Flash Fiction Friday 2024 – Week 16

Flash Fiction Friday continues in 2024. New pieces appear every Friday on my Patreon throughout the year. The minimum pledge to read them before anyone else is $3 per month. and the number of pieces available is tied to the monthly pledge total so the more you support my efforts, the more you’ll get to read. Find out what they’re all about and check out some excerpts from this week’s update in this post.

Different

Chloe had always known she was different, but it wasn’t until she turned twenty-one that she realized the full extent of her powers. She could control people with a mere touch, bending them to her will and making them do her bidding. It was a heady feeling, knowing she possessed such power over others, and Chloe reveled in it.

She spent her days wandering the city, touching strangers and watching as they fell under her spell. It was so easy to manipulate them, and make them do whatever she wanted, whether it was something silly or downright humiliating. Sometimes, there were people who resisted her but only for a couple seconds. She had yet to meet anyone capable of downright denying her supernatural influence over them, and the more time elapsed the more she believed that would never happen. And as she walked through the crowded streets, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of superiority, knowing that she was in control while everyone else was just a pawn in her insidious mind games.

But despite the power she held, Chloe couldn’t deny the loneliness that gnawed at her heart. She longed for a connection with someone, a man who could see past her powers and love her for who she was.

(…)

Filthy Pet

The sun dipped below the horizon as Sarah and Alex pulled into their driveway, casting the suburban street in an orange glow. They had spent the evening at a concert, wrapped up in the music and each other, and were eager to get home to continue their lazy Sunday together.

As they approached the front door, Sarah noticed that it was slightly ajar. A feeling of unease crept over her, and she reached for the handle with a shaking hand. The door swung open, revealing their cozy living room in disarray. Furniture was overturned, lamps shattered on the floor, and their belongings strewn about haphazardly.

“Oh my god,” Alex gasped, her eyes wide with shock. “Someone’s broken in.”

Sarah’s heart raced as she scanned the room for any sign of the intruder. She spotted a shadowy figure near the back , rummaging through their things. Adrenaline surged through her veins as she grabbed Alex’s hand and whispered urgently, “We need to call the police.”

(…)

I’m Sorry

Hello. Hi. Can you hear me just fine? Please nod if you do, thank you.

Good. Okay. Please don’t stress out. You’re tied up for your safety as well as ours, We want to help you but you need to help us too, so do as we say so we can get this done as quickly as possible.

First things first. I’m going to ask you a couple of questions, so answer them honestly. Do you remember your name? Good. And do you know what date it is? Great! Judging by the state of your clothes, you’ve been out there for a while. Do you remember how long exactly? No? Okay? What’s the last thing you remember before waking up here then? You don’t know? Hmm, that’s somewhat concerning but maybe it’s nothing. We’ll see.

Now then, we’ll need to inspect your body for any signs of scratches and bite marks. The exam needs to be thorough so it will include your genitals and all your orifices. We’ll try to minimize the pain as much as possible but there’ll be some discomfort no matter what. Please don’t struggle while we do this. If you do, we’ll have to shock you and you won’t like that. You need to help us, remember? Cooperation is key.

(…)

Terrifying

Arthur squirmed in his seat. The more he listened to Dr. Ellison’s presentation the more it bothered him right down to the core. The future she was proposing was downright terrifying but why was everyone else applauding instead of showing their disgust? What the hell was wrong with those people?

He sat with a group of potential investors on the top floor of Ravenstar Industries, a tech conglomerate that had recently turned their eyes to VR, AI, and alternate entertainment software. Their CEO, Jonathan Ravenstar wanted the company to become a household name throughout America by investing in revolutionary technologies. It didn’t matter how crazy the initial pitch seemed. The more he was able to shock people the better.

To that end, he hired a group of experts from various disciplines. One of them was Dr. Jenna Ellison, a quinquagenarian neuroscientist who proposed a new way of creating virtual reality scenarios by directly interacting with the human brain. the result was a miniature headpiece that, once activated, allowed the user to enter a dissociated state of mind where every fantasy could be real. A computer program fed the brain with the necessary stimuli and then the user’s imagination filled in the blanks. It was so real that people wearing the device rapidly forgot they were doing so.

(…)

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