One I did a few years ago
#digitalArt

Flash Fiction: The Deniers

Note: Flash fiction is a very short story of 1000 (maximum 1250) words or less. Here's one of my more recent ones...

 

The Deniers

The banner headlines scroll along the bottom of the screen on the display model in the TV shop. The two boys pause to read:
Santa Claus’s violation of restricted air space continues to be a major concern, according to military sources…
Slump in the economy blamed on Santa's Elves sourcing parts for their toys from places like China and Indonesia “... places that don't even celebrate Christmas!” said one industry spokesman
Child in Yorkshire traumatised when the snowman he built started dancing…
‘Poor kid,’ says Paul. ‘That's why I never make snowmen, especially close to Christmas.’
‘Why is there always so much hoopla about Santa every Christmas?’
‘Donno. I don't think there even is a Santa Claus.’
‘What about all that violating the no-fly zone and all that?’ asks Johnny.
‘Probably just a really fancy UFO or something.’
‘Yeah, you're probably right.’

Johnny has only known Paul since the beginning of the school year, but they're already best friends. Tonight, he's sleeping over at Johnny's house, and they're in the corner, building things with Johnny's legos while all the grown-ups are watching a game show on TV.
Several of Johnny's other relations are over on a visit, as one of the contestants on the game show is Cindy, Johnny's young looking aunt with the long beautiful blond hair. And now it appears that Aunt Cindy is the lucky winner! She is granted three wishes. All the adults are glued to the screen, but Johnny and Paul go on with their playing, only giving mild attention to what's happening.
The game show hostess, a half size human in a glittering white dress, holding a wand, hovering in mid air with the aid of her dragonfly wings, says, “Name your three wishes, and they'll be granted.”
Aunt Cindy says, ‘Let me see, how about a Lamborghini?’
The hostess says, ‘Granted!’, waves her wand, and a Lamborghini materialises on the set.
The adults in the room gasp, saying things like, ‘Ooo!’ ‘I hope she takes us on a ride!’ etc.
‘Dream on!’ says Aunt Margaret, an elderly relative, as she walks into the room. ‘That leach will never do a good turn for anyone!’
‘That’s for sure,’ said Johnny, only loud enough for Paul to hear, ‘but neither will Aunt Margaret.’
The game show hostess goes on, ‘What's your second wish?’
‘A cryptocurrency account containing a billion Bubblecoins!’
The fairy presenter waves her wand, and Aunt Cindy's phone dings a message. She looks at her phone and squeals with delight, jumping up and down.
‘Hah!’ scoffs Aunt Margaret. ‘Now, all I have to do is go onto that show and wish the bottom drops out of the Bubblecoin market, and that car deteriorates into a pile of rust - and, lemme see, third wish: all her hair falls out!’
‘And your third wish?’
A naughty look appears on Aunt Cindy's face. ‘I wish my worst enemy would drop dead!’
The fairy replies, ‘Oooh! What a dark naughty wish!’ She waves her wand.
Immediately, Aunt Margaret clutches her chest and collapses. Uncle Pete runs to her to try to help her. Aunt Jane, a nurse, also helps.
On the screen, Aunt Cindy's phone dings again. She looks at it and cries, ‘Oh no! My Bubblecoins are worthless!’
‘Of course they’d be,’ says Paul. ‘A billion of them suddenly added would make the rest of them almost nothing.’
Then there's a noise behind her. She whirls around to find that the Lamborghini has crumbled into a pile of rust.
‘Probably made of cardboard to begin with, ’ says Paul. ‘I mean, where's a fairy gonna get a Lamborghini to start with?’
‘Oh dear!’ says the fairy. ‘That poor soul must have been watching, and made a wish or two herself!’
‘But - but…’ She's distracted as her hair begins falling out.”
Aunt Jane can't find any vital signs.
’Don't you know?’ the fairy goes on, ‘Whenever you make a death wish, the last wishes of the victim also come to pass.’
Now, nobody's paying attention to the TV, as they're all gathered around Aunt Margaret, saying things like, ‘That Cindy’s done it now!’ ‘She’s gone too far this time!’
The two boys are on their feet, but they can't get any closer, as the grownups are crowded around her.
On the TV screen, a bald Aunt Cindy is in hysterics, and is being carried off the set.
‘Hah! Serves her right!’ says Uncle Albert.
‘She'll never be welcome in this house again!’ says Johnny's mum.
Aunt Margaret wasn't that type of person in his life that Johnny was likely to miss very badly, but still - wishing her dead?
Johnny asks Paul, ‘Do you really think it was Aunt Cindy's wish that killed Aunt Margaret?’
‘Naa. I'm sure there's a natural explanation.’

At recess, the kids are lounging on the climbing frame, discussing the history lesson.
‘I don't believe all that, what Ms Maier said about King Gilbert,’ says Sally. ‘Was he really a frog before Queen Mabel kissed him?’
‘If I were him,’ said Paul, ‘I'd go look for that witch and call her a smelly whore or something, so she'd turn me back into a frog again.’
The kids all laugh
‘Yeah,’ responds Jennifer. ‘He never looks very happy, does he!’
‘I'm sure frogs are a lot happier,’ says Hank.
‘If he was a frog,’ says Johnny. ‘I mean, do you really believe all that?’
‘Not really.’
‘No.’
‘Hoi! You lot of little twits!’ It was one of the big kids. ‘You don't believe the king transformed from a frog? You probably don't even believe in Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny, I bet. You a bunch of babies or what?’
They're all quiet.
‘Well, I've grown outta that, so I have. Why, when I get bigger, I'm gonna go fight a dragon, and win me a princess, so I will! I don't know about you soppy lot.’
He walks away as the kids make faces.
Hank says, ‘They always get like that when they get bigger.’
‘Gosh! I Hope I don't,’ says Jennifer.
Johnny and Paul are finally by themselves.
Johnny tells Paul, ‘If we could wish for things and they come to pass, do you know what I'd wish for?’
‘What?’
‘I'd wish I'd stop growing, so I don't become like that.’
‘I tried that already.’
‘How?’
‘I was out with my mummy shopping,’ Paul began, ‘and I see a coin. I pick it up, and mum sees it and gets all excited, and says, “That's a magic coin! Go right now and throw it into that well over there - the wishing well - and make a wish!” I really don’t want to. I’d rather spend it on gummy bears. But she makes me do it, and she tells me, “Don't tell anyone your wish.” So I make a wish that I’ll never grow up, so I never have to believe all this stuff.’
‘Now you done gone and told me!’
‘I don't mind. Wishes like that don't work anyway, and besides, that was twenty years ago.’

New Covers for my Rat Queen series

 

After a bit of tweaking, I decided to redo the covers of my Rat Queen series. If you click on the above, you might still see the old coves on the website, but if you then clicked to download/purchase them, you'll get the new covers.

If you go there right now, you might get a free download, provided you click on the ePub link for Books2Read. Their summer sale is on for a limited time.

This is one I did after hearing the news of the stampede at the Kabul airport after the Taliban takeover