Bradbury Tales

Thermopylae Again

Thermopylae Again

A boy was throwing stones at a tin can he’d set up in the empty lot. It was no more than a rusty and misshapen target balanced on the few bricks remaining of a wall that had long ago been demolished. Heat radiated from the stony ground as the sun beat unrelenting on the scene.

The game was ended as the stone connected with the can, knocking it off its perch. It disappeared behind the wall. In exultation, the boy leapt to his feet, his arms raised in triumph. Behind him, hoplites in a Spartan phalanx joined in his celebration.


Word count: 100
For Microscopic Stories and The Bradbury.