Sincerely, Your Mortician

This week’s challenge was to use one of ten titles suggested by flash fiction participants and chosen by Chuck.

Click here for the full challenge on terribleminds


Sincerely, Your Mortician
Title by AN
Story by Scott Mollon

He was there at the moment Daniel was born. Before the nurses finished clamping closed his umbilical cord and washing his mother’s fluids from his body, even before the boy’s mother, He was the first to lay his bone dry hands on Daniel. The first to bury his nose in the soft brown hair atop Daniel’s head and take a slow deep breathe in.

At age three, He hung over Daniel in a dead man float, as Daniel’s body betrayed him and sucked in lungfuls of chlorinated water at the bottom of his aunt’s backyard pool. He lay on his stomach in the puddles, chin resting on his crossed forearms, as the EMT breathed the water out of Daniel and the air back in.

Two summer’s later, Daniel surprised Him by taking his hand.
Let’s play ninjas, Daniel said.
It had rattled Him. He was sure this sort of thing was not supposed to happen. Daniel should not have been able to see Him. But it was also the greatest year and half He ever had.

Continue reading Sincerely, Your Mortician

Yearly Review

This week the challenge was to write about something that scares you. Hali-Environ Conglomerate scares the hell out of me.

Click here for the full challenge on terribleminds


Yearly Review
By Scott Mollon

“Hello! Welcome. Please take a seat.

“Thank you for being on time, despite our running late. This is a busy time of year. All of Management here at Hali-Environ Conglomerate is buried in work providing performance feedback to all three hundred thousand of our employees across all divisions. Of course, we take so much into account, including how well you are doing your job. But you know all this already, this being, what, your fifth year with us? Congratulations on the anniversary!

“Now to get down to brass tacks, and the info I am sure you can’t wait to hear.

“Your co-workers gave you glowing reviews. Each and every one of them said you are a joy to work with. You should be very proud of the relationships you have cultivated with your peers. Your manager also said equally great things about your work.

Continue reading Yearly Review

The Far East Fightin’ Style Kid

This week’s challenge was to rewrite a scene from a well known story, but to genre flip it to another genre.

Click here for the full challenge on terribleminds


The Far East Fightin’ Style Kid
By Scott Mollon

Daniel hit the dusty dirt floor of the mine shaft face first to a chorus of drunken cheers from the gathered crowd of miners and company men alike. His left knee pulsed with pain in tune to his racing heart beat. His opponent, having caught Daniel’s attempt at a roundhouse kick, had then driven his elbow down into the side of Daniel’s knee.

A pair of worn shoes landed next to his head. From the gathered crowd, “Someone put the kid’s shoes back on him!”

Money and cigarettes began changing hands. Not a lot though, as no one had given Daniel any chance to win the fight. This was to be the latest in a long line of disciplinary beat downs administered by the management of Kreese Mining, Incorporated.

Continue reading The Far East Fightin’ Style Kid