Only One Time

Through stewing August air of intermittent fireflies blinking, Mother hollers from the back porch.  We strain eyes tracking the baseball’s flight.

“Just a minute!” I shout.

“Dinner’s getting cold!  You can’t even see that damn ball.  You don’t need another shiner!” 

“That happened only one time!” I roar indignantly.  My “friend” laughs skipping hurriedly homeward. 

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 *Fiction in 55 words = #flash55

Deepfake Tribulation

Whiskey-shooting away professional tormenting failure, The Plaintiff, slipped fumbling sideways off a sky-high cliff.  Your Honor, his fractured ego denied having been pushed!  As if privacy exists in our defamatory deepfake world.  Consequently, it took many arduous years of gradual rehabilitation before self-loathing dried and creative fire reemerged furiously brighter than The Defendants’ life-threatening malice.   

 *Fiction in 55 words = #flash55

Private Sandman – #FlashFiction

Squad radio D.O.A, our unit maneuvers into position—digging the left flank. Sandbags, Sarin-gassing;  flesh of women and children burst shielding salvos. “We’re outnumbered, Sarge!”  Hellfire overrunning our battalion. “Retreat!” Full-scale mortar rounds; Nighthawks laying bombs. As I suffocate under sand, readying to pull that goddamn ring-pin when deafening alarm blare delivers me from self-destruction.

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Care to hear me read these 55 Words?
The Above Flash55 was written for One Stop Poetry’s Sunday Picture Prompt Challenge.  Rose Frei took the beautiful photo. She is the interviewee today (courtesy of Chris G.) over at One Stop Poetry. Check it out!