I sit chained, both literally and figuratively, a cage and my own reluctance restraining me. The square-jawed thug leans forward, menacing me with his wrinkled suit and five o’clock shadow. “Look, we knows ya got an in to da PD. All ya gotta do is feed dem a little…” he slows for effect, “misinformation, shall we say.” A smile twists Read More
Category: Trunkated Tales
Trunkated tales demonstrate uncommon pachyderm proverbs that begin with “elephants never…” Each flash fiction tale features at least one elephant in a strikingly human situation. Most tales also occur in a world similar to our own, with the obvious exception of talking pachyderms having a prominent place in human society. Otherwise, trunkated tales create their own realities.
Jet
The engines powered up with a tusk-rattling THRUM, and Erskine grinned, despite himself. The sound was music to his big ears. He heard no whine of whistling air, no rising pitch as massive fans got up to speed. Instead, Erskine’s antigrav thrusters gave off a solid, sci-fi hum that vibrated the whole craft and sounded like power. Cycling through his Read More
Baguette
“What?” trumpeted Phoebe. “You want to offer baguettes? Elephants never baguette.” “Look Phoebe, it’s nothing personal,” said Bradley. “I just think we could use a little more variety, that’s all.” “Variety? We offer four kinds of naan, three styles of dosa, Greek pitas, and even some flour tortillas for the burrito lovers.” “Okay, fine,” replied Bradley, “but where’s the crusty Read More
Omit
A crash of ceramic on tile silences a giggling classroom. Quickly, a slurry of voices rushes in to fill the quiet. “DeAndre, you broke the mug!” “Nuh-uh, Pierre threw it bad!” “I told you I can’t throw well with my trunk.” “Can we fix it?” “Uh, no. Guys, what do we do?” “Quick, hide it.” “No way, you know Ms. Boudreau Read More
Vet
“What? A retraction?” “Yes, ma’am, we need to publish a retraction for the Democrats Collude with Korea piece.” “Eddie, I sincerely hope you’re joking. That article just topped our ‘Most Read’ list for the week!” “Well, it has, uh, come to my attention that the facts of the article may, um, lack a basis in reality.” “‘Dear Mr. Lephant… rumor-mongering Read More
Bet
The dusty street has gone quiet, but Phaneuf knows the fight isn’t over. Only five bodies litter the sidewalk boards, the street, and the saloon’s balcony. Five bodies, when she knows that six outlaws make up Cleef’s band. There’s one more gunslinger. Glancing around, Phaneuf sees no one else and decides it’s safe to reload. She flips her gun open and Read More
Emit
Wesley had to hand it to them. They had really built an impressive factory. Leed-certified, ESG-driven, the building even blended into the surrounding landscape in a way that Frank Lloyd Wright would have envied. It should not have surprised him, though. After all, the paper-maker created products using 100% natural, recycled materials. Everywhere Wesley looked, he saw the local workers smiling Read More
Resent
“Alright, I got one,” slurred Don from the head of the table, prompting eye rolls. “How do you shoot a blue elephant?” Edna’s trunk froze halfway to her mouth, salad tumbling onto the tablecloth. She looked down to see how much skin she had visible, and then immediately hated herself for doing so. “With a blue elephant gun!” chortled Don, Read More
Forecast
“As you can see from our second quarter numbers, our growth profile has remained steady over the last two fiscal years. We’re well ahead of our competitors and compare favorably to similar businesses in other industries. We’re a solid bet, and this planned expansion will put us over the top. Phrederick, why don’t you show them the projections.” “Um, yes, Read More
Format
Shani sighed and looked at the clock: 4:12 PM. Okay. Time to bear down and make the magic happen. For good measure, she made a face at Pariyat’s gray, retreating back. Then Shani opened the file that she needed to format. Flipping through the slides, she started comparing what she saw with the list of edits in Pariyat’s email. After about Read More