The robber said “This bullet’s for you” so she gave him the money.
(from Painted Bride Quarterly, Print Annual #2)
How did you feel when you realized what had happened?”
“I don’t know. Sick. Mad. But mostly I was just glad he left without hurting me. Mostly I felt grateful.”
“You were grateful?” Like it’s the wrong answer. Like grateful isn’t enough to satisfy a TV audience.
“Gratefulness can fool you,” I would tell her. “It’s a stronger feeling than you think. In fact, I’d put gratefulness up there with the big ones. It can feel like love, or grief, that strong.”
Really cool little story. I feel like giving anything away would be giving away too much, seeing as how this is a two-pager. Basically, “Bullet” makes you feel like everything’s wrong in the world up until it reminds you that some things are right. There’s a bit of a media critique in here, a theoretical TV anchor who just doesn’t get it. But not in some Big Satire way. It was real and harsh. But also peaceful, in a way.
Read the story here, via some cached Google action.
hi. i happened to come upon your blog while searching for those who feature short stories.
i’ve just recently picked up the pen (figuratively and otherwise) to write again. although i am more in to the short short story genre.
i was wondering if you know any blogs who particularly cater to said category.
your blog is quite informative. thanks a bunch! :)
Hello Patrick
I really enjoyed that story. It was powerful in its ability to communicate a number of sentiments in such a short space.
Loved your choosing to link it to a cached page too. Colorful and helpful. Thank you :)
” I feel like giving anything away would be giving away too much, seeing as how this is a two-pager.”
I have noticed similar comments made to your readers before.
You can never give away too much Patrick. Not when truly giving.
Similarly, you cannot give away something you never had.
So if you feel you cannot give, for fear that to do so, even on a small scale, would (to your mind) be leaving nothing in reserve, then perhaps your real concern is that there is not enough within yourself to draw from. Which would clearly be false.
You don’t have a “lack/not enough” mentality or creative block going on, do you?
TC
Patrick.
Glad you like the story, Patrick. It’s also included in a Norton anthology of short-short stories, Flash Fiction Forward, a great collection for anyone interested in this form.