Flash Fiction Archives - James Kirst Short Story and Novel Blog

Short Story Saturday: Thing That Must be Done – An Abecedarian Story

Posted on August 10, 2019December 3, 2023 by jkirst

Short Story Saturday: Thing That Must Be Done - Photo by Tom Adams on Unsplash — Photo by Tom Adams on Unsplash

Hello everyone! As part of Short Story Saturday, I have posted another short story, this one entitled Thing That Must be Done – An Abecedarian Story. This story was inspired by https://www.writersdigest.com/prompts/abecedarian. It was done mostly for fun but I wanted to see whether I could make a compelling short story using a restrictive format. Plus, there were a couple of other short stories I am in the middle of writing that for one reason or another I could not finish “in time” (i.e. before Saturday) so I posted this story instead. It is also the reason why this story is shorter than usual. Regardless, please enjoy.

I stalk my prey late at night. Jumping from shadow to shadow, the city’s large and looming skyscrapers serve as the perfect cover. Killing a man is never a pleasant prospect. Letting him continue to perpetrate his nefarious deeds, though, was something I could not allow, especially after what I had learned.

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Short Story Saturday: It’s a Doggie Dog World

Posted on April 27, 2019December 3, 2023 by jkirst

Hello everyone! As part of Short Story Saturday, I have posted another short story, this one entitled It’s a Doggie Dog World. I apologize for the short length. Please enjoy.

Short Story Saturday: It's a Doggie Dog World - Photo by Adobe Stock — Photo by Pixabay from Pexels

The muffle flashed. The bullet went through her left shoulder narrowly missing bone.

She fell to the floor in pain. Slipping in her blood as she reached for the handle of the oven to lift herself to her feet, the woman took a look at the face of her would-be assassin. Her heart sank.

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Short Story Saturday: Confabulation during the Consumption of Morningtide Comestibles

Posted on January 26, 2019December 3, 2023 by jkirst

Short Story Saturday: Vocabulary Story - Photo by Life of Pix from Pexels — Photo by Life of Pix from Pexels

Hello everyone! As part of Short Story Saturday, I have posted another short story, this one entitled Confabulation during the Consumption of Morningtide Comestibles. Please enjoy. The original writing prompt is taken from https://www.writersdigest.com/prompts/one-shot

“You seem to have quite an appetite this morning,” the woman muttered as she took his plate from where the man was seated at the kitchen table. He had just finished eating his third bagel of the morning, and this was after eating a couple of instant waffles.

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Short Story Saturday: Non Morieris in Somnis Memorias

Posted on December 15, 2018December 3, 2023 by jkirst

Hello everyone! As part of Short Story Saturday, I have posted another short story, this one entitled Non Morieris in Somnis Memorias. Please enjoy.

I’m walking through immaculate streets and surrounded by large and luxurious homes, monuments of better days. This place was once vibrant and full of life, now sterile, and empty except for the leaves blowing in the wind. A looming clock tower stands in the center of town. Its ticking hands reverberate inside my skull each passing step perpetually reminding me of the inexorable nature of time.

I am exhausted. Mentally. Physical fatigue is impossible here.

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What I Learned In School Today

Posted on November 9, 2018December 3, 2023 by jkirst

As a bit of a supplement to my upcoming book, Ghosts are Assholes, here is another vignette into Vincent’s life that I hope you enjoy. It is entitled What I Learned In School Today.

“What’s the answer to number 2?” the young boy asked the dowdy ghost floating over his left shoulder just above a whisper. He didn’t want to risk attracting the attention of his fourth-grade teacher sitting behind her desk.

“Vincent!” the apparition admonished. “Are you asking me to cheat?”

“Uh-huh!” the boy replied eagerly.

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Just One Date

Posted on November 7, 2018December 3, 2023 by jkirst

As a bit of a supplement to my upcoming book, Ghosts are Assholes, here is another vignette into Vincent’s life that I hope you enjoy. It is entitled Just One Date.

“You have a lot of nerve showing up here after what you did,” Vincent said after seeing the thin apparition in the reflection of the bathroom mirror.

“Look, I know I dropped quite the large one,” a young brown-haired man said as he turned off the faucet next to Vincent. As he shook his hands above the sink, he continued with, “But there’s no need to embarrass me about it.”

Vincent’s awkward attempts to apologize fell on deaf ears. The man gruffly dried his hands and left in silence. After this time confirming that nobody else was in the bathroom with him, he turned and faced the poltergeist. “You know that girl I was with? She’s my girlfriend! And today is the first day we’ve been able to get together in over a week! Couldn’t you just let me enjoy the show with her without making an ass of yourself?”

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Do I really have to do this?

Posted on November 5, 2018December 3, 2023 by jkirst

As a bit of a supplement to my upcoming book, Ghosts are Assholes, here is a vignette into Vincent’s life that I hope you enjoy. It is entitled Do I really have to do this?

“This place is really nice,” Vincent told the apparition as he waited for the elevator. Based on the way Edward Freeman had described it he had expected the place to be decrepit. Instead, he found himself in a beautiful ten-story glass building. It even had a pianist in the lobby which is the most definite sign of a classy establishment.

“A gilded cage,” Edward snarled floating above Vincent’s shoulder.

“You made the place sound like a dump.”

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