Flash Fiction: fiction of a type characterized by being very short, typically consisting of only a few hundred words.

Oh how I wish I was wired this way. I envy people who are able to take a prompt and just GO. But alas, the whole concept of flash fiction boggles my mind. Even now after staring down *cough* a dozen prompts, I can’t wrap my head around it. You want me to write a complete story in 600 words? Me? You must be out of your dang mind. I’m over here trying to figure out how to scrap 30,000 words from a 130,000 manuscript. I don’t do short.

Now, I’ve been told repeatedly that it is still a great exercise, a way to learn to be concise. Okay, obviously I could use said practice given I have 30,000 words I need to make disappear. But, what if all the words matter? What if it’s just the story? And again, how on earth do you put a complete concept into so few lines?

But there are people who do it. People who do it really well. As a matter of fact, my writing buddy and good friend M. L. Eaden is GREAT at this. Let’s just go ahead and call this post a tribute to her awesomeness. Don’t believe me? Check her out. She does a Flash Fiction post every Saturday and if you’re lucky, a bonus on Wednesday. Click here for awesome.

Anyway, she’s the best and she challenges me which is why in honor of this super impossible task, I give you…..(drum roll please)…… A Flash Fiction!

Prompt: Write a 50 word story in the magical realism genre. It’s about an immunologist and should include a flag. Also use the sentence ‘Aren’t you afraid?’ Bonus prompt: Your character is fearless to the point of stupidity.

One Shot

The pistol gleamed brightly. “Aren’t you afraid?” Many had died to get to the secret lab. Scientists were weak. The soldier snatched the syringe from the counter and jabbed it in his arm.
The immunologist set down the white flag. “No. I know what was in the syringe.”