Written for the Daily Flash Fiction Challenge with a word limit of 300.
The prompts: This story must contain the line: "Don't try to stop me."
A Simple Choice
Thelma watched open-mouthed as the alien spacecraft silently settled down in the middle of the south forty.
She considered going inside to fetch her shotgun but a warning glance from Old Luke swayed her otherwise. That dog had more sense than most people. If he decided to give this particular incident a pass, he probably had good reason.
If only Zeke were still here, she thought. He would be a good one to send out and test the waters. Back when he’d been around, Thelma had always considered him to be somewhat expendable.
Problem was, Zeke took off one night and she hadn’t seen him since. She never did find out where he got off to. She’d been watching something or other on the television that night. Zeke came in all excited about something and was ranting, “Blah, blah, adventure, blah, blah and don’t try to stop me.”
Now, a door irised open on the spacecraft and Zeke came strutting out.
He came walking up to the house like he had only been gone for a couple of hours instead of months.
“Evening Thelma. Good folks there,” he said gesturing back over his shoulder towards the craft. “What’s for dinner?”
That was it.
Zeke walked into the shack/house, plopped himself down in front of the television and started cruising through the channels.
Once again, Thelma considered the shotgun. If Zeke couldn’t stay gone, maybe she could help.
As she got up from her chair, the momentarily forgotten spacecraft caught her eye; It's door still open.
“Good folks there.” That’s what he’d said and Zeke didn’t like anyone.
Thelma looked at Zeke who was watching QVC's special on sharp kitchen implements.
God how she hated him.
She left him a note, “Blah, blah, blah and I’m taking the dog with me.”
Word count 300
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Scatter
Written for the Daily Flash Fiction Challenge with a word limit of 300.
The prompts: This story must contain the words: test, trouble and scatter
Scatter
Professor Andrews sat in the Enviro-Chamber with his finger hovering nervously over the button. Through a small port, he could see Professor Stein giving him the “go” signal.
Andrew was aware that this might be the end of himself. Accordingly, his subconscious mind offered up a short episode of “My life flashed before my eyes.”
It had started three years ago…
“Watch this,” Professor Stein said as he threw a switch.
The stapler disappeared.
The professor smiled as his audience of one sat in stunned silence.
“Now watch this.”
He threw another switch and the stapler appeared in thin air a few feet away. It immediately fell to the floor.
“I don’t understand,” said Professor Andrews. “You called me in here for some sort of magic trick?”
“It’s no trick, Andrews. I have figured out how to direct the particles of the subatomic world.”
“What?” asked Andrews with obvious skepticism.
“I sent a subatomic signal to all of the atoms in the stapler, telling them to scatter. At that point, the stapler became a collection of disassociated particles.”
“And when it came back?”
“Same idea except this time the signal was to regroup. I am having a little trouble with that last part. There is always a little subatomic drift that makes it hard to determine where it will re-materialize.”
Since that time, there had been one test after another. Failures followed failures until successes began to turn the tide. Tests progressed from inanimate object to plants and then lab rats. The Enviro-Chamber had been a big breakthrough. Now the subjects could survive no matter where they reappeared; even if it was in a wall.
Now for the ultimate test subject.
It was time to make history.
Andrew took a deep breath and pressed down on the Scatter button.
Word count 299
The prompts: This story must contain the words: test, trouble and scatter
Scatter
Professor Andrews sat in the Enviro-Chamber with his finger hovering nervously over the button. Through a small port, he could see Professor Stein giving him the “go” signal.
Andrew was aware that this might be the end of himself. Accordingly, his subconscious mind offered up a short episode of “My life flashed before my eyes.”
It had started three years ago…
“Watch this,” Professor Stein said as he threw a switch.
The stapler disappeared.
The professor smiled as his audience of one sat in stunned silence.
“Now watch this.”
He threw another switch and the stapler appeared in thin air a few feet away. It immediately fell to the floor.
“I don’t understand,” said Professor Andrews. “You called me in here for some sort of magic trick?”
“It’s no trick, Andrews. I have figured out how to direct the particles of the subatomic world.”
“What?” asked Andrews with obvious skepticism.
“I sent a subatomic signal to all of the atoms in the stapler, telling them to scatter. At that point, the stapler became a collection of disassociated particles.”
“And when it came back?”
“Same idea except this time the signal was to regroup. I am having a little trouble with that last part. There is always a little subatomic drift that makes it hard to determine where it will re-materialize.”
Since that time, there had been one test after another. Failures followed failures until successes began to turn the tide. Tests progressed from inanimate object to plants and then lab rats. The Enviro-Chamber had been a big breakthrough. Now the subjects could survive no matter where they reappeared; even if it was in a wall.
Now for the ultimate test subject.
It was time to make history.
Andrew took a deep breath and pressed down on the Scatter button.
Word count 299
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