FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: Terror Island

terror island.jpg

 

Now on Tuesdays…at least for the foreseeable future…welcome to Flash Fiction Tuesday. In case you don’t know what flash fiction is, it is an extremely short story (sometimes created in 100 words or less) with a beginning, middle, and an ending.
But in my case, I write flash fiction with an open ending. I allow my readers to draw their own conclusion as to what happens next to the characters of each story. This week we slip away to the tropical sands of terror island….

 

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Beads of perspiration dampen my hair as I stare in the direction of the dock. I can just make out the shape of the solitary box I know is sitting there. Drawing sweaty hands against my blue jeans, I glance again at my watch before slowly taking a step toward it. The message said be at the wharf at exactly nine o’clock and I can’t take any chances. No explanation, no signature, but I know it can only be the work of the Sandaks.

Lawless heathens they might be, but they live by the code of the island and they will never abandon me to this retched place without something to guide me. I know they have long gone, but I look around anyway as I make my way to the end of the dock and kneel in front of the box.

There is no lock and the sound of the creaking lid echoes into the night. Shining my light inside I can see only four objects lying there. Picking up the compass, I run my bloody fingertips across it’s surface before tucking it into my pocket and reaching for the rolled map lying next to the revolver. I will have to wait until dawn to try to find a way out of this place, but until then I shove the paper into my back pocket and hesitantly pick up the gun.

Cold and heavy in my hands, I open the revolver’s chamber and I’m not surprised to find it empty. Choking back the bile rising in my throat, I reach for the last item in the box. Even now I can still find the sick humor in my situation as my fingers close around the single bullet lying in the bottom of the box. Somewhere in the fading light I’m sure they are watching me. Just waiting and wondering what I will do now. Do I take my chances with this lone bullet and pray I make it to safety before I am trapped by the beast? Or do I simply stop the terror now and use it on myself? I wonder if the Sandaks are hunched around their fires right now and placing bets on the odds of my surviving the night on this island.

I don’t blame them. Even I wouldn’t bet on me…

 

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What happens next? Share your imagination with others by leaving a comment below!

 

donna

 

International best selling, award winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, My Journey, My Journal, is scheduled to be released by Expert Insights Publishing in the Fall 2018.

 

 

 

Donna L

Hybrid award winning author; aspiring sketch artist; and 4th Degree Senior Certified Taekwondo Instructor. Host of BOOK NOOK REVIEWS. Member of SCBWI. Mom to fabulous son and adventurer delving into the tricky world of indie-publishing.

4 thoughts on “FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: Terror Island

  • May 29, 2018 at 2:53 pm
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    Great start, Donna. I definitely want to know what happens next. This strong protagonist (heroine?) will keep that bullet and fight until the end. She doesn’t read like the giving up kind.

    Reply
    • May 29, 2018 at 7:56 pm
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      Hi Tiffany!

      I’ve often wondered if I should complete these little stories and maybe put together an anthology? 😉

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Reply
  • May 29, 2018 at 6:51 pm
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    I’m a Sandak and yes, we ARE watching you.

    Reply

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