Inspiring Short Stories
Fiction vs Reality
His gaze fixed on me through a gap in the crowd. A man, dressed exactly like the murdering antagonist in my graphic novel, ‘Mad Dog Moller’—trademark sunglasses included. A chill ran down my spine. The cold air of the carriage caressed my skin, raising goosebumps on my arms. Bodies jolted, then settled. Repetitive beeps rang…
SUSPICIOUS INTENT
‘You were seen firing the murder weapon.’ Collin’s lips trembled as Detective Merryman invaded his personal space. ‘I know. But I don’t understand why I was there. One minute -’ ‘You were talking to some performer outside the theatre where you recently became a former employee at the hands of the deceased,’ interrupted Merryman. ‘You…
Weeding out the Truth
Antonio lifted a fist near his face and gestured angrily toward Maria. His ball and socket joints groaned in protest as he shook it back and forth. ‘You interrupt my tomato watering, for what? A stupid locket!’ ‘You know it is precious to me.’ ‘My tomatoes are precious to me. I water them at the…
The Test
Peggy distinguished a singular white fingerprint from within the black phone screen. ‘A singular, slightly smudged fingerprint. It suggests one person has used this phone and used one finger to touch the screen.’ ‘Impossible,’ called out Shanny Eyewitness. ‘Nothing is beyond possibility, Miss Eyewitness,’ replied Inspector Snoutwhiffer, who followed his words by pressing his pointer…
ATONEMENT
‘We must make it right?’ Horris’s lip twitched. ‘The Shadow Man’s guarding the Deli door,’ Slugga replied, his voice quivering. ‘His spooky eyes may not see us, but he has ears like a Bat. A nose like a hound dog. He’ll hear my squeaky shoes a mile off.’ ‘And smell your horrible breath. We’ll cut…
ALYSTAIR’S CHAIR
‘Three-hundred-year-old tapestries. Five-hundred-year-old medieval weaponry. Not even a glance. But this?’ Fredrick’s voice was exceedingly loud. Not that William could hear him. His jaw movements and the urgency in his signing gave it away. Wearing the overpriced headphones, like their classmates who wandered the museum with the narrator waffling in his ear, did not help.…
Short Story: ENCRYPTED MESSAGE
A minute! That is all it took for the culprit to execute their criminal act. Twenty-two anxious pairs of eyes saw my expression when I discovered the delinquent act. Their mouths were open, heads turning in unison like a pack of sideshow clown heads, attempting to mask their emotions and bluff my intuition. …
Short Story: The Memory Tree
All Janet wanted was for her father to remember who she was. Ten years she had spent searching for what could cure her father’s dementia. It was a tip from her friend, Monica, that led her to Shung Chi Chen’s ‘Mystical Wonders’ store. There she stood, waiting, breathing in the aromas of burning incense,…
The Silhouette Man
‘One item?’ ‘Quite peculiar, don’t you think?’ Click! Through the blinds of the apartment opposite Gemma and Grace, the silhouette of a man snapped a suitcase shut. The noise swirled in the breeze from his apartment to where the girls spied on him. ‘The third time this week,’ said Gemma. …
Short Story: The Author’s Attic
Why did I agree to this dare? Was it the mystery, the rumours, or its intriguing backstory behind this famous house? Creak! Creak! Creak! The prolonged, piercing racket swirled in the spine-chilling breeze each occasion my foot touched the weathered, fragile, moss-covered deck. I studied every inch of the outer structure of the mysterious…
Short Story: THE PSYCHIC’S RIDDLE
‘Why would a psychic send me here?’ I scratched my head, my face scrunched at the stench of a muddy trail at the border of Romeo’s Labyrinth, a piece of paper flapping in my hand. ‘And give me this riddle? I wanted answers about my wife, not some treasure hunt.’ I…
Short Story: The Connection Tree
White light flashed through the window, briefly brightening an otherwise gloomy room. Crack! Boom! Growl! The structure of the house shook at the vibration of the rumbling bellow from the sky. Nick did not flinch. His attention transfixed on his mother, bedridden, under the coverage of 3 thick blankets. ‘Not long now!’ …
Short Story: Right Turn
‘How could you be so stupid, Fredrick?’ ‘The Sat Nav told me to turn left.’ ‘And you listened to it. Don’t blame others for your stupidity Fredrick.’ The same conversation had polluted the car with negativity for the last 45 minutes. Fredrick wanted her to stop, but he knew her too well. ‘Now we are…
Short Story: Last Call
Footsteps crunched along the gravelled path towards an old red telephone box. Then they stopped. Hopper hesitated, horrified by the news he had foreseen. He hated his gift. It had haunted him for years. However, this vision rocked him to his core. His stomach churned, his legs heavy as led, and his hands juggled a…
Short Story: One and Only
Three spare seats accompanied Peter at the Art table. His first day in a new school. The vacant chairs summed up his first day – Lonely. No one acknowledged his existence during homeroom. Mr. Dinglebuck mispronounced his name in English class, and the canteen had messed up his order. How could someone get a pie…
SHORT STORY: The Forgetful
A bicycle bell chimed in the distance, jolting Jarrad awake. His body wriggled in the sand, as his eyes adjusted to the evolving, crimson rays of the morning light. Nearby was a lake, bordered by a public path, lush parkland, and extravagant housing. Jarrad knew the place, but why was he there? Something scratched…
SHORT STORY: What Lurks in the Deep
‘Really got yourself in a pickle this time.’ Silence. Dan could not believe it. Not again. ‘I thought you were over this obsession?’ Brett shivered. His wet clothes stuck to his skin, and the wound on his leg throbbed. Dan offered Brett his jacket. He declined. ‘Things didn’t go to plan, alright?’ ‘They never do.…
Short Story: PERSPECTIVE
Shorefronts faded from view as a sprinkle of water sprayed from the ocean and onto Marcas’s arm. He didn’t flinch, his mind distracted by two objects – a stamped, unopened envelope flapping around in his left hand, and a pair of shoes tied to the edge of the rail at the stern of the boat. ‘You care for a slice of…
Short Story: Fatal Sandwich
‘Brad broke up with me.’ Gemma expected her two friends to overreact. They didn’t disappoint. Domino, Ellie’s cat, jumped across the coffee table and onto Gemma’s lap. His paws wrapped around her left leg and gently massaged her skin. ‘Crappy excuse no doubt?’ Brenda never held back. ‘Give you at least…
Short Story: STRATEGY
Jagged rays of sunlight slip through the cracks in the blinds as a magpie squawks its harmonious melody outside our bedroom window. The challenge begins. I rarely win, mostly due to strong resistance from my challenger. I enjoy the contest. If successful, the fruits of victory are extremely satisfying. Two ridges lay under…
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Ben Princi 