must’ve been some serious passion bubbling under all those deep thoughts.” She frowned, then, “Oh. You only really loved the first one.” She could not know this. He would not be forced to think about this. His wives… “Look, Prof, I’m not judging you. That first wife. The one you loved. The sooner you call her here to guide you into the light, the better for both of us. You get eternal bliss, and I get to start the work they actually pay me to do. Your part’s more fun.” Her. Roxanne. The only woman he ever loved. The one cancer tore young from his arms to teach him the excruciating folly of love. The lie of “forever.” “I can’t call her for you. I don’t know her name. I don’t know anything about her. You have to do it.” I won’t do it, he thought. I will not think of Roxanne. I will not remember Roxanne. I will not pine for Roxanne. I will not feel… I will not feel… I will not…
He had no shoulder, but he recognized the touch of Roxanne’s hand suddenly resting there. Turning him to face her. Then a single word from her lips, like a shining, light-capped river, wrapped him in a blinding current that carried them both away – forever. Ethel released a slow breath. It was just her and the body now. She collected her syringe and tissue filler, the cadaver makeup kit. Reading palms was a fun hobby, she thought. But embalming was her business. She got down to business. From 14 X 7 - Fourteen Stories in 7,000 Words: SciFi Flash Fiction, by Jack Preston King
Meet:
Ethel Craigge, Palm Reader to the Dead
#paranormal #flashfiction #400WordStory #2MinuteRead
Hey! I just remembered I have a #scifi #flashfiction #400WordStory about those reptilian bad guys on my website! jackprestonking.com/f/a-win-win-...
TIME FOR LOVE The TimeGuard bracelet molded itself to his wrist with a gentle hiss. It wasn’t so tight as to block bloodflow to his hand, but it came close. The activation light began to strobe. “The bracelet prevents you from changing history during your travels. You’ve read the brochure?” “Yes.” “Destination?” “June 2nd, 2035.” The salesman looked up. His hands left the keyboard. “That’s last Saturday, Sir. Most people want to see dinosaurs.” “I want to see my wife. She died Saturday. Crossing the street. A bus...” “The bracelet won’t let you save her. It won’t even let you talk to her.” “I just want to see her. Alive. One last time.” A brief silence. A sigh. The salesman’s hands returned to the keyboard. “Method of payment?”
* * * Time tourism was expensive, but the cost was nothing compared to what he’d paid on the black market for the bracelet key. Acquiring the deactivation code had cost him everything he owned. He was now penniless, and in debt from charging the TimeTrip. It didn’t matter. He wasn’t coming back. He materialized on the corner of 10th and Lexington at 8:06 AM. At 8:10, the bus would crest the 9th Street overpass and pick up speed on the downhill. The 10th Street stoplight would be green. The red “don’t walk” sign would be flashing, but Laura would risk it. The bus could not reach 9th Street. He had four minutes. He ran the block, uphill, in a thigh-burning sprint. The bus was coming. Breathless on the sidewalk, he watched it roll through the 7th Street crossing, then the 8th. Its electric engine whined loudly as the driver gunned the accelerator for the uphill climb. He had to time this perfectly. The bus had to stop, not just slow down. It was the only way he could be certain. On the count of three. One… Two… Three. He dashed into the street. There was no way the bus could miss him.
“Jim, no!” A hand wrenched his collar but he had too much forward momentum to stop. He tried to turn, and in doing so spun and crashed backward onto the pavement, dragging his rescuer with him. She landed on his chest. In the middle of the street. The TimeGuard bracelet hugging her wrist draped across his nose. The activation light was not strobing. It was Laura. Alive. One last time. Then the wheels.
#TimeTravel #sciencefiction #flashfiction #400WordStory #OnePostStory
He’d had this dream off and on all his life. The dream version of his childhood home had dozens of rooms the real one didn’t. Secret passageways. A closet in the basement that led to another world...
#paranormal #flashfiction #400WordStory #reincarnation #eternalrecurrence
“So that’s them? Your angels?”
“It’s them.”
“They gonna hurt the cows?”
She laughed. “No, Dad. They’re not here for your cows. They’re here for me.”
“I won’t let them hurt you.”
"Angels don’t hurt people.”
#flashfiction #UFOsky #sciencefiction #400WordStory
Then people by the hundreds, then thousands, and finally millions began floating up into the sky...
#weirdfiction #flashfiction #Rapture #400WordStory #TwoMinuteRead
Read "Recurring" and "Angels," two complete 400 word stories from 14 X 7-Fourteen Stories in 7,000 Words: SciFi Flash Fiction"
#sciecefiction #flashfiction #400WordStory
Then people by the hundreds, then thousands, and finally millions began floating up into the sky...
#flashfiction #400WordStory #Rapture
#sciencefiction #flashfiction #400WordStory #2MinuteRead
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
“Earth-Com says I can’t message my own husband?”
“You cannot say goodbye. Front line soldiers can’t know the Earth is lost. They’d lose their will to fight. And we must still win the war.”
#sciencefiction #flashfiction #400WordStory #2MinuteRead
