Flash Fiction Magazine

By Susan Mockler

We step out of the hot, white sun and follow our mother through the revolving doors into Simpsons. A blast of frigid air welcomes us. She struts along the wide aisle. “Keep up, girls!” she trills, her accent almost British, so different from the flat Canadian tone she uses at home.

She hadn’t planned on bringing us, but when my sister heard “shopping downtown,” she’d tantrummed. Facedown on the floor, she’d clenched mother’s ankles, above her new white platform sandals, flailed her legs, and howled herself hoarse. Our mother had tried to shake her loose, but Cecily dug in and clawed at her leg. Mother had checked her watch and relented. But that meant that I had to come too. To help mind Cecily and keep her under control.

[Read more…] about Hot Pink

By Karen Crawford

I saw you today.

You were standing on the platform on the other side of the tracks. The ones you accused me of coming from. From behind a pillar, I took you in, unnoticed. Catching glimpses between express trains that whizzed by in both directions. Glimpses of thinning hair and faded jeans. Of running shoes, and the J. Crew sweater I’d bought for you when we were still together. Your train pulled into the station and whisked you away.

[Read more…] about I Saw You Today

By Melissa Gill

Lola, a clown plush doll, landed inside of a glass box. Her arrival provoked Dino, a growling purple dinosaur, who rattled her stitches. She jumped back into a corner where Baby Doll rested on a soft orange skateboard. The Baby blinked her giggly eyes and pointed at a metal claw hanging high above them. Lola gasped. Her eyes wandered out of the glass walls into the pitch-black arcade.

“Where am I?” Lola asked, the sutures forming her mouth ripped open. Behind her fabric face, a cloudy cotton tongue came alive.

The Baby squealed and pointed at the metal claw again. Lola scooted further away from Baby, squishing Dino’s face.

[Read more…] about The Silver Spider

By A.M. Symes

I wish dragons were real.

Some people believe dragons are real and just went extinct back when the dinosaurs went extinct. Or maybe it was after the dinosaurs that dragons were around. That makes more sense, because how would warriors have battles with dragons if it was during the dinosaur time.

So really I wish dragons were not extinct. I could walk through campus at night and a dragon would fly overhead. She would blast out flames and light up the walkway, and I wouldn’t be nervous about walking by myself.

[Read more…] about I Wish Dragons Were Real

By Paul Garrett

“Eat!” my brother said. “Eat!”

The elaborate sleeves on his arms made my prison tats look puny.

He had his paper hat cocked sideways and the stub of a cigar poked from the edge of his mouth.

I watched a fly land on the hamburger in front of me and shooed it away with a wave of my hand.

“You ain’t gainin’ no weight just sittin’ there,” he said.

[Read more…] about Diner

By Dana Jean Rider

Gabriela noticed a flashing icon at the bottom of her screen and groaned. “Printer error, printer error,” she muttered, casting a longing glance at the beach scene on her desktop background—a vacation photo from over two years ago. She shook away the memory of dancing ocean waves as she stalked off to the office supply room where the vintage behemoth resided.

Whenever the printer bled ink all over a document or held onto a paper jam like a precious child, as office manager, Gabriela was the one who had to sort it out—and so she was the one who discovered that the printer was spitting hot white sand from its output tray.

[Read more…] about Printer Error