August's Story - Very Short Stories by Alexis Lantgen

Very Short Stories

by Alexis Lantgen

One of the things I enjoy most on Twitter is writing very short stories, or vss. There are tons of great hashtags to give you prompts, including #vss365, #SciFiFri, #SciFanSat, and #Satsplat. For someone who’s busy or a bit overwhelmed but still wants to write, these hashtags are a great way to write and be creative in tiny bursts throughout the week. I don’t always have the time or energy to sit down and write a thousand words on my next novel, but these I can do! I also love that the nature of Twitter forces a writer to be economical with their words and convey a lot of story, character, and emotion in such a short space. Here are seven of my recent very short stories--I hope you enjoy them! - A.L.

STRAY ROCK

The announcement read, just a stray rock from another solar system--ordinary debris. But Zoe could hear the signals, the strange voices echoing in her head. They sang of ancient galaxies and peace. She could join them, and all she has to do is upload their code.

QUEEN OF DIRT

There is always a Queen of beggars. This one’s eyes and hair are dirty white, like snow that’s been trod on too much. But she could see beyond, and some said she could slip into the other world, the one behind the bricks and concrete, where ancient trees still grew.

RIVER

The river churned beneath their tiny boat, threatening.

"Focus. Your intent must be pure, your heart soft as the water, or the river won't listen to you."

Ryka closed her eyes. The river spoke to her of cool, flowing peace. She guided the boat along its banks.

LIBRARY

The Roswell Library was probably the safest place a frightened, lonely, or bullied kid could find. Rumor had it a football player had once bloodied a bookworm's nose in the stacks, so sweet Mrs. Pye had sacrificed him to dark forces to protect the library forevermore.

SURPRISE

"Surprise! Boris Johnson is the Prime Minister of Great Britain!

Next up: Rosanne Barr becomes the first female president of the United States!"

"Hilarious joke, sir! The Earthlings won't know what hit 'em."

FLY

It takes skill to fly the winds of time, child. Time is not a straight line, it's powerful currents that swirl into maelstroms around critical events. If you're not careful, you'll get sucked in, a part of the storm forever. I was marooned here in 1942.

THE DARK

Greasy, matted hair fell across her face. She brushed it away. How long had she been in the dark, filthy? Months? A year? She couldn't even tell day from night.

You'll die here, a voice whispered. I can help.

How?

A small thing, a soul. Renounce it. 

Author Bio: Alexis Lantgen is a writer, teacher, and classical musician. She loves Renaissance Faires and all things science fiction and fantasy. Her short stories have appeared in Kzine, the Gallery of Curiosities, Phantaxis, Red Sun Magazine, and Swords and Sorcery Magazine, and she’s had nonfiction articles in Renaissance Magazine. Alexis collected many of her science fiction stories into her first book, Sapience, and many of her fantasy stories into her newest book, Saints and Curses. Alexis is on twitter @TheWiseSerpent and has been spotted once in a blue moon on Instagram, @LunarianPress. She lives with her husband, her spirited six-year-old daughter, her toddler son, and two very patient cats in Texas. You can find her website here.