By Joanna Bressler
Bad things happen in a pressure cooker when it’s not food in the pot.
The sun is the burner.
Only the Arctic’s safe, but not for long and we’re not there.
I strain my hands behind the kitchen chair but my boy’s tied an invincible knot like his dad taught him.
He punches my baby girl in the stomach. She plops down, her mouth a big O, blood bubbling out. Her pink face swells, then her colors fade to gray.
Not a punch.
Grinning, he waves his switchblade.
It won’t be long now.
My son’s turning the gas up on me.
In the land of free speech, let me just throw this one out: I’ve never been particularly impressed with flash fiction horror stories, particularly in the hands of a newbie writer. In flash fiction there is little time to advance characters, theme or plot. So what to do..? Well why not throw in anything that is sordid and horrific – particularly if it involves small children, Add some slashing that results in lots of gore and gallons of blood. That should do it. Well no………
For some, if this is the genre your happiest writing in, I would advise a night (but not if your alone at the cottage) of reading Stephen King …..he’s the man………
I tend to agree with Carrick. In the story the horrific elements seem thrown in JUST for shock value. Perhaps if the story were made longer, in order to show motivation for the dreadful things that are happening, it would be easier to read.
Thank you for your comment, Bobby. I actually did not mean to shock but rather to create a visual image of a future I’m afraid of. But I appreciate your suggestion. As I was revising and revising, I did think, maybe this should be a longer story.