Tag Archives: creativewriting

Tiny Stories: Of Prefaces Unread

Posted by Madd_Fictional on

Popular belief has it that the universe is comprised of atoms. In reality, the universe is actually made up of…

Technology had finally advanced to the point where dermal holographic emitters showcased prefaces above everyone’s heads—bullet points of the highs, lows, and turning points in a person’s life—and society had become a library of human experience. Couples formed with a glance, prejudices shattered, and crime rates dropped, all because everyone was an open book.

Except Samuel.

An author who had lived a life meticulously crafted for the perfect preface, he found himself a book gathering dust on a neglected shelf. He watched enviously as people engaged in instant connections, their eyes scanning the floating words above heads. His own preface, filled with layers of subtext and metaphors, resonated only with his fellow authors, none of whom took the extra step to genuinely know him.

Frustrated, he thought, “If only I could rewrite my preface to appeal to them, to make them see.” So, he studied, analyzed, and crafted tales aimed at resonating with the hearts of others. But despite his efforts, his works—and his life—remained tragically unread.

In a cruel twist of fate, Samuel was involved in a car accident. As he lay on the asphalt, gasping for air, he noticed something: people gathering around him were reading his preface, now flashing the words “Tragic End” in bold letters. For a brief, heartbreaking moment, Samuel had an audience.

And then, his preface faded away, the last lines unwritten, unshared, and unread.

Tiny Stories: Prelude to a Fight (Revised)

Posted by Madd_Fictional on

Popular belief has it that the universe is comprised of atoms. In reality, the universe is actually made up of…

“Let’s just talk about this some other time,” Lexi sighed, exasperatedly flicking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She scanned the almost empty bistro, where a solitary server bustled between tables, clearly not ours. She’d always been keenly aware of her surroundings.

“Why not settle it now?” I pressed, my fingers nervously tapping the edge of the table.

The furrow in Lexi’s brow deepened as she bit back her initial response. She took a deep, measured breath, as if inhaling courage, and said, “Because you’re not here, not really. You’re a million miles away, even when you’re looking right at me.”

“Don’t be absurd. You have my full attention.”

“Quit lying to me. Just this once, can you do that? I see that far-off look in your eyes like you’re solving a puzzle in your head.”

Caught, I wanted to glance away. “That’s just how my face looks, Lexi.”

“Ah, deflecting with humor. Classic you.”

“You love drama, don’t you? Creating mountains out of molehills.”

She clenched her fists, white-knuckled. “If you’d stop treating our relationship like a series of escape rooms, maybe we’d get somewhere!”

I sighed. “Our non-relationship, you mean? We broke up. I don’t owe you any explanations.”

Lexi’s voice lowered to a whisper. “That’s why we’re over, isn’t it? Because you’re an enigma wrapped in a riddle and I’m tired of solving for X.”

The server finally appeared, tray in hand. “Are you two ready to order?”

“No,” Lexi snapped. “We’re not.” She pushed her chair back so forcefully it almost toppled. “Maybe when you’re ready to be real with someone, give me a call. Until then, enjoy solving your puzzles alone.”

As she walked away, leaving me in an emotionally charged silence, it finally hit me. The biggest puzzle I could never solve was sitting across from me this whole time. And now, she was a riddle walking out the door.

Tiny Stories: Lost in Snow (Revised)

Posted by Madd_Fictional on

Popular belief has it that the universe is comprised of atoms. In reality, the universe is actually made up of…

Duke had always loved the feeling of snow under his paws, the crisp winter air filling his lungs as he and his human trudged along the mountain trail. They had had their differences before setting out on this trek—maybe about a chewed-up shoe or an untimely bark—but none of that mattered now. They were a team bound by love and a shared sense of adventure.

However, the mountain had its own plans.

With a deafening roar, the serenity of the alpine setting shattered as an avalanche ripped through the trees and descended upon them. In a panic, Duke latched onto his human’s leg, determined to be the good boy he had always tried to be. Snow, merciless and unforgiving, surged around them like a tidal wave, snuffing out the daylight and encapsulating them in a tomb of ice and cold.

Time seemed to stretch and distort in the dark quietude. Then, with an instinctual burst of adrenaline, Duke managed to push his head through the icy encasement, gulping in air tinged with frost. His throat scorched with each hoarse bark he let out, a desperate call for his lost human. But there was no response, just the unsettling silence that comes when nature asserts its brutal dominion.

Yet Duke would not—could not—give up. He began to dig, his paws flurrying through the snow with a frantic energy. Each scoop was a promise, each layer he penetrated, a prayer. Finally, his paw brushed against fabric, then skin. His human was cold, unresponsive, but alive.

With every ounce of his being, Duke barked until the sound echoed through the mountains, reaching the ears of a rescue team. When they arrived, they found a nearly miraculous scene: a human, unconscious but breathing, and a dog, steadfast and unwavering in his loyalty.

For Duke, being a good boy was not just a matter of following commands or playing fetch; it was a commitment, a pact between two souls who had ventured into the wilderness as partners. And even when faced with the immense power of nature’s fury, it was a pact that neither an avalanche nor the cold hand of fate could ever break.

Tiny Stories: Remember The Grain (Revised)

Posted by Madd_Fictional on

Popular belief has it that the universe is comprised of atoms. In reality, the universe is actually made up of…

Valeria sat at the head of an opulent banquet table, her eyes gleaming at the culinary wonders that surrounded her. A dizzying array of meats—venison, beef, lamb—filled the air with their mouthwatering aroma. To any observer, it seemed like the epitome of a feast, a carnivorous heaven—all designed to celebrate Valeria’s notorious predilections.

Her hosts, wearing enigmatic smiles, stepped forward to offer her a dish swathed in gold leaf and encrusted with exotic spices. Yet Valeria hesitated, her eyes narrowing at the proffered plate. In a world where her carnivorous tastes were well-known and celebrated, her refusal shocked the room into a leaden silence.

It wasn’t that Valeria was averse to exotic fare. No, her palate was as adventurous as they came. But there was a very distinct, haunting reason behind her reluctance—a reason so repulsive and gut-wrenching that it defied polite explanation.

The meat on that gilded plate was human flesh.

She recognized its subtle but unmistakable grain, its texture, and smell, a scent forever imprinted on her memory like a brand. Years ago, a dreadful accident had occurred in her family’s home, a mishap that turned a sibling rivalry into a tragic horror. Her younger brother had become dinner, not out of design but due to a grotesque series of events that culminated in his unknowing preparation and serving.

That night had forever changed Valeria, transforming her not only into a carnivore of human flesh but also a prisoner of her own abhorrent knowledge. She had lived with the indelible stain of that memory, an internal scar that defied healing. And as her gaze met the eyes of her hosts, she knew they understood the monstrous dilemma that loomed before her—a silent acknowledgment of the darkest aspects of human desire and taboo.

The One Rule: A Story ReTold in Haiku

Posted by Madd_Fictional on

When I get bored, I experiment (hey, everyone’s gotta have a hobby) so I decided to take one of my Tiny Stories and tell it in a series of haikus. Let me know what you think (the actual story follows the haiku, for comparison).

Jenna's warning sounds,
Bernadette doubts its power,
Seduction awaits.

Eyes locked, Bryce's secret,
Svengali of enticement,
Web of seduction.

Bernadette's challenge,
Promising to stay untouched,
Ignoring warnings.

The office reveals,
A gnome-like man, quite ordinary,
Invisible allure.

Bernadette's gaze breaks,
Green eyes captivate her soul,
Fantasies take hold.

Consumed by desire,
Bryce seeks her essence true,
She willingly falls.

Original version:

“Before you step in there,” Jenna said, making sure to lock eyes with her friend. “I need to warn you about Bryce’s…ability.”

“Ability? C’mon, Jenn.” Bernadette hadn’t meant her tone to sound so dismissive but she had other more important matters on her mind at the moment.

“It’s uncanny, actually.”

“What are you even talking about?”

“Do you believe in the power of seduction?”

“Um, I believe that people who are seduced wanted to be seduced.”

“Well, you might want to rethink that.”

“Why? Because you think I’m going to walk in there and suddenly become enticed into taking a course of action counterproductive to my goals?”

“I’m not calling into question your intestinal fortitude, Bernie, it’s just that I’ve seen firsthand that man in action and I’m telling you Bryce has this weird Svengali innate ability to ensnare people into his web of seduction, women and men alike.”

“Hashtag challenge accepted. I think I’m going to be just fine.”

“Look, just do me a favor please, and gird your loins.”

“Gird my what? Did we just slip and accidentally fall into the Old Testament?”

“Promise me you’ll avoid eye contact.”

“What?”

“Train your eyes on the point just between his eyes and soften your focus.”

“Soften my—?”

“Promise me!”

“Okay, okay, I promise…gawd. You are so weird.”

“Good luck in there.”

The office was on the smallish side compared to the others Bernadette had seen in the building but the weight of a room had been dispersed equally as to lend an air of spaciousness. Bryce offered a smile as he gestured to the leather chair opposite him across the desk.

Bernadette, armed with her list of questions, took the seat and made the attempt to soften her focus and not make eye contact, but the truth of the matter was she wanted to look, to see what all the fuss was about.

And she wasn’t all that impressed.

Not that she considered herself a statuesque beauty by any stretch of the imagination, nor did she feel in a position to judge anyone’s appearance, but after all the send-up, Bryce MacDowell turned out to be a nebbishy gnome of a man. Frankly, he was quite ordinary enough in appearance to be considered invisible in modern-day society and any charisma granted to him likely wouldn’t have had the power to beguile even the weakest of minds.

The one rule in being granted the interview, not to look the man directly in the eye, Bernadette had broken that in less than a minute. And in even less time than that she found herself gazing into the most exhilarating green eyes in existence, eyes older, wiser, and more powerful than anything she had ever encountered or read about in her entire life. His plain forgettable face became an immaculate work of art that ran through every aspect of her mind. She was instantly and utterly consumed by fantasies of kissing his lips that seemed so tender, pink, and inviting, of running her fingers through the obsidian silk of his hair, of caressing his pearlescent alabaster skin, of letting him inside her, not physically, no, that would surely come later. She knew he truly wanted access to the core of her being. He wanted to absorb her very soul…

…and she was happy to let him.

Pavement Tales: An Unexpected Trip

Posted by Madd_Fictional on

I love to walk…and my mind hates being idle, so every now and then during my morning constitutional I create…

I’d like to tell you there’s no story today, chiefly because while I was out for my daily constitutional and my mind was idle, I took a detour down a very ordinary Memory Lane. But that wouldn’t be the complete truth, because nothing is ever really ‘ordinary’ in the realm of memories, is it?

Normally, I’m not the sentimental type who sifts through the sands of the past. But today was different. My mind wandered to old acquaintances—people who had evaporated from my life not through conflict but simply because adulthood pulled us into different orbits.

As I strolled deeper into this labyrinth of nostalgia, I felt an odd sensation—as if the memories themselves were alive, breathing, watching. A shiver ran down my spine, and for a moment, it was as if I had stepped into a different time, a different place. The memories grew vibrant, almost hyper-real. I could hear the laughter from a joke told years ago; I could feel the grip of a long-lost friend’s handshake.

And then something truly strange happened: a memory I didn’t recognize. Faces unfamiliar, voices I had never heard, all speaking in a language that sounded like distorted echoes. I felt disoriented, as though caught in a narrative that wasn’t my own. Did memories have memories? Were these intruders, or were they forgotten fragments of experiences so deeply buried they seemed alien?

It’s tempting to say that perhaps I stumbled upon a wormhole in my own neural pathways, a secret tunnel that connected me to alternate versions of my life—or even stranger realms. But, of course, that would be acknowledging that today’s not-story is a story, and we can’t have that, can we?

So, let’s agree that there was no story today. But still, be in good health, stay sane and safe. Keep your fingers crossed, but also keep your mind open; you never know what ‘unstories’ might unfold when you least expect them.

At Last, The Destination

Posted by Madd_Fictional on

Although the sun sat high in the midday sky, the figure who approached me was draped in a shadow so complete as to let no light escape the boundaries of its form. Its frame was crisp but the features blurred and I knew in that instant that none who lived was allowed to view its terrifying countenance.

“You have come for me?” I asked, my voice betraying the courage I strove to display.

“Come?” the figure said in a voice neither male nor female but not wholly unpleasant. “No, my dear, I am always present.”

“But you surely do not deny that you are the Grim Reaper?”

“The Reaper I am, yet not so grim. And I pose no danger to you for Death is not to blame for death. If it offers you some measure of comfort, think of me as the ultimate destination of your lifelong journey.”

The Reaper spoke without guile. Its words, a wave of tranquility, washed over me and suddenly I found myself in the embrace of a satisfaction I had never known in all my days. This newfound contentment was accompanied by the realization that I had overcome insurmountable obstacles and completed a near-impossible task, and as I accepted the Reaper’s hand, warm and soft to the touch, I slowly exhaled all the limitations of the physical world and welcomed the painless transition into the final stage of existence.

The Secret

Posted by Madd_Fictional on

The moment Lavelle stepped through the door, I realized something was wrong. He had just come home for winter recess, head shaved bald and immediately retreated into his room claiming to be exhausted from the trip. When he finally made an appearance at the dinner table, he asked if we could go shopping for some new clothes from the big and tall section. Lavelle, like the rest of my side of the family was thin and vertically challenged so when I questioned him he claimed “it’s the style now, you wouldn’t understand.” It was an obvious lie but I loved my son and went along with the deception.

While selecting stretch fabric shirts and elastic band pants that were several sizes too big for his wiry frame, Lavelle shyly asked if I could take him to see an animal therapist. I could have handled my initial response better but it was such a bizarre request that caught me out of left field. I began badgering him with questions and demanding answers until he broke down in tears and revealed that he had become a werewolf.

We did a joint counselling session with a therapist who took my son’s claim in stride. She gently suggested that Lavelle could only have true happiness if he found a way to be comfortable with his authentic self. Doing my part, I assured my son that I would continue to love and support him. I told the therapist that I was scared for him because I felt with all the torment he was experiencing by holding everything in and hiding the truth for so long, something would cause him to break and harm himself, the way some people do when they reach the final straw.

The odd thing about the whole situation was I was never afraid for my own life. I knew my son would never hurt me. And the only major adjustment I had to make was whenever he visited home during full moon periods, he tended to leave portions of his victims on my doorstep, the way house cats brought glory gifts to their owners when they killed mice, leaving me to dispose of the evidence and follow YouTube tutorials on “biohazard remediation,” but these were the things one does for love.

Busker For The Dead (Part 1)

Posted by Madd_Fictional on

I don’t have that look. Some people do, but I’m not so lucky. I don’t look like my profession. I’m a busker. Don’t laugh, it’s a living. Problem is, when you shut your eyes and picture a busker in your mind, be they small or tall, slight or portly, I will never fit the bill. I have the unfortunate appearance of someone whose job title is preceded by the word man. Milkman. Mailman. Garbageman. Just not a streetmusicman.

You may be asking why this is important. Fair enough question. When you’re panhandling for money—come on, let’s face facts, street performing is begging with a musical accompaniment—having the look of a starving artist plays as much a part in getting people to part with their hard-earned cash as talent.

“Oh, look at the poor wretch having to sing for his supper, let’s toss him a pittance, shall we, dear?”

Some of the others have nailed the look down from the hair that refuses to be tamed to the ragged clothes just over the borderline from being hip and trendy. Me? I look like a well-fed blue-collar worker trying out a new hobby. That’s why I have to work twice as hard to earn half as much as my compadres. My audiences tend to be tight-fisted, self-absorbed philistines that expect blood for the bits of copper they toss my way.

Oh, I should probably mention that I busk for the dead.

Not the kind of job you rush out and apply for. Me? I kinda just fell into it. Turns out a friend of a friend knew a guy who used to work for the cousin of a woman who lived next door to a guy who was complaining that his employee just up and quit on him. Seems he couldn’t handle the stress of performing in Perdition, which I can plainly understand now.

What? No, I’m very much alive, thanks for asking. My work ID acts as a sort of day pass and allows me to mull about in Hell without experiencing any of the torment and damnation. Kinda cool, but it takes some getting used to.

Although it’s a paying gig, it ain’t enough to cover rent and bills—minimum wage in Hell is murder, no pun intended, so I rely heavily on the gratuity chucked into my hat. And yes, the dead have real money. Don’t ask me how that works. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the day pass into Hell thing.

My spot is the corner of Abaddon and Wretchedness, and while a part of the overall design of Hell, it’s technically Limbo, the waiting area where souls are processed and dispatched according to assessment. And as time moves differently in Hell, the wait can be an extensive one, so you figure folks would jump at the chance to experience anything that takes their minds off the situation at hand. That is so not the case. When facing damnation, the furthest thing from their minds is to listen to anyone sing. This is made evident from the contents of my hat. Today’s take so far consists of three dollars and eighteen cents in coins, a stick of chewing gum, a balled-up snotty tissue, and a punch card from some boutique java spot with one punch away from receiving a free coffee. The coins stay in the hat, the gum in my mouth, the tissue—ick—in the trash, and the punch card in my pocket. I’m not one to go in for designer coffee but like The Police sang, “When the world is running down, you make the best of what’s still around.”

“Not what I expected,” a voice says from behind, nearly startling me out of my skin.

I turn to see a woman in her sixties, seventies, maybe—I’ve never been good at guestimating people’s ages—all done up as if for a night on the town. “You’re not the first person to say that.”

“And is it just me or is it chilly here?”

She was right, you’d figure being so close to Hell there’d be some sort of radiant heat, but there was a constant wind that blew shivers down the spine. “Not just you.”

“You’re not half bad, you know.” the woman said, looking into the hat. “You deserve more than that.”

I look up and down the avenue, We’re the only two people on the street at the moment. “It’s like they say, it all comes down to location, location, location.”

The woman opens her purse, a small clutch bag that’s a throwback to a classier time, and produces a two-dollar bill. “I’m afraid I’m not in the habit of carrying cash, so this is all I have.”

“It’s the biggest tip I’ve received in a long while.” I smile as she places the bill into the hat.

“Not that I’ll have much need for it anymore.”

“Not unless you were crossing the river Styx.”

“You mean the ferryman doesn’t accept the card?” the woman pulls out an obsidian credit card. “I was told never to leave home without it.”

It’s an outdated reference, but we both chuckle at it.

“If you’ll pardon the intrusion,” the woman asks. “How did it happen?”

“How did what happen?”

“How did you die? Peacefully, I hope.”

“Oh, no. I’m not dead, I just work here.” I show the woman my day pass.

“How interesting.” and she appears to actually find it interesting but her expression drops.

“What’s the matter?”

“It would be my luck that the first conversation I strike up in the afterlife would be with a living person. I was sort of hoping to find a travel companion for what lies ahead. I’ve always dreaded doing things by myself.”

“I’m not sure that’s how it works here. I think isolation is part of the torment process.” I realize what I’m saying just a smidgen too late to pull it back.

“Torment. I hadn’t considered that.”

“Sorry.”

“Not your fault. You’re not responsible for my sins.”

“I know I’ve just met you but it’s hard to believe you’d have anything to worry about.”

“Kind of you to say, but we’re all sinners in one fashion or another. I just wish there was a way for me to plead my case. I believe my sins were righteous.”

“You can always try.”

“No, no. I’ve never been good at that sort of thing.”

“Maybe if you practiced, rehearsed what you want to say? You can try it out on me and I’ll give you my honest feedback.”

“No, I couldn’t.”

“What have you got to lose? If you botch it up, you’re still being condemned anyway, at least this way you’ll have had your say.”

“Like my final words?”

“Exactly.”

She contemplates it long and hard. “All right then, if it wouldn’t be a bother.”

I gesture up and down the block. “Not like I’m doing anything else. Ready?”

“No, but go on.”

I straighten my posture and assume an authoritative voice. “You stand here accused of the sin of…”

“Murder,” she adds, sheepishly.

“Murder,” I repeat, stunned. “What say you in your defense?”

“I don’t deserve to be here. I was sent to the wrong place. I did what needed to be done, what no one else had the courage to do and now I’m being punished for my actions.”

“And whose life did you take?”

“My own.”

“Why?”

“Others would have died if I didn’t.”

Not The End…

Tiny Stories: The Million Dollar Choice

Posted by Madd_Fictional on

Popular belief has it that the universe is comprised of atoms. In reality, the universe is actually made up of…

The cloth bag placed over her head not only prevented her from seeing where she was being taken but also blocked out all sound. Erica had no idea technology like that even existed. When the bag was removed, she found herself seated in a small nondescript room with a high-end tripod-mounted camera trained on her.

On the table before her sat an open attache case filled with twelve stacks of $100 dollar bills, eighty-three used and non-sequential notes to a stack. Beside the case were two glasses of red wine, one untampered with and the other laced with a deadly toxin.

Erica heard about things like this, private rooms on the dark web where people with money, people to whom a million dollars wasn’t life-changing like it was for her, but merely pocket change, wagered on the lives of the desperate and destitute. There were Russian roulette rooms, perverse puzzle rooms, and deadly escape rooms. She had gotten off lucky, she supposed. Hers was a simple fifty-fifty choice.

If she chose correctly, Erica stood to walk away with enough tax-free money to pay off her debts and do things the right way this time around. The smart choice would have been to ignore the invitation in the first place and find some other way to repair her damaged life, but she was inflicted with a serious gambling disease, something she inherited from her mother, and the opportunity was simply too good to pass up.

The catch? She was a lousy gambler, notorious for making bad choices even when she second-guessed herself, and her fatal flaw was that she could never pass up a dare or a bet.

Erica wasn’t allowed to touch the glasses before making her choice, so her eyes darted left to right, from one to the other, looking for the slightest discoloration between the two, and she even sniffed the air above each glass, which was pointless. These people were professionals and whatever lethal venom they used was no doubt undetectable by sight or smell.

She had a feeling in her waters that the one on the left was the dead cert unpoisoned wine glass, but was it strategically placed just a half-inch closer to her to make her select it subconsciously? Then she opted for the one on the right but suspected she was outfoxing herself. Then there was the possibility that both glasses had been tampered with. No, she couldn’t allow herself to think that way. Morty, the guy who set up this bet, had always been a straight shooter. He looked out for her whenever he could. Even when you made a habit of dealing with less than reputable people, you had to place your trust in someone. So Erica girded her loins and went with her initial instinct.

Was it her overactive imagination playing tricks on her or did she feel a static shock of electricity as she lifted the glass on the left by the stem? She tilted the snifter slowly, praying to the gods of luck and good fortune, and the moment the chilled wine touched her trembling lips, she knew…