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Entries for the Micro Fiction Challenge 2022. |
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Short stories of 100 words exactly, written for the Micro Fiction Challenge, 2022, plus a few for my own benefit. |
| Daylight Savings Time “In this company, we work daylight savings time in the rainy season.” Morgan Uffman stared at his new boss in amazement. “In the tropics? But there’s no need. The sun comes up the same time all year round.” “Yes, and in the rainy season it rains twice a day,” replied the boss. Watching Morgan’s reaction, he continued. “1:00pm and 5:00pm, as regular as clockwork.” “I still…” began Morgan, but the boss interrupted. “1:00pm is lunchtime and we go home at 5:00pm. We got tired of getting wet. We work daylight savings time in the rainy season.” Word count: 100 Because I found a sensible reason for DST No prompt apart from the idea. |
 Red Sky Luigi called out to his captain. “Beautiful sky, hey, Carlo?” The captain turned from his work in the bow. “What time is it?” “About 6:30, I think. Why?” “AM or PM?” Luigi frowned in puzzlement. “AM of course. We’ve only just arrived out here. I said it was a beautiful sky.” “I know you did,” said Carlo. “Now get the engine started. We’re going back in.” Luigi’s mouth dropped open. “But why, captain? We haven’t caught anything yet.” “What are you, Luigi?” Luigi shrugged. “A sailor.” Carlo stood and looked at him. “Sailor, red sky, morning? We’re going in.” Word count: 100 Because I found the picture Prompt: It seemed appropriate. |
| Homeward Ellie May leaned over and nestled her head into his neck. “Well, Rowdy, that’s all the bad guys in jail and you ‘n me for the ole homestead.” “Yup,” said Rowdy. The buckboard swayed and the horse plodded on wearily into the growing sunset ahead. The only sound in a golden world was the creaking of the stays. “Just a minute, Rowdy,” said Ellie May, lifting her head and glancing around. “This ain’t the way back home.” Rowdy grinned back at her. “I know, Ellie, but they need a shot of us heading into the sunset.” “Cut,” yelled the director. Word count: 100 For no particular reason No prompt. |
| Exhaustion Ralph Carver walked to the window and looked down. Three floors up, he had a great view of the car park below. Nothing was happening down there, but things rarely did in hospital car parks. He raised his eyes to the horizon, where a row of trees marked the freeway. Cars flashed through the intervals between the trees, busy upon their business. Ralph was tired and desperate to go home. He decided that he hated hospitals. And then the public address system piped up. “Doctor Carver to Emergency. Doctor Carver.” “Oh God, let this be the last one,” he muttered. Word count: 100 For no particular reason Prompt supplied by writingexercises.co.uk: The view from a hospital window. |
| Heart Attack The attack was over in seconds. From the first shortening of breath and slight nausea, to the full blown, massive unease and desperate attempts to escape from underneath the crushing weight, to the faint rebirth of hope in the draining of the weakness that transfixed the limbs, and then the slow return to a world of the unremarkable, the often overlooked cosiness of daily life, was no more than moments. Long moments, it’s true, moments of frantic and insoluble desire to escape the torture of feelings too large to describe, moments like hours. Then the dread of the next one. Word count: 100 For no particular reason Prompt supplied by writingexercises.co.uk: The attack was over in seconds. |
| Imagination Winston Fotheringhay was Dave’s favourite author. He had read all of Fotheringhay’s books of adventure, mystery and heroic deeds. Dave wished he had a similar imagination. So it was an exuberant Dave who took his copy of Fotheringhay’s latest book for the author’s signing at the local bookshop. He joined the line and waited patiently. When his turn came, Dave handed over the book and Fotheringhay began to write a brief message on the title page. “Where do you get the ideas for all your books?” asked Dave. The author answered without looking up. “It’s all from memory,” he said. Word count: 100 For no particular reason Prompt: A thought that came to me on answering Lilli’s QOTD today. |
| Oops 3 When Whitfield looked out the window, he knew immediately his time machine had worked. The view was entirely different from the one he’d observed only half an hour before. Instead of city streets, he was looking at a forested scene with thick undergrowth. Two young dinosaurs were playing in a clearing nearby. All he needed now was a screwdriver to alter the settings and head back to his own time. That was when he remembered that he’d left the screwdriver on the desk in his workshop. A huge, reptilian eye blocked the light from the window as it studied him. Word count: 100 For no particular reason No prompt. |
| Baggage I saw her in the airport, weeping in a chair near the baggage carousel. In my awkward, masculine way, I tried to comfort her. Her suitcase had been lost on her flight from Antigua. Someone must have taken it, mistaking it for theirs or, perhaps, it had been stolen. The authorities were very helpful, although the suitcase remained lost. She was offered a room in a hotel for the night while further enquiries were made and this did much to mollify her anguish. We said our goodbyes. When I opened my case that night, I found nothing but women’s clothes. Word count: 100 For no particular reason No prompt. |
| The Lamp When Ali came across the old lamp in the antique shop, he knew exactly what to do. He bought it and hurried home. Once there, he found a suitable cloth and rubbed vigorously at the lamp. A thin stream of smoke issued from the spout and coalesced into the shape of a genie hovering in the air. “Okay, you got me,” said the genie. “You get one wish.” “What, only one? It’s always three.” Ali felt cheated. The genie sneered. “Nah, that was a failed business model. These days it’s one only and you have to finish cleaning the lamp.” Word count: 100 For no particular reason No prompt. |
| Carpentry Harold’s client rubbed his chin as he considered his new desk. “It’s very beautiful,” he said to Harold. Harold thanked him.. The client continued, “Did you include a secret drawer?” “Yup. Do you want me to show you?” “Let me try first.” The client inspected the desk closely but found nothing. “Okay, I give up. Where is it?” Harold stepped forward and pushed at a corner of the desk. It slid away, revealing a space behind it. There was a piece of paper inside. Harold fished it out and read the words printed on it. Back to the drawing board. Word count: 100 For no particular reason No prompt. |
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