by Annie Bien Artha’s feet sank into sand, the tide swept waves forward, ocean swarmed his legs, stung his ankle wounds. He cringed, dreading the whip, shouts, lacerations. He sank torso deep. Stay still. No more fire, collapsing wood, temple crashing, shouts, running, no darted thigh, falling. He remembered the boy blowing into his trunk, whispering: “No more whips, marigold 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.
Baby Elephant
by Farhana Khalique Baby Elephant is trying to sit in my lap again. I groan and uncross my legs and she half rests, watching me. I run my hands over her parchment skin, a palimpsest of grey. Her watermelon head is as hot as desire. I tickle her parachute ears. We sit like this on the shadowed plains of my Read More
Higher
by Stella B. James We used to swing here all the time, remember? I’ve forgotten many things with each passing year, but the image of my feet kissing the sky as my stomach fluttered with excitement remains as fresh as if I were fourteen again. “Push me higher!” I’d call out. I can almost feel your hands on my back, Read More
What Is Left
by Amy Barnes I held her in my hand, a childhood Stuckey’s souvenir that began life nestled next to tooth-destroying sweet divinity and pecan logs and shot glasses with state names on them. Each thing chosen to be found during a spontaneous safari hunt through sweets and cheap trinkets. She was sculpted to attract kids stopping for a clean cross Read More
The Small Smooth Stone
by John Homan For many years a small smooth stone lay on a roadside next to a desert highway coming down a mountain. It was an attractive smooth bluish grey stone with interesting black lines and flecks of quartz that made it sparkle. It was both flat and rounded at the same time. It was the sort of stone you Read More
Collect
“That’s a conch from Turks and Caicos,” says James. “The red one’s a dried starfish from St. Thomas. Ah, and that one was a hermit crab. We watched it drop this one and move into a new home.” “Wow, James. What a cool bunch of shells.” Elfred puts the conch down. “What made you keep them all?” “Well, most of Read More
Elephants Never Conjugate
by Landon Knepp Babosa whooshed past on his customized rollerblades. “Yo patinar!” he shouted, a pugnacious smirk underneath his trunk. “It’s patino, you little jerk!” Elbert replied from his perch. The highly-educated toucan could not abide self-satisfaction derived from half-assed research. Babosa turned and came back for another pass. “Muy patinar!” Elbert fought the urge to pull out his feathers. Read More
Soup / Sopa
by Édgar Omar Avilés (translated by Toshiya Kamei) “This quail tastes great!” “Quail? It’s mushroom soup, Marcos…” “The ones I brought back from Oaxaca? They are not mushrooms!” “Well, they must be very good. You asked for another plate a while ago.” “This is my second plate, Rebeca!” “No, it’s your third, honey… Hey, what do you know! Sofía got Read More
Melodental
by Édgar Omar Avilés (translated by Toshiya Kamei) A man was cleaning his mouth. That morning he was brushing his teeth with such mastery that he began to create sublime music. All of a sudden the doors and windows of his house broke: he realized right away that he stood in front of three taxmen, seven extraterrestrials, two gods, a Read More
Exist
Dear Luke, Sunset turned the cove into gold this evening, and I thought of you. I know you must hate me. And I don’t mean to open old wounds by writing. But stepping out the door, my heart exclaimed, “I wish Luke were here to see this!” Yet, even as longing filled me, I remembered your voice, telling me the Read More