Third Eye

Written for the Daily Flash Fiction Challenge with a word limit of 300.

The prompts: This story must contain the words: braid, dripping and tattoo

Third Eye

It happened so fast he had no choice but to die; his life force dripping down the front of his shirt.

Lenny stood for nearly a minute before timbering over. A conveniently placed carpet served as his death shroud – the trunk of a Lincoln MKVIII his hearse.

Earlier, this had all seemed so easy.

“Bring me her braid,” was all the voice had said. A texted address followed.

Lenny found the location; a small shop in Asian-Town. No big surprise. The family frequently ordered hits on the Choy Organization. Survival of the fittest was a long tradition in the world of syndicated crime.

This small part of the city was all hustle and bustle. You could get anything from healing potions to sun-dried duck. The streets were packed with buyers, sellers and stealers; Perfect for striking quickly then vanishing into the crowd.

This was the place alright. A weathered sign hung above the shop door.

Psychic Readings

The dim shop was only lit by the light coming in from the storefront window. He sensed a movement from between some back shelves. As his eyes adjusted, he saw her emerge.

This was not what he expected. She was a small thin woman; maybe eighty years old. She came closer and he could see that she was clearly blind. She moved as if she knew where she was, but her clouded eyes told the story. A length of braided hair trailed behind her. On her forehead was a tattoo of an eye.

“Hello Lenny. I have been expecting you.”

“How did you know?”

“The third eye sees all.”

“Then you know why I am here.”

“Yes. You are here to die.”

Her attack was lightening fast and surgically accurate.

Lenny never stood a chance against the Choy family matriarch.

Word count 297

Annonymous Hero

Written for the Daily Flash Fiction Challenge with a word limit of 300.

The prompts: This story must contain the words: star, drive and trouble

Anonymous Hero

He checked the dwindling charge of his plasma assault rifle and knew he was in trouble.

His twenty-man platoon had dropped down before first light three days ago. Their objective: Drive the Biotopes back from the neutral zone surrounding the newly founded human colony.

Now he was all that remained.

Twenty families huddled in their habitats as the sounds of the battle crept ever closer. They knew things weren’t going well. But they had no idea how bad it really was. None of them knew there was only one man left; one man out there on the battle field fighting to save people he had never met.

With a flick of his left index finger, he triggered yet another pain-blocker injection. A red light flashed at the edge of his vision indicating there was nothing left to inject. A nearby explosion jolted him and more lights began to flash. His suit hydraulics was leaking badly. Soon he would be trapped in a two-ton coffin that was his battle armor. Life support showed five minutes remaining.

A message flashed across his visor. “Star Cruiser support in ten minutes.”

Too late. He felt the ground beginning to rumble, indicating they were on the move. The Biotopes knew help was coming and only a final assault would enable them to destroy the humans before it was too late.

Twenty families huddled in the habitats as an anonymous hero did for them what so many other anonymous heroes have done before him.

He stood alone and took the battle to the enemy. They were caught completely off guard by the single soldier limping out of the foxhole, firing everything he had. It was several minutes before they could regroup. It was long enough

The cavalry arrived - saving all but one.

Word count 296