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The World S Shortest Stories PDF
The World S Shortest Stories PDF
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* * *
Murier. Leve. Herrer. Sus,ense.
All this and much more in the most
amazing short stories ever written-
each one just 55 words long!
RUNN I NG PRE SS
P H IL AD ELPHIA • LONDON
© 1998, 1995 by SLev<:: Moss
ThiJ book may not be reprodwd in 11tolc or in pari, in any jrmn or by any means, electronic For my jathe~
or mrdxmica!, indudingphotocoppng, recording, or by an)' infomtation stomge and retrinldl
J)'Jtmt flOP.' Jmo)Jin or hereafter iYFJJmted, without writtm permiJJion fivm the pubhilxr. Harry Waltet Moss)
9 8 7 6 5
a man of many words who
Digit on rhe right indicates the number of rhis priming would nevertheless have
Library of Congress Cacaloging-in-Publicarion Number 97-66805 enjoyed this book.
ISBN 0-7624-0300-4
of 1987, ir was a gamble. I wasn't really sure writers could pull it off.
Admittedly, most stories sent ro us that year weren't very good, but
every now and then a riny gem would shihc up from the typewritten
page, submitted by someone who truly understood the genre. I've often
tried explaining these 55-word creations co people, but most of them
think I'm crazy. Now I have rhis book to show them, a collection culled
from the cop stories sem ro us over the years.
I NTRODUCTIO N If you've already glanced through these pages, you know what I'm
talking about. You've probably also noticed that many stories have
something in common besides their stingy word count: the surprise
6
7
The World 's Shorte;;;t Stories
Introduction
Bur maybe not. Some vvho've taken the Fifty-Five Fiction chal- Bur would Linus have. been satisfied after reading a Fifty-Five
lenge have later said chat the discipLne of making every word counr Fiction story? Does such a stingy word counr allow for a really satisfy-
easily transferred to their longer works, and char this righrly focused ing read? You already know what I think.
exercise in literary minirnalism ultimatdy hdpcd them write more As James Thomas-whose srories had a limit of 750 words-said
judicious longer prose. in rhe introduction to his "Flash Fiction" an thology (W W Narron
That's why Fifty-Five Fiction shouldn't be viewed as little more & Co.), "Like all fiction that matters, their success depends nor on their
chan shorr-attention-span fiction for the MTV generation. Instead, it's length, bur on their depth, their clarity of vision, their human signifi-
become a jumping-off point for new fiction writers testing the wacers cance-the extenr to which the reader can recognize in. chem rhe real ·
of their imagmations when the water (not to mencion that empty page stuff of real life."
in from of them) seems vast and iruimidacing. Many who began wrir- I don't rhink I could say it any better.
mg Fifty-Five Fiction have gone on to successfully tackle much longer All I know ts that Fifty-Five Ftction writers say ir shorter.
srories. I'd like to think at least one of them is now finishing up a first
novel-and that it's 555 pages long. Sreve Moss
The challenge of Fifty-Five Fiction can be daunting. Paring plot San Luis Obispo, CA
and narrative down co their utter essences and thinking hard abour 1995
each word and judging irs appropriateness are pan of rhe Fifty-Five
Fiction process. ft's difficult to describe to non-writers rhe imdlecrual
joy of the eHort, the emotional rush of creating something small, orderly,
and beautiful out of absolurely nothing.
Vlhen 0. Henry finished writing ''The Gift of the Magi," he must
have fdt something similar. No doubt H. H. Munro did, roo, when he
completed his cla.1sic mini-story, "The Open Window:"
One thing I didn't expect was thar wriring instructOrs would rake
a fancy to Fifty-Five Fiction. Bm rhey have. I've received letters of
praise- and hundreds of student samples- from both high school and
college teachers who've been using ir regularly and enthusiastically over
the years. One creativc-\ovriring teacher put it this v.ray: "The srudcms
have learned word economy, editing skills, and rhe basic essentials of the
short story in a very simple and easy-co-cake manner. And to cop it off,
ir was fun."
8 9
1V i tl1
Ivlu:cde :c
in Ivlind.
* * *
With Murder in Mind
BEDTIME STORY
i
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"C .
areful, hon_e)~ it's loaded:" he said,
re-entering the bedroon1. -~,.
. I
Her back rested against the headboard.
..
: :J ,
"This for vour
I
vvife?"
'~No. Too chancy I'rn .hii-ing a
professional."
"How about me?"
He sn1irked. "Cute. But. who'd be
dumb enough to hire a lady )1it rnan?"
She \Vet her lips, sighting along
the barrel.
"Your \vife."
JEFFREY WHITMOR E
·' ........ . , . .
"
.: .•,... . ;!
13
• • •• • • .. ~:-. ·:.. ., : ...... - • :. : ~-- J',.
With Murder in Mind
The World's Shortest Stories
1~
14
Th e World's Shor t e st Stori es
basen1en~n1aybe?
What's that?
Dusk arrives. She's earlv j
BRU CE H ARMOR
16
The World's Shortest Storie s
With Murder in Mind
'{;{;6man,'.'sir."
JoE HUI3JHL L
18
19
With Murder in Mind
DE ATH IN THE
AFTERNOON
"C .
orne out from behind the u-.ee:
Louie, so I can spray your brains all over."
"You don'c _have the guts to pull
the trigger."
· ''I've got 1nore guts than you're gonna
have brains.''
"You've got peanuts for brains, Toni' ···
Bang/
".. . and anothcr.I"
Bang/
"Louis! Tony! Supper!"
"Co1n1n,
. 'Mom.I"
21
1\ , 1· , 1 1, c~ 1\ N Y c ) N
SORR Y l ASKED
beneficiary shoved.
.I
CURT H OMAN
22
23
The Wor l d~ Sh orte st Stories
OU T O F T HE Foe .
24
The World~ Sho~test Storie s With Mur der in Mind
R ain obscured the Georgia country "Y ou needn't look so s1nug, Watson."
road. Jody, driving a stolen truck, braked "Sorry, Holmes. It's just that I believe
suddenly for a \Vhite-unifornled hitchl1iker you're finally stun1ped. You'll never unravel
vvho clin1bed into che cab gasping, "My car this crime."
broke do-vvn!" Hohnes stood up and gestured
. ·"You a doctorF en1phaticaUy wit.b the stem of his pipe.
"Right." 'Tm afraid you're wrong. I do kno\v
"The asylurn?" asked criminally insane \vho killed Mrs. Worthington."
Jody; who'd just fled from there. "Incredible! No witnesses! No clues!
''Yes:" hed murderous William, who'd Who did it?"
just escaped from prison. "I did, Watson."
;.1: ...
TOM FoRD
26 27
With hlurder in Mind
I ·N T 0 T f-I E N I G· H T
29
~~~----------------~---- ---
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30 31
The World's Short e st Stories
FINAL WITNESS
32
The World's Shortest Stories With Murder in Mind
"Y ou stuck hin1 good, Zack Right ' t e crazed ax-murderer approached
betvveen the ribs. Beautiful." Bobbv
. shifted.
/ ' ' the house. Having ravaged the entire
vv.incing as the handcuffs pinched. neighborhood, his sack of booty was
"vVhaddy 1nean, I stuck hin1?" grunted almost full.
Zack, his knees pressed against the cage. "I Alone inside, the old woman sat
tried to stopyou!" knitting. The Inurderer raised his 'blood-
w\Vh,z vou filrhv liar-"
J ; .,' ./ stained ax and rang the porch doorbell.
The officer peered into his rear-vie\v Slovvly, she opened the door and peered
tnirror. "Hev; pal, \Vho you talkin' to into his face.
. ' '
back there?" "Tr·ick or treat!" the little boy shouted.
MIKE PHILLIPS '
DIANE ELLIOT T
34 35
With Mu~de~ in ~ind
' l'}
..•. .·.
·.,
. .
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.
. ... ~.;;.# '.
'
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R oADI<- I LL
,
1.atcr.
"For sure!"
'3 7
•
The World's Shortest Stories .~
With ·Murder in Mind
I
ON T H E Bus
38 39
..
The World's Short est Storie.s
M AR THA J ARA
40
The World's Shortest Sto:ries With Murder in Mind
42 43
With Murder in Mind
45
The World's Shortest Stories With Murder in Mind
"You sure thev're here?'' corridors where, too often, I see the black
i
I·
A man's voice ans·wered. cowl and scythe of my own reflection.
"No ... but vou
.:
are." CU RT HO MAN
46 47
The World's Shortest Stories
BLOOD SURE
JoE HUBBELL
48
The \'i'orld's Shortest Stories With Murder in Mind
police1nen considered the body spra\vled "E ight stab vvounds, eight corpses, zero
. in the pool of blood. dues," sighed the inspector, driving
"Henry, no," squawked the bird. through the night rain. "He's neat,
One officer vvalked to the desk and I efficient."
gla.hced at the dead n1an's appointn1enr The criminologist polished his glasses.
. 1 d "9 30 . ,,
book . "$,I ,pC' .<I'"
1) enc1rc e _·:. i\.1\!f. "Yes. Also slight, lefr-handed, 1nyopic.
"Henry-don't/" shrieked the parrot. Loves Beethoven. And I kno\v his
"So ho\iV n1any Henrys this guy knmv?" \vhereabouts."
"Just one." Screech of brakes.
Sco r r D. SHAW
"Where?" cried the inspector.
I- "Here," said the other, grinning hugely
as he slainmed h01ne the blade.
50 51
The World's Shortest Stories
I
52
The World's Shortest Stories
O N THE R EBOUND
"\1 T
VVhy?"
' It's over: Angela. Done."
"Bur I need you!"
"Needed 111e," George corrected.
'Tll die without vou'"
j
54
!
The World's Shortest Stories
THE AFFAIR
I N TI-1E GARDEN
57
56
Yes, Love Happens
TH E DREAM
SHER EE PELLEME I E R
59
The World's Shortest Stol'ies Yes, Love Happens
-
he phone rang again. She closed her He cmcrcd sheepishly and knelt at his
eyes and sighed. vvife's bedside.
Part of her \Vanted to give in to his "Priscilla, dearest, she meant nothing to
adulterous fantasy She t\visted the gold n1e! Can you ever forgive me?"
ring on her finger and looked at the clock. She vvas flushed. "Yes, John. Love is
Bob vvouldn't be home until eleven. She forgiveness."
slowly picked up the receiver. 1\ngel!" He kissed her forehead,
"Once," she said to hin1. "But never grabbed his n1usket, and left, slamtning xhe
. "
again. front door.
D AVTD DEVos
Priscilla leaned over the bed's edge to
peer beneath.
".Nliles," she beckoned.
CURT HOMAN
60 61
The World~ Shortest Storie s
THE S A LON VI S I T
";\
f i n}'¥lay," the \Voman in the chair
continued, "his vvife's sogullible/ Bill
alvvays says he)s going bowling; she ahvays
believes hin1!"
The beautician sn11led. "My husband
William loves bo\vling.)>
Never used to ... Goes all the time now ...
She paused, frovvning.
Then a slow, bitter smile emerged.
"Let's start on your perm. You're gonna
look unforgettable."
.:.-·... ELT:!.ABETH Et.:LA
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. Yes, Love Happens
The World's Shortest Stories
I
I
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LoUNGE ANGEL
i
leaving.
He called vvork
Quit.
And follovved her into the night.
RUSTY EV.--\NS
65
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Yes, Love Happens
WERLING
G L F. N ST :\ R K E"Y
67
Yes, Love Happ ens
Tl:le World's Shortest Stories
H is love had gone In despair, he flung H e'd known h er since she was very
himself off che Golden Gate Bridge. young. She \.Vas the tnost beaut1~:pl girl in
Coincidentally; a fe\V yards away a girl rhc -vvorld., and he loved her deeply. Ac one
made her o\v n suicide plunge. cirne he had been her idol. Nov1 he vvas
The two passed in rnidair. losing her to another 1nan.
Their eves n1et. Eyes glistening, he kissed her cheek
I
69
68
The Woxld's Shortest Stories
.
Mom. 76 and alone. suddenly decided
; ' ./
ANNE G. PHILLIPS
70
Yes, Love Happens
The World's Shortest Stories
"H.1, guys.!"
The bachelor party could begin.
RENDEZVOUS
he phone rang.
"Hello," she whispered.
"Victoria, it's me. Meet me by the dock
at midnight."
''I'll be there, sweetheart."
'And don't forget the bubbly; babe,"
he said.
"I won't, darling. I want you tonight."
"I can't wait!" he said, and hung up.
She sighed, then smiled.
"I wonder who that was," she said.
NI C HOLE WEDDLE
75
Yes, Love Happens
The World's Shortest Stories
THE DANCE
LIIZE Two SHIPS
77
76
The World's Shortest Stories
MASTER THIEF
- ·-_<:..,.
78
Yes, Love Happ e ns
The World's Shortest Stories
JUST DESSERT S
WINDS OF CHANGE
I
81
80
The World's Shortest Stories Yes, Love Happens
D. BooN
82 83
Yes, Love Happens
LOVE
85
Yes, Love Happens
The World's Shortest Stories
86 87
The World's Shortest Stories
Yes, Love Happens
A second night that week they pushed She could alm~st hear the pri..<;Qn door
their carts into opposite ends of the "Chips clanging shut.
and Dips" aisle. Freedom would be gone forever, control
As they neared, their prepared conver- of her own destiny gone, never to return.
sational gambits dissolved into mutual Wild thoughts of flight flashed through
diffidence. her mind. But she knew there was no
He pretended interest in chips; she escape . .
feigned absorption in dips. She turned to the groom with a smile
· They passed in silence. and repeated the words, "I do."
Glancing over their shoulders, both
TINA MILBURN
thought hopelessly: Next week,
"Vegetables."
CURT HOMAN
88
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The World's Shortest Stories Yes, Love Happens
SCHATCHEN l(IM
"I . can find my own dates," Aaron Our first-grade class raced across the
remembered saying. grassy field during recess. I(im with the
Playing matchmaker had been his pretty smile and the golden ponytail and I
mother's only fault. He winced now as dirt were fast.
hit her coffin. Once we raced across her yard. I don't
--Mos that beautiful redhead ... afriend remember who won.
ofMoms? I<im died a few years later of some
Tess would have come to the funeral disease that I couldn't pronounce.
even without the promise she'd made to I run with Kim, even now.
the dying woman she'd nursed during her RoBERT M. DoMINGUEZ
final days.
~; ..,. ... ANNETTE AMIR
90 91
The W9rld's Shortest Stories
Now
R AE SILVE R
92
The World's Shortest Stories Yes, Love Happens
Ro ss P A R S ON S
94 95
The World's Shortest Stories Yes, Love Happens
96 97
- - --- - - - - -
Yes, Love Happens
·.
FIRST ENCOUNTER
•'
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.,. ~
1 '
~.~]1
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She had reservations. Lots of them
She thought the personal ads were for
losers. But she was terribly lonely and
maybe, just maybe ...
She placed the ad. The most promising
answer arrived early. And now, here she
was, waiting at the restaurant for a
stranger with a rose in his lapel.
"Daddy? Is that you?"
ARTHUR L. WILLARD
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The World's Shortest Stories
FAST TALI(ER
"-c'
1--.ifty-five," she whispered to him.
"Fifty-five miles per hour?"
"No, words/ That's all we've got/ Hurry!
Please/"
Perspiration trickled down his neck; he
u
('\ _L
0
-
J..~e e _L
0
stepped harder on the accelerator.
"But ... there's so much I want to tell
of~ tl1.e
you! So much that hasn't been said!"
"Ten," she murmured.
City·
J.en.?"
"'""1:
"Six."
* * *
"Will you marry me?"
1es.I,
"\J.::
SYLVI A R E I C HMAN
100
The Streets of the Cit y
THE LAND
OF THE FREE
103
The World's Shortest Stories The Streets of the City
MARK CoHEN
104 105
The World's Shortest Storie s
GRATITUDE
ANDREW E. HUNT
106
The Streets of the City
The World's Shortest Stories
"r-r
iake the bimbo on the end." L ey say evil W()ars no face. Indeed,
"No ... I don't want her." there \vas no etnocion on his face..No
"Why not?" flicker of empathy as he inflicted still more
"She's obviously the reject." pain. Couldn't he see the terror in my eyes
"Why do you say that?" or the panic on my face?
"I don't know." He calmly; even professionally; con-
"You think she deserves more?" tinued his dirty work, and then glibly
"''res.,, spoke: "Rinse, please."
DAN ANDREWS
"Rea11y.)"
"Definitely."
"Being over forty is harder than
I thought."
"No, it hones a person's tastes."
"What if I take her, then?"
EMILY TI LTO N
109
108
The Streets of the City
.
I,-
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PATROL
' '
TI MOTHY GRAF
111
The World's Shortest Stories The Streets o f the City
small, valuable articles and piled them in weeks, during which Charlie died from
His last trip inside was for a snack in The state claimed his millions, but his
front of the television where he fell asleep name will live forever on Main Street as-
112 113
The World's Shortest Stories
DEAN CHRISTIANSON
114
The World 's Shorte s t Stories The Streets of t he Cit y
She hated theml All of rheml Their Alzheimer's was killing his father. He
masks-hid not their glee, as their groping held the door at the restaurant as ±ris father
hands held her down-for him. shuffled in for Sunday breakfast.. An older
The pain and blood were unbearable. gentleman inside helped, whispering,
Still, he persisted, forcing her. "You're a good boy" to the son.
Her screams only encouraged him. She After his father died, he always
knew not to deliver meant certain death. remembered those words, knowing his
Finally; satisfied, he said, "It's a boy." father would have said them hin1self if
he could have.
ToM McGRANE E. K A R L FOU L K JR .
11 6 117
The Streets of the Cit y
GRACE CA G U I MBAGA
119
The World's Shortest Stories The Streets of the Cit y
DOUGLAS L. H ASKINS
120 ] 21
The World~ Short es t Storie s
SOBER INTELLIGENCE
122
h ey did it in the office next to the taco "H ello. You have reach~d 891-4207,
stand. Srnall things rneant a lot: a flower in the Johnson residence. u,....
a plastic cup, the lost shoes, the picture "Mary and Jin1 are not living here
of Jesus. during their custody dispute. If you're
"We're going to pray for you now; Billy," a creditor, please contact the U.S. Bank-
they repeated. ruptcy Court.
Tongues of cold fire. Exorcism. "Mary's analyst-\vhen back fron1
Mind rape. vacation-please call her at her n1orher's. ·
"Remember," Billy said nine hours To speak to A1ny and Becky, press star.
later. "Remernber the terror." "H ave a great day"
T O M F ORD
MI C H A EL J U LIAN P H IL LIP S
124 125
The Streets of the City
GE TTiNG TO
I(Now You
.....
~- . . .
f'
f .
l _··.,
I
127
The World's Shortest Stori es The Streets of the Cit y
128 129
The World's Shortest Stories
HARRY's LOVE
130
The Worl d's Shortest Stories The St ree t s of the Cit y
L EW I S A. H EN BU RY L AC H M AC D ON A LD
132 133
The World's Shortest Stories
HIGHER EDUCATION
R O N BAST
134
The World's Shortest Stories The Streets of t he City
h e CEO's office was plush indeed. "M an, I'1n redfb, pissed off!"
The briefcase was genuine elephant leather, "Why? What happened?"
its contents 100 percent pure. The asking "Son1e college kid. You know-buzzc(l
price a cool one mill. head-rap-music-neon-shorts-and-shades
The buyer inspected the goods; the kinda guy"
!
Pi7
The World's Shortest Stories
A DECEJ\1BER STORY
0 EA N C H R IS Tl AN S 0 N
138
The World's Shorte s t Storie s
D A DD Y's HOME
R A FA EL T O B A R
1Hl
The Wo rld's Shortest Stori es
MEPHISTOPHELES ,
WHI S I<Y, A ND THE
WRETCHED SouL
"Thirteen. No less."
"D ea11."
Both grinned.
142
Yonde r
The World's Shortest Stories
HONEYMOONERS A N EW LIFE
red dot on her abdomen. intelligent, benign creatures \vho took 111e
That afternoon, he said nothing while in and nurtured me. I learned from thern ,
they drank medfly cocktails. She put an and grew to love them.
"You're awful quiet. What's eating you?" hid from the exploratory spacecraft.
The last thing he saw was flashing Report: G amma moon uninhabited.
145
144
Yonder
E N GLI S.H lA
contatntng com1nas.
My laser bea1n crackled out a response.
One down.
"Subordt.nating clauses equal dangling
parttciples."
I whirl and fire.
"I before eeeeeeeeeeeeee- "
Two less mutant English teachers.
More coming. Can't let them succeed.
Teaching wrong us. Must them stop I..
Modifiers misplaced. Metaphors mixing.
Over it's. Win they
RoD P oUN I>
147
148 149
The World's Shortest Stories
150
The World's Shortest Stories
EDMUND's
DISCOVERY
PAU L TUCKER
152
The Wo rl d 's Sh ortest Stories Yo nder
DR AG ON T A L E PE RS PEC T I V E
M uscles rippled under the blue-green "I think it's easy to see, my studenrs,
scales as the dragon stretched, then relaxed. that by careful exan1ination of these
Fascinated, I Viratched the creature fonner inhabitants, of their behavior
freeze to perfect immobility I stared until patterns, their simple, pointless lifestyles,
the I~an noticed n1e. With a glare, he the things they held ofimport, and of rhc
rolled do\vn his sleeve. complete and utter corruption of their
"N ice tattoo," I said, embarrassed. selves and their environ1nent, that
"\iVha t ta ttoo?" he asked, turning away Earth deserved no better than Galactic
Under his sleeve, I saw son1ething extermination. Thus, us. Any questions?"
move.
COLIN CAMPII li l I
] ANA S E ELY
154 155
Yonder
FIRST STEP
157
Yond e r
-· -- - -- -- --The -
World's Shortest Storie s
-- -------------,
rdish, glistens 1nenacingly with his own Industry, agriculture, transport, failing.
saliva, then begins a slow, contented Prediction: 50 years until horse stock
159
158
Th e Wo r ld's Short e st Storie s
160
Yonder
OH, GOD
··.·>~ !
-
. ., ...
•.
,
-~·
~ . I.
··.. I S et 'em up in this garden, see? lJ>Id 'ern,
"Don't eat the fruit."
Shoulda known. I<A-BOOM! I kick
,
em out.
Bur I'm a forgivin' kinda guy Shccslt.
Whadda sucker.
WHOOSH! I flood the place. f~>n y
days, plus or minus. Dumb tne. I save
a couple.
What's their book say? Revelarjons~
I gotta find a match.
R o D P c l l J r-~ 11
163
The World 's Shortest Sto ries Yonde r
h e two policemen gazed down at him h e artist stood back to view the
"Is he alive?" geon1etric precision of his latest creation.
"His eyes are n1oving." "Beautiful," he rnurmurcd, "but vvill
"Won't be for long." . se111"
It ..
"Nope." No tirne to examine the philosophic
Staccato flashes clin1b a distant implications. Custon1crs, buzzing with
n1ountarn. excicement, hovered near the piece.
"Poor guy" He wrapped up a deal quickly
"What's he looking at?" "This is business," the spider said
"Couldn't tell you. Only he knows." with a vicious smile. "It ain't art."
A li tde girl skips gladly before hirn,
RoN BA S T
dropping an infinity of flowers.
J oE McCL ES KEY
164 165
&.
GUITAR
166
The World's Shortest Stories Yonder
"W .
· e are v1arriors. You are ready to
A ex's talent Was well-rested. The
restaurant vanished. the year aftei'"he
join us-" said the alien to Mankind's stopped being a dishwasher. The school
ambassadors. Standing beside me, the where he'd taught closed six months after
general beamed. his resignation. Shortly after he quit, the
"-Two thousand years ago, a prisone1~ a ne\vspaper folded.
pacifist, escaped to your world. We trust With a sn1ile, Alex raised his hand and
he did not disrupt your civilization." s\vore the oath n1aking hin1 a soldier in
From behind the general came a wail. the United States Arn1y
A priest stood shaking, head in hands.
J ANE MAIL J\ND ER
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1 68 I
The World's Shortest Stories Yonder
17 0 171
The World 's Shorte s t Stories
BR IAN NEWEL L
, ... ,
The World~ Shortest Stories
THE END
"You didn't!" "Because you
"I did." know."
"Dead?" . "But I won't-"
""\7 t'
1es. "Too late."
"Why?"
"She knew."
"Wh
··au'"
"-tell-"
"Rar too 1ate. "
"-anyone/"
Fu:-ct l'le :-c
";\b
n.. out me. " "Indeed." ~"Voices
"But what?"
"Th."
lS. ". . . commander. "
'An alien!" "\.T "
ltS. * * *
"Indeed." "Phase One has
"What now?" been completed."
"No\v yo~." "Excellent.
"011, no.,, Proceed with the
"Oh, yes." . . "
1nvas10n.
"But \vhy?" "Indeed."
CHARL E S \VEST
174
The World~ Shortest Stories
BAD LUCI(
176
The World's Shorte st Stories Furthe r Voice s
In school, she had been the closest thing "H ighly irregular," said the priest.
to a girlfriend he ever had. "Please keep in "The diocese allows then1," replied one
touch," he said \Vhen they graduated. of the tnen.
"Yeah, you too," she said. This reunion Overcoming a visceral dislike of sanK-·
would be the first titne they would talk sex unions, the priest agreed to hold the
. -·.
178 \
•') d.D'~ '-
Furthe r Voice s
MISLAID P LA N S
181
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - -- - -- - - - - - -- - -·--- ... . ·- - ·----------
The World's Shortest Stories Further Voi ces
ANDREW E. H UNT
182 183
The World's Shortest Stories
AT THE HosPITAL
184
The World's Shortest Stories Furth er Voices
Deep in the woods, trees filled the sky "D on't \Valk on the grass!" shouted the
On an incline, I turned to see the white- little man.
tailed buck gracefuLly bound tovvard "D on't be stupid,'' the large man replied.
the ridge. "It doesn't feel anything."
Grandn1other had called this The "You 1nust care for it," retorted the little
Seasoi1 of Deer Rutting. Seeing one pass tn an. "It gives us beau ty; but it's fragile."
meant you'd travel soon. "Whatever." The large man walked
I left in the morning fog, arnid sounds away
of rifle fire. Deer season had begun. Years later, each had m oved on.
Indifferently, the cemetery grass grew
MER RY L Y N R E YNO L D S-A RC H Alvf BO
over both .
ST EV EN M A C L EOD
186 187
Further Voic es
WAR GAlvfE
fell silent.
Ro N B AST
,i,:.tr~~~t~~~~;~f~>i', 189
The World's Shortest Stories Further Voice s
"H e likes dinner at six sharp," she Jack's father died. The machines con-
cautioned the Tit\\' maid. '1\nd absolutely firnled it. The nurse entered the room,
no beef. He takes dessert in the den. Dravv started unplugging equiptnent. "You can
his bath at eight, he retires early." go now," she explained.
1-\nd when will I get to meet the H e felt like he v.ras in a theater. The
ma-ster?" the n1aid asked as she stumbled lights \Vere on. There vvas gun1 and
backward over a sleeping poodle. popcorn on the floor.
"You just djd," laughed the housekeeper. "Dad," he ahnost said, "let's go."
Instead, he just watched the credits roll.
EMILY TILTON
E R N E s T M . G i\ IZc:! t\
190 191
- - - - - - - - - - -- -- -- - -- - -- - - - - -···- --·- ··-- --
ALL A T SEA
ROSEMARY M ANC HE ST E R
192
Further Voices
LAST FLIGHT
195
Further Voic es
FooTSTEPS
IN THE SAND
' '
~' .
"I guess it's always a race."
;'.< ·- ''
.• ''1-~ •
. •1'-::t'!-.:
Ro ss PAR SON S
~ '
':;:;.-.'
19 7
The World~ Shor tes t Stori es Further Voices
198 199
Further Vo ic e s
FAIR PLAY
F RE D \V. MANZO
201
The World's Short est Stories Further Voic es
WI L M A R N. TOGN AZZ I N I
202 203
Further Voices
GRAPPLEMEYER
Slil R LE Y P 0 \VE L L
205
The World~ Shortest Stories Further Voices
Later, he savored a mouthful. As the "0 ld!" she exploded, 'T 111 only~"
well-marbled n1eat slid down his throat, She froze. Her eyes shifted fron1 face to
the animal began its own revenge. face, frorn confusion to sharne, then drifted
to her O\Vn \Vrinkled hands.
BRIAN BARNE S
"Mv ... kids," she rn u1nbled.
j
206 207
Further Voices
EVE N I N G SURP R I SE
209
The Wor l d's Shortest Stories F11rther Voices
his was the only way, such a blur of h e convertible flew over the cliff's edge
rage and bliss and hurled toasters as our into the deep desert canyon, finally hitting
time together had becon1e. Appeal to far belo\:v with a thunderous crash.
fate: heads, \ve'd marrv; tails we'd
j '
Two occupants crawled from the
separate forever. wreckage.
. - · -
The coin flipped, thudded, skipped "Damn! Thank God for seatbelts!"
and lay still, an eagle showing. 'And dual air bags! Jeez, what a mess!"
We stared as it sank in. "I can't believe we made itl That was
Then, together, "Best two out of three?" sure some shortcut!"
"Think we lost 'em, Thelma?"
]. RIP P
UP TON 0. Goo D
210 211
Further Voices
2 1"3
The World's Shortest Stories Further Voices
SOLITAIRE
JUNE 12, 1994,
10:03 P.M.
Encased by the laundry room walls,
"J . .
eez~ 0. ].-some~1n1es y~u start~c me.
J"
"'Night, 0. ]."
"'Night, Nicole."
LACH MACDONALD
214 215
The World' s Shorte s t Stories
MY R ECIPE FOR
WR I TERS JAM
216
The World's Shortest Stories The Rules
exactly how w go about ir when the urge strikes. obVi OUS, but l t 's broken more often chan you might chink. vVe tell them
But be forewarned: \Vnring a Fifty-Five Fiction scory isn'r as easy to remember thac ive're raJkmg about fiction , nor e>says or poems or
as it looks. errant thoughts. A Jot of people have a hard t1me geuing that straight,
A haiku poem is short. So is a quarterback sneak Bur nobody no doubt because they have a ha rd rime bdievmg rha r wrinng some-
thinks they're simple to execme-it's just that rhe people who do rhem thing so short 1s really possible. They usually end up '.'Vith only part of a
well make it seem rhat way. story, often with their charaCter stranded in a situa tion going nowhere.
Taking a grrat srory concept and developing 1t wirhm such a lim- So although some may have a more complex delmirion of just
ired space 1S a link like carving a beautiful sculpture from a tiny block wha r constitutes a "story," for our purposes, a scary is a story only if it
of wo~d. Tbe working range is truncated and nmmare, bur the goal is contains the following four demencs; 1) a sming; 2) a characrer or char-
no differenr than tf vou were crearing on a much larger scale: to per- an ers; 3) conflict; and 4) rcsoJunon.
' v
fccrly merge various elements into a coherent whole rhar ultimately For those who think this limiting ro their creativity, consider for a
makes people say, "\Vow, rhar's really greac!" momrnt that:
But don't be discouraged by such a lofty goal. Great storyrdlmg · All stories have to be happening someplace, which means they
srarrs with fair sroryrclling and gw berrer with practice. Ray Bradbury have co have a setting of some kind, even if tt':; the other s1de of the uni-
once cold an audimce that if thev wanted w learn how to write, thev verse, the inner reaches of someone's mind, or just rhe house next door.
I '
should compose a shorr story every day. "If you do that," he said, "by the · Charactns can have infinite varia uons. People, animals, clouds.
end of rhe year you'll have \vrinen 365 stories-and, at the very least, microbes. Anythmg.
three or four of them are bound to be good because it's impossible to • By confhcr, we merely mtan that in the course of the story, some-
write 365 bad stories!" thing has ro happen.The lovers argue, The deer flees. The astronauts wait
Vve've often thought about that \vhcn judging our Fifty-Five in amicipation. Even in this last example, something is happening, even
Fiction Contest each year. It's the perfect way for someone ro apply though no one is moving or calking. There is conflict, which leads to:
Bradbury's One-Srory-a-Day Theory of \vming. vVben you've mas- • The outcome of the srory, known also as the resolution. This
tered 55 words vou
/~
can go
v
on co 110, then 220, and so on until you've I
doesn't necessarily mean that there's a moral (}mice is its own reward,"
\vritten that great novel that's been inside you, struggling ro gn om. "In the end, love triumphs") , or even that rhe conflict itself is resolved. Ir
Bur we're gertmg ahead of ourselves. Fifry-Five Fiction 1s the name may or may not be.
218 219
The Wo rl d's Shortest Storie s The Rules
Bm what it does mean is that when rhe story end~. someone has to How about revealing a family's ongoing woes through jusr .1 11
have learned something. Tony found out his wife wanted co kill him answering machine's message? Check our page 125.
after aU; the soldiers successfully eluded the enemy when they thought And on p:1ge 29, lovers meet clandesrincly and discover morr
they'd been Jiscovered; Barbara was shown to be as much of a Lar as her chan they bargained for, in a Lale w1d1 only one sentence using almosr
father. lt's even possible co have none of rhe characters leam anyrhing. all nouns.
Bm if char's rhe case, then we rhe readers must. Surprise endings are ofttn found in f ifcy-Five Fiction, but they're
Consider "Bedtime Srmf by Jeffrey \Vhimmore on page 13. Be- not a prerequ1site for success. They probably turn up a lor because
sides havmg a terrific swry idea, \Vhirmore also goes about cdlmg ir. rhey're easy co work with, and because many ·writers instincnvely ~um
well. How he does so is worth examining for the impact of a twist <l t the encl. H. H. Munro had similar instincts
Notice how much he achieves through suggestion. We know rhe in his Iindy crafted mini-short srories. So dtd Rod Sterling and Alfred
characters are lovers, but the author never says so. \Ve also know there's Hitchcock in rhcir famous half-hour TV programs. Precry good srory-
a gun in rhe storv bur it's never directlv mentioned. ln fact, \Vhitmore's
, . J relle rs ro emulate.
rale is acrually two stories. T he second one-the other conspiracy-
reveals itself in rhc final rwo words. A few other imporrant points ro keep 111 mmd:
You'll also noLice rhat thc.re are no descriptive adverbs or adjectives, · You can write abour anything you Lke, bur you can't use more
and ycr we see rhe entire scene perfectly The author rhen stretches the than 55 words. Yes, vou can use fewer if 'vou'cl like to' but we don't know
/
form by having his srory srart even bd ore his narrative begins, and wd why :tnyone would--don'r shortchange yourself even more .man we
beyond his final phrase, making it seem longer than just 55 words. already have.
T he main advamage co suggestion is conveying information eco- i\nd what, exacrly IS a wordl Simple:. If it's in the dictionary, ir's
nomically- when rhe reader knows vvhar you're ralki ng about \Vid1our a 'Nord.
your saying so, fe.vvcr words are needed. The disadvanrage, of course. is • Hyphenated words can't coum as single word~. For example,
losing sight of wherher rhc reader 1.1 following you. Too much sug- "blue-green dress" is three words, nor cwo. Excepriom r.o rhis are any
gesr.ion becomes obscure and confusing. Thar's a common error. So is \VOrJs rhar don't become two complen: free-standing words when rhc
trying to cell roo compLcated a srory in such a tiny space. Fifry- Five hyphen is removed. Like "re-entry"
Fiction demands a tight focus. • Also, please note rh;n your story's ririe isn't mcludccl Jn d1e word
Telling a swry in a traditional narrative mode is probably the best counr. Bur remember char it can't be more chan seven words long.
approach for new writers, buc keep in mind char Fifty-Five Fiction · Contractions count as single words, so if you're really seeking
encourages expenmenranon. \VOrd economy (as you should be), keep rb is in mind. If you write, "He
C~n ~n entire story be cold Wlth every word starring with the same will JUmp," it's r.hrec \vords. But if you write, "He'll JUmp," ir's only two.
lcner of the alphaber? Sure ir. can. You'll find iron page 67 Very.. economtcal. By the same token, anv comr:tcrion Lhar's a shorrened
~ .-· .
220 22 1
The World's Shortest Stories The Rules
form of a word is also counted as a full word. Like using" 'err:\' for "them." .Make sure your name, address, and telephone number are included
· An initial also counts as a word (L. L. Bean, e. e. cummings, er.c.) on each story, so we can conr,1ct you. ThL~ informacion needs ro be wirh
since it's basically an abbreviation of a full word. The only exception is each one in case your stories get separated. Too many rimes, we've been
when it's pan of an acronym like MGM, NASA, or IBM. The rea- unable to conrnct authors of great stories simply becau~ they forgot this
soning here is chat rbe wide usc of these acronyms has in effect made simple procedure.
them inco single words. So. If you think you've gm some winning stories, pur a stamp on
• Remember rhat numbers count as words, too, expressed as either dm envelope and mail them off to us at Fifty-Five Fiction, Depc. 55,
numerals (8, 28,500, or 1984), or as words (eight, rwcnry-eight, etc.) Bur 197 Santa Rosa Sr., San Luis Obispo, CA 93405. Unfortunately, we
keep in mind our hyphenated-word rule. "1\venry-eight" is rwo words can't acknowledge receipt of any work, so please send phorocopies, not
when written out, but only one when expressed as 28. Don't cheat your- originals. If ilny of your stories are selected, one thing's for certain: You'll
self out of an extra word that you may need. be hearing from us.
• Any puncmation is allowed, and no punctuation marks count as And remember: Just 55 words.
words, so don't worry about being miserly wirh them if they work w
some effect. STEVE M oss
There are a few cliches we suggest you avoid. Unless you can come
up with really fresh rakes on these old chestnuts, stay away from stories
where the reader eventually discovers the protagonist is a car (or some
orher animal); charilcters who appear to be having sex, bur it turns our
they're doing something innocent and mundane, and you just have a
diny mind; and any character who wakes up at the end and says, "Gosh,
1t was all a dream!" These go m the trash faster than the speed of light,
as well they should.
So now that you've digested all the rules and you're pmring all
chose great ideas of yoms on paper, what are you going ro do with the
best ones afcer you've shown them ro friends who all thi nk you're bril-
lianc? Good question. Here's a good answer. Send them to us so we Ci111
consider them for our next Fifrv-Five Fiction book.
J
You can submit as many srories as you want, bur remember that
each story must be typed on its own sheet of paper. That means one
story per page.
222 223
A B0 UT TH E ED IT 0 R : Steve Moss has a lway~ liked vvords-so
much so that he decided to srarr his own weekly newspaper so if there
was nothing around to read, he'd have no one but himself ro blame. He
scudied arr at Brooks Institute, UC Santa Barbara, and Syracuse Uni-
versity, bur eventually swirched to vvnting becawe journalists were
more fun w hang out wirh. He's been a reporter, editor, busboy, an
director, construction grunt, advertising copywriter, and graphic artist:.
He's rhe editor and co-pubLsher of New Times in San Luis Obispo,
where he started Fifry-Five Fiction as an annual writing contest, and he
can't imagine doing anything else. He now lives in Pismo Beach, Calif.,
with his hot cub.
224