Category: Flash Fiction

Flash Fiction, History, tutto e niente

Her Silent Secrets

Tina Stewart Brakebill

 

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It had been sixty years since she had stood on that pathway but her mind struggled to contain the same flood of emotions she had felt on that last night. Fear. Shame. Anger. Grief.

Such bottomless grief.

Emotions unleashed unwanted memories They shouldn’t have done it. They had no right. She didn’t belong to them. She couldn’t let them take her away. She had to do it. Even now, she blamed them.

She tried to stop the flood. But memories pushed through.

Hiding.

Desperate whispering: “Hush. Hush.”

Then silence as the light probed.  

If only they’d just let them be.

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This 100 word piece of fiction was written for this week’s Friday’s Fictioners (hosted as alway by the wonderful Rochelle), but it was inspired by my contribution for last week’s Friday Fictioners. You can read that 15 word story entitled “Her Silent Secret” here. I’ve been thinking about it since I wrote it and when I saw Roger’s photo, the totality of her tragic secret flooded into my head.

Photo credits go to Roger Bultot (for this week’s prompt) and Ronda Del Boccio (for last week’s).

For a closer look at the reality that could have led to this fictionalized tragedy, take a look at The Girls Who Went Away.  I am in no way affiliated with this book or its author but it’s a story worth reading if you’re unfamiliar with the all-to-common practice of forcing women to comply with mandated societal “norms.”

Flash Fiction

Her Silent Secret

Tina Stewart Brakebill

The probing light didn’t break her desperate silence but it did reveal her silent secret.

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This 15 word story was inspired by the photo prompt from Ronda Del Boccio courtesy of Rochelle’s always fun Friday Fictioners Challenge AND Sammi’s challenge to write about “silence’ in exactly fifteen words. For me, the photo and the idea of silence seemed a perfect match, so here we are …. 🙂

Flash Fiction, tutto e niente

Finding Fabio

Tina Stewart Brakebill

Once, fame had been his drug. Now, those covers were nothing but an anathema. A reminder of his age. All he wanted was peace. But they always found him. Somehow. He took a deep breath. Tossed his hair. Smiled. Maybe just one photo he thought as the giggling middle-aged women approached.

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Late to the game for the “anathema” 52 word challenge, but thanks to Sammis Scribbles for an excuse to use it in a story and to Linda’s SoCS Challenge for a reason to write about FABIO!

Flash Fiction, tutto e niente

Empty Cages

Tina Stewart Brakebill

No one saw them come. They just appeared overnight. Cages. Thousands of them, millions probably. Everywhere. We stared. Pointed. Hypothesized. Made bets on what had been inside, where they had run off to. Nobody guessed the cages weren’t really empty. Until it was too late.  

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This 276 character Twittering Tale was written for Kat Myrman’s Challenge to tell a story in 280 characters or less based on the photo courtesy of  Tony Dinh at Unsplash.com

Flash Fiction, tutto e niente

Destiny

Tina Stewart Brakebill

I’m not sure when I drifted off or what woke me. The birds? Or maybe the chill in the air? Whatever it was, it interrupted a great dream. We were dancing. Just like we did the night we met. I could still hear the fading beats of Crazy in Love in my mind and I fought to fall back into the music. But it was too late. Consciousness flooded in. Ruining my return to sleep. Spoiling my chance to revel in the hot stickiness of that dance floor.

But even awake, I manage to conjure up the thrill of that night. I remember the pounding music and the flashing lights. Seeing you. Surrounded by people. Laughing and twirling like you didn’t see me. But, I knew you could feel the tension running between us. Crackling like lightening in a storm. Pulling us together. Showing me that you were destined to be the one.

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I would have happily sat with that thought longer, but my waking reverie was broken by a shaft of light penetrating the trees. Its brilliance illuminating our special place, as if the gods themselves understood the holiness of that night. The light filled me with almost indescribable joy, but it also signaled that morning has come. Time to hit the road. But I knew I’d be back next year. I never visited the others. But even after fifteen years you’re still special. The first one. Our destiny fulfilled.

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This depressing bit of serial murder flash fiction (WC = 241) was inspired by Sue’s beautiful photo prompt (above) (Sorry Sue!! And if it’s too “rated R” for the prompt I understand) and by the challenge to spend a night in a cemetery courtesy of  #TellTaleThursday with Anshu & Priya. Click here for details and other story links.