Index of Microfiction (#26-50)
A collection of microfiction stories that I've posted all around Substack. This one contained story number 26 through 50.
UPDATE (9/1/2023): As of the writing of this update, this index is retired. Keep an eye out for the next one.
UPDATE: (August 15, 2023): Here’s the Third Index.
Author’s note: This is my second Index of Microfiction. Click here for the first one.
The Index:
Lunch Rush
[Originally posted on Notes, June 23, 2023] [100 words]
“Hey Dasher, where’s my food?”
“I have a name, you know.”
“Whatever...”
I regret answering the call already, though I resist the urge to hang up. Maybe I should have, since I’m still driving. Bluetooth is the only reason we are able to talk right now.
“Listen,” I say. “Captain Blue and the Slick Serpent is duking it out again.”
“And?”
“And a whole city block was destroyed by the fighting! I had to take a 30-minute detour!”
“Don’t care.”
I groan in anger. This delivery isn’t worth it. At this point, I remember that I haven’t eaten lunch yet.
The Shinar Space Elevator
[Originally posted on Notes, June 26, 2023] [100 words]
The Shinar Space Elevator was the most advanced piece of human engineering in history. And it was not yet finished. At the moment, it scratched the stratosphere of the Earth. Its mastermind Nimrud had planned for it to reach beyond the Earth’s exosphere.
This massive undertaking was only possible thanks to the universal translator which allowed everyone regardless of mother tongue to easily speak to one another.
However, the universal translator system mysteriously malfunctioned. They could no longer talk to one another, and the project was abandoned.
Future generations would remember the Shinar Space Elevator as the Tower of Babel.
Who’s Next
[Originally posted on Notes, June 28, 2023] [100 words]
Having read the message in my phone, I sighed in frustration.
“What’s wrong?” It was my brother Nathan who asked me that.
“Uncle Jim just died.”
“Nathan’s eyes widened. “Damn.”
“First, Uncle Bill, then Aunt Lucy, and now Uncle Jim. Sometimes I wonder who’s gonna get it next…”
But my brother was not pleased by my words. “That’s f*cked up, Pete.”
“I know,” I said apologetically. “But they were all in their 60s. We all gotta face the Lord eventually.”
Nathan grunted, probably to acknowledge my point. He understood. Then, there was silence between us. Utterly unbearable silence.
“Mario Kart?”
Nothing but Space Dust
[Originally posted on Notes, June 30, 2023] [100 words]
We’ve done it. We explored the entire universe. All of it. The great cosmos had been conquered. Humanity had finally reached across the stars.
And yet, we felt empty. Just like the vacuum of space.
What did we find? Nothing but space dust.
No other lifeforms out there. To this day, our Earth remained the only source of life. Even now, terraforming is still unreliable.
What about the stars? Nothing. They’re just lights, man.
The planets? Barren. To be expected, despite the fantasies of sci-fi writers.
Black holes? If there are survivors, let me know.
Is it all worth it?
The More Things Change
[Originally posted on Notes, July 3, 2023] [100 words]
*BANG*
Rob smirked as he saw President Abraham Lincoln clutching his bloodied chest.
Before long, a white glow engulfed the gunman. Right before he disappeared, Rob threw away his weapon.
The assassination of President Lincoln in the middle of the War of Northern Aggression remained to be one of the most mysterious events of the 19th century. Lincoln’s death paved the way for the victory of George B. McClellan in the 1864 Presidential Election.
In the year 2008, Rob returned back from the past. He was shocked to learn that Barack Obama had been elected President of the Confederate States.
Wrong Time Period
[Originally posted on Notes, July 5, 2023] [100 words]
I just want to visit the New Byzantine Empire at its height in the 24th century. But the time machine keeps going through the centuries until it stops.
When I step outside, I know something’s wrong. An image of a beautiful man with a golden crown is plastered all over the buildings. In each picture is a sentence in bolded text:
ALL HAIL AUGUSTUS CHRISTUS
I run into my time machine. My destination: any time period but this one. But the time machine won’t go. I don’t understand! It’s a new machine, and there’s enough power.
It just won’t go.
Dimensional Sickness
[Originally posted on Notes, July 7, 2023] [100 words]
I shake my head, still feeling some bit of dimensional sickness. What dimension am I on again?
This looks to be New York City, but I know how the dimensions work. With the multiverse theory discredited, this is just a city that looks like the Big Apple.
“Spare change, kind sir.”
I turn to the source of that voice, expecting some panhandler.
To my horror, the man next to me has no lower torso. His right arm’s bigger than the rest of his body. Worst of all is his face.
I then realize that I’m in the “AI Art” dimension.
The Elysium Lottery
[Originally posted on Notes, July 10, 2023] [100 words]
“Congratulations,” I said.
But Dirk gave me a look of pity. “Are you sure about that?”
“Huh?”
“Come on, Jack! You’ve been putting all your hopes in getting to Elysium! You and your family.”
I took a deep breath. With a wife and five kids to provide for, I was desperate to leave Tartarus. Like everyone else on this forsaken planet, we had both applied for the very slim chance to leave for the paradisical Elysium.
Yet, Dirk, who just got married, was able to win that lottery. I struggled to excise my envy.
“Even so, I’m happy for you.”
The Grey Valley of Death
[Originally posted on Notes, July 12, 2023] [100 words]
I was there when we were slaughtered at the grey valley of death.
It all started when our scouts discovered the giant’s lair.
As we explored the place, we discovered a strange-shaped mountain. We traversed over its black-colored ground before one of us found a grey depression rife with food. These were the giants’ leftovers, which included a pool of sweet black water.
The reports quickly reached everyone in our hive. Soon, we were all over the grey valley. But then the giant discovered us, and we were flushed with hot poisonous water.
I can still remember its white bubbles.
Don’t Eat the Fruit!
[Originally posted on Notes, July 14, 2023] [100 words]
Don’t eat the fruit! his conscience screamed.
As the man saw the plump, red fruit that his wife held in front of him, he could see that it was appealing. He never had it before, and it looked really good. He imagined how sweet it would taste.
Suddenly, the whole world changed around him with a flash. The man saw murder, death, a lion ripping the bloody entrails off a lamb. Then, he saw the pale imitation of himself. A corpse.
The man gasped. It was a vision of the future, no mistaking it.
Still, that fruit looked so delicious.
The Parking Lot
[Originally posted on Written Tales Magazine, July 15, 2023] [199 words]
[Author’s note: I’m well aware that this story is over 100 words. I made an exception for this one since I don’t know know where else to put it.]
“You are not allowed to park here.”
I blinked and gave the policeman at the other side of my car’s window a look of confusion. “Why not?”
This was a reasonable question, in my opinion. I always wait for delivery orders at this parking lot. I figured that the cop felt that I was loitering, though I didn’t know why he’d even bother given that the lot was not full at all.
Now that I thought about it, there were barely any cars parked here. Weird.
Weirder still was the response that I got from my interlocutor:
“This place is infested.”
“By what?”
“Demons.”
“Excuse me?” I could hardly believe what I heard.
But the cop nodded in all seriousness. “We’ve received reports of a demonic infestation in this mall. We just called in a priest to exorcise the whole place.”
My face was red hot with anger. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
And then everything went black.
When I regained consciousness, I found out that I was lying down on the ground. I looked up and saw the cop. With him was an elderly priest.
“What happened?” I asked.
The priest smiled. “The exorcism was a success.”
Let A Hundred Flowers Bloom
[Originally posted on Notes, July 17, 2023] [100 words]
“We let it bloom.”
“Excuse me, Chairman?”
“Let a hundred flowers bloom. Let a hundred schools of thought contend.”
“With all due respect, sir… please don’t kill me! That doesn’t sound like a good idea.”
“Oh? Do tell.”
“Well, you’ll be encouraging those contemptible dissidents to unleash all their thoughts on your glorious rule. And that wouldn’t be pretty, in all honesty.”
“I know.”
“Then…”
“Simple. We let a hundred flowers bloom. Then we cut them.”
“Ah!”
“Glad you understand now. There’s no way I’m really letting them voice their dissent. Now be honest, what do you think of me?”
Time Traveler’s Letter
[Originally posted on Notes, July 19, 2023] [100 words]
Dear Jack,
Do not wait for me, for I will not return. As you know I have been working on a time machine. And it worked. It finally worked!
For my first trip, I did not want to go too far away. So I decided to travel seventy years to the past.
And what a surprise, the machine broke down! Even worse, I couldn’t find the rare-earth minerals necessary to return.
But that’s okay. I made some new friends here. I even found myself a wife. Her name is Leah. You’ll love her, I know you will.
Sincerely,
Your Grandfather
My Idiot Dad
[Originally posted on Notes, July 21, 2023] [100 words]
Everything all set up. I signed on the dotted lines. I had become a soldier.
Well, not quite thanks to my idiot dad.
Since I was still in high school, I needed my parents to sign off my recruitment papers. But he refused to do so. Naturally, I was pissed. You’d think 9/11 would have enraged him as much as it did me. He insisted that Iraq had nothing to do with New York.
He didn’t budge, no matter how heated I got. Soon, I dropped the subject.
I didn’t know it at the time, but he saved my life.
Retired Hero
[Originally posted on Notes, July 24, 2023] [100 words]
“It’s been a while, Jake,” said Mike.
“Too long. What brings you here?”
“I’ll cut to the chase. We need you.”
Jake raised his eyes. “I’m retired, Mike. You know how I feel about the Federation! Those murderous…”
“This isn’t about the Federation, Jake! People are dying out there! The bugs are overrunning this planet, eating one city after another!” Mike took a deep breath to calm himself. “At this rate, the entire population will be consumed.”
Jake said nothing.
Mike made for the door. “I’ll give you time to think about this. I know you’ll do the right thing.”
The History of the McDonaldian Empire
[Originally posted on Notes, July 26, 2023] [100 words]
The Year of Our Lord 4,024…
For archeologist McIntosh ‘Mac’ Appel, the history of the McDonaldian Empire was his great passion. Most of his life had been spent uncovering the ruins of that great classical civilization.
The Empire had some rivals, such as the Sanders Dynasty and the Tribes of Chipotle. But the McDonaldians remained supreme for centuries, if not millennia, leaving behind traces that none could ignore.
The golden M, also known as the double arch, was an iconic symbol. It was everywhere.
Now an old man, Dr. Appel was ready to pass the torch to the next generation.
The End of the World
[Originally posted on Notes, July 28, 2023] [100 words]
For Adam, it all happened so quickly. A blinding flash of light, a shaking of the earth; and before he knew it, he was in the rubbles of his apartment.
After climbing out of the wreckage of his old home, he saw the ruins of his entire town. It was the end of the world.
For the next few days, he searched for survivors but couldn’t find any. All he found were corpses, if not outright skeletons.
Adam sighed, tears in his eyes. It may be the end of the world, but it was not the end of his world.
The Way of the World
[Originally posted on Notes, July 31, 2023] [100 words]
“Mama! No!” I cried.
But my mother didn’t respond. Looking away, she gazed towards the blazing inferno of a funeral pyre.
“Mama!”
Once again, she paid me no mind. After all, that was the funeral pyre of her husband, my father. As was custom, the widow of the dead man was to set herself ablaze upon the inferno.
It was the way of the world. No adult really questioned it.
But I was too young to understand. All I knew was that I lost my father, and I was about to lose my mother too.
She jumped into the fire.
Laid Off
[Originally posted on Notes, August 2, 2023] [100 words]
“We’re going to have to let you go, Max.”
I gawked. I knew that this was coming, why else would I be called here. Yet…
“No!” I shouted. “After all I’ve done for this company. You’re just going to throw me away like trash?”
If the manager felt sorry for his actions, he didn’t show it. In fact, his face was as stone cold as ever.
“Revolution Corp. keeps on marching. You know how it is, Max.”
As if on cue, two burly men walked in behind me. They took me by the arms.
“No!” I shrieked. “Not the guillotine!”
Back to Basics
[Originally posted on Erica Drayton Writes, August 4, 2023] [100 words]
Three losses in a row. Only one win in the last ten matches. The Front Office was furious.
Jose wondered how it had come to this. Just last year, his team was so close to winning the title. The fans were singing his praises. But now, they were calling for his head.
One loss away from getting sacked.
With only one week to turn this around, he began to study the films.
Jose quickly realized that his team had been too flashy; too careless. A far cry from the workmanlike system that his teams were known for.
Back to basics.
Very Generous
[Originally posted on Notes, August 7, 2023] [100 words]
It was yesterday when I got that delivery order. McDonalds, $10+, 2 miles away. Very generous, I accepted without hesitation.
Even better, it was just a Big Mac.
The trip took me to the highways, not a problem. But on the way there, I was engulfed by mists.
The following will sound ridiculous, but I ended up in a world of faerie. My customer was a centaur, his wife a faun.
I don’t know how I kept my wits, but I did. The delivery went off without a hitch.
I’ll take this secret to the grave. Why? Easy, $100 tip.
The News
[Originally posted on Notes, August 9, 2023] [100 words]
“Heard the news, Fritz?”
“Of course, Gerd. How can I not? We’re at war. To think it’s finally come to this. So unreal.”
“Why are you so sad? It’s about time we show the world our strength.”
“Listen to yourself! This war doesn’t make sense. Queen Victoria is the Kaiser’s oma. The Tsar’s wife is one of us. Why are we fighting? Is this war really in our interest?”
“You speak like some academic, Fritz. Hans is more excited for this, like everyone else.”
“I just have a bad feeling about this.”
“Cheer up, Fritz. This’ll be over before Christmas.”
Forest Trail
[Originally posted on Notes, August 11, 2023] [100 words]
As I walked through the forest trail, I saw a turtle. I moved to pick it up, but it retreated into its shell. As I peered into the hole, I could see it staring back at me.
Having put the poor creature back down, I walked on through the trail. I saw a herd of deer drinking at the creek below. I stopped and took out my phone. I was about to take a picture, but they soon noticed my presence and scattered.
I shook my head, honestly frustrated. I meant them no harm, yet they were afraid of me.
The Face of Justice
[Originally posted on Notes, August 14, 2023] [100 words]
After all these years, my past had finally caught up to me. It had been over ten years since it happened, since I killed the son of my landlord. I didn’t mean for it to come to that, it was just a card game; I was also a little drunk.
Perhaps I should have turned myself in, let justice be done. But I did not want to go to prison. So I bolted. Their search for me had been fruitless.
Until now.
They sent a bounty hunter after me. And just before I die, I saw the face of justice.
The Face of Justice, Part 2
[Originally posted on Notes, August 16, 2023] [100 words]
The man in front of me begged for his life. Pathetic.
With my pistol aimed straight at my target’s head, I pulled the trigger. And his body dropped to the ground.
Did I feel sorry for him? Perhaps. But I was simply doing my duty: to purse criminals who had evaded their rightful punishments. After all, I am the face of justice.
This man had killed another. And to compound it all, he escaped. Who knew how many others he had killed.
With the job done, I left my calling card; it bore the image of a raven.
Next job.