Tag: story

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 35: Eyes of the Galaxy

This is the 35th in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing. You can find out more about the challenge here.

Eyes of the Galaxy, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 5th January 2012

Word count: 964

Theme: fountain of youth, desperation, ageing, life

The story:

“So, the last ingredient is…” the man in the white coat said looking for a piece of paper.

“Ground diamond,” an old man said, reading the piece of paper.

“Oh there you are sir,” the white coat said, “I’m just putting the finishing touches to it, and then it can go in the machine.”

“Well since you’re on the last ingredient I guessed it’d be something like that, how long will it take though?”

“About an hour in the machine, and then an hour setting time.”

“Good, I have invested several fortunes in this for it go wrong, get it right, and get it right fast,” the old man said. The old man was in his nineties, Carl Anders, a renowned billionaire industrialist who had made a fortune during Earth’s early colonisation of Mars by buying up worthless pockets of land, and then spending money finding resources, or uses for the land. He was dying though, too long in space, too much time in early space transports that didn’t have adequate radiation protection.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 35: Eyes of the Galaxy”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 34: Dystopian Dreams of the Absent Minded Author

This is the 34th in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing. You can find out more about the challenge here.

Dystopian Dreams of the Absent Minded Author, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 3rd January 2012

Word count: 793

Theme: war, hopelessness, future, dystopia, desire, dreams

The story:

Humanity, the tiny blot on an otherwise pristine lifeless landscape of the universe, was growing ever larger. Though no destiny could ever bring a race such as humanity to rival in significance the awesome size of the universe, they were becoming noticeable.

Earth had quickly become a hard place to survive, once the planet went over the Green Cliff seas rising, depletion of fresh water wild food stocks started to be affected by the masses of extinctions. Land vanished, crops withered, disease ran rampant. Mankind had no choice but to look to the stars for salvation.

In the century following, a billion people left Earth, over a quarter of the world’s population abandoned the planet for better lives among the stars.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 34: Dystopian Dreams of the Absent Minded Author”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 33: Utopian Dreams of the Absent Minded Author

This is the 33rd in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing. You can find out more about the challenge here.

Utopian Dreams of the Absent Minded Author, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 3rd January 2012

Word count: 765

Theme: peace, desire, future, hope, utopia, dreams

The story:

It was early in the twenty third century that mankind finally found peace with itself. It was thanks to those early colonists, those pioneers of mankind, establishing worlds to settle on, a system of laws, a trade network they put resources in everyone’s reach.

However there was a creeping problem, stagnation. Birth and death rates were kept in balance by what was seen in the past as draconian birth control laws, which were now a fundamental necessity of life in limited sized colonies.

Technological development slowed as the need for a life of constant change subsided. With a stable population, for whom all the needs were met, empire building was no longer a priority, mankind stopped spreading.

It was peace, but towards the start of the twenty fourth century in the Alpha Centauri colony, there was the growing realisation of the looming stagnation. A small group gathered  to try to resolve the situation, how to stimulate the human race. There were many ideas, and a lot of resistance for every idea from the government of Alpha Centauri. The government saw only risk to every idea the group tried to present, and refused to be involved or provide resources.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 33: Utopian Dreams of the Absent Minded Author”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 32: The Tactic

This is the 32nd in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing. You can find out more about the challenge here.

The Tactic, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 1st January 2012

Word count: 578

Theme: war, counsel, peace, defend, priorities, compromise

The story:

“Do you believe in this?” the mercenary asked hefting an extremely large sword.

“Of course,” the monk said, “But it does not change my belief that violence is the wrong path.” The large mercenary was stood across an oval table opposite the monk, in the general’s tent. The other commanders and nobles, along with General Sals were watching the interchange with great interest.

“When the enemy is fool enough to present his neck, you do not hesitate, you act. The fastest way to your fabled peace is to end the enemy quickly, while you are strong and they have shown weakness,” the mercenary said matter of factly as he lowered his sword.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 32: The Tactic”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 31: Wolf Boy’s Vengeance

This is the 31st in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing. You can find out more about the challenge here.

Wolf Boy’s Vengeance, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 1st January 2012

Word count: 542

Theme: horror, supernatural, werewolf, get rich quick

The story:

“Transform damn it,” cursed a young boy tied up, he was about ten, skinny, malnourished .

“Aww, look the puppy is struggling,” laughed a young man, in his twenties, dressed in brown leathers and carrying a cross bow.

“Sheet,” another man said, dressed all in black, with black face paint on, “He don’t kna werewolves don change till full moon.”

“Keep an eye out,” the young man that had been laughing snapped. “These fuckers are always in a pack.”

The young boy was still struggling against his bonds.

The man dressed in black slipped into the shadows of the trees, the last sight of him was a glint from the large knife he’d pulled.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 31: Wolf Boy’s Vengeance”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 30: Shooting Stars

This is the 30th in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing. You can find out more about the challenge here.

Shooting Stars, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 31st December 2012

Word count: 602

Theme: holidays, disasters, time of your life, winning

The story:

Travel the world they said.

See amazing sights. Experience new things.

Yeah, right!

George was currently digging through a pile of mud looking for a key. It had been one disaster after another, repeatedly.

So far he’d been arrested in France, apparently he looked just like a French thief, it was two days, and heavy leaning by the consulate, before they were finally convinced his Britishness wasn’t feigned.

In Italy he’d tripped over a rug in Vatican city, knocking over a lamp in the process, which set fire to a wall hanging, which turned out to be three hundred and eight seven years old. Again, he was arrested, but finally they had to acknowledge that the cleaners hadn’t put the rug back properly the morning of the incident.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 30: Shooting Stars”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 29: Punched Drunk

This is the 29th in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing. You can find out more about the challenge here.

Punched Drunk, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 31st December 2012

Word count: 631

Theme: heroes gone bad, sports stars, drunks, shenanigans

The story:

“Duck, duck, dodge, pivot,” Harry Carlos called out.

The kid in the ring dropped his fists and walked towards the ring.

“This isn’t fighting old man,” he said, snottily. Just then his sparring partner hit him across the side of the head. Not so hard, but it sent the young man sprawling.  He jumped back up and tried to hit the sparring partner, repeatedly, and missed every time as the sparring partner ducked, and dodged it.

“This is fighting, punk,” the old man in question called up into the ring. “You’ve got a strong punch kid, but you’re not fast enough, and if you don’t learn to avoid punches, this will happen.”

“What?” the kid said turning, and then the sparring partner punched him again.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 29: Punched Drunk”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 28: Olympian’s Descent

This is the 28th in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing. You can find out more about the challenge here.

Olympian’s Descent, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 29th December 2012

Word count: 998

Theme: gods, myths, mystery, murder, politics

The story:

“So, you think someone is out to get us?” Zee asked his son Percy.

Percy slid into the comfy sofa in his father’s study, “I don’t know. Mortals couldn’t have discovered us, yet two of us are dead already.”

“Not one of the family, though” Zee asked concerned.

“Family or not, they were immortals. They descended right along with us,” Percy pointed out.

“They were minor immortals, and they died in accidents,” Zee said, “You know the rules of our descent, we won’t age, but we can die in every other way. That was the price we paid. I see nothing to be alarmed about, I’ll just add them to the family flier, those that knew them can mourn them.”

“Two accidents in one week? The first deaths in nearly two millennia?” Percy asked.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 28: Olympian’s Descent”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 27: Saviour’s End: Part One

This is the 27th in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing. You can find out more about the challenge here.

Saviour’s End: Part One, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 26th December 2012

Word count: 997

Theme: action, kids, protector, deceit, assassins, protection

The story:

Jackson wished he could leave him, just leave and never look back, but he couldn’t. He had made a promise, “Look after this man, with your life if you have to,” his father as he lay dying in a pool of his own blood.

Now he was shepherding the guy with no usable skills through London’s seedy underside. They couldn’t go to the authorities, they couldn’t rely on friends, only on each other – which amounted to only on Jackson.

Jackson spent the days searching for food, and drink, trying to survive, while he just sat there too out of it to be useful. Occasionally he would come round enough to cook what Jackson brought home, but it was rare.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 27: Saviour’s End: Part One”

Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 26: New Year Wash Out

This is the 25th in a series of 365 Flash Fiction stories I’m writing. You can find out more about the challenge here.

New Year Washout, by Jonathan L. Lawrence, 26th December 2012

Word count: 794

Theme: adventurous jobs, danger, extreme sport, will to survive, survivalist, new year’s eve

The story:

Carl Whitney dropped noisily into the drain. There were places he would much rather be, but this New Year’s eve he was needed here, no one wanted their New Year’s eve parties disputed by issue from a drain after all.

“Guys, it’s Carl, it’s only knee deep,” he reported over his walkie talkie as he splashed onwards looking for the supposed blockage.

“That’s the report of sector sixteen alpha fourteen,” came the reply, “Just keep looking it’s raining East of the city it’s going to be messy in the flow today.”

“Copy Michael,” Carl said resuming his search with his trusty torch.

Continue reading “Daily Flash Fiction Challenge 26: New Year Wash Out”