Sunday, July 22, 2012

Flash Fiction

I was out on Writer Unboxed  today (http://writerunboxed.com/) and saw that they are hosting a flash fiction contest this summer, seven Sunday's in a row.

If you don't know what flash fiction is think very, very short short story.  Just the opposite of Couillon which is a very long short story.  The story must be complete, must have a beginning, middle, and end.  The best know is attributed to Hemingway: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

Normally a flash fiction story can be up to 1000 words, but the contest has two caveats.  One is that the story must be 250 words or less and the other is that the story is inspired by the week's visual prompt.  This weeks prompt was a man sitting by a baby crib holding a what looks like a baby.  Some of the entries prior to mine, made it a doll.

Here's what I submitted today:

Title: She looks like her Mother (163 words) 
-- (after I posted it I thought the title should be "She has your eyes")

Grandpa, are we okay? I know Mommy’s not here, not anymore. You’re my protector now, my mother, my lifeline, but sometimes, Grandpa, you scare me.

Last night when you stood over me, with the light behind you making you look tall and grim, you were holding my pillow, squeezing it in your hands, hard. What were you thinking? You seemed so sad. I tried to reach out to you. I smiled and gurgled a love song, but the tears in your eyes must have blinded you. You stood for the longest time, holding the pillow near my face, and then you threw it away. As it fell to the floor, you said something I didn’t understand. And then… and then you brushed my cheek with the back of your hand, pulled the blankey up over me, and turned out the light.

I love you, Grandpa. And I hope… no, I know you love me. I can tell by the smile on your face.

No comments:

Post a Comment