Wish You Were Here • 5

Today, the fifth and final installment in the second iteration of The Pete Wood Challenge. This week we have presented ten microflash stories, all of which sprang from a simple challenge: to write a 100-word story that revolved around the line:

“Wish you were here.”

Today, the thrilling conclusion. Enjoy!

—brb

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“Welcome to the Funhouse” by Alicia Hilton

The clown had really long fangs and a loud, annoying laugh, but Daisy and Tricia walked through his mouth anyway.

The skeleton in the first room wasn’t very scary, even when his left arm fell off with a clatter.

Rubber spiders and roaches made Tricia squeal and run for the exit.

Daisy stopped in front of the wobbly mirror and looked at her reflection.

The girl in the mirror wore jeans and a plaid shirt like Daisy, but here eyes were stitched closed and blood dripped down her face. She said, “Wish you were here,” and grabbed Daisy.

 

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Alicia Hilton is an author, law professor, arbitrator, actor, and former FBI Special Agent. She believes in angels and demons, magic and monsters. Alicia’s recent work has appeared in Best Indie Speculative Fiction Volume 3, Daily Science Fiction, Demain Publishing UK, Departure Mirror, DreamForge, Litro, Sci Phi Journal, Space and Time, Vastarien, Year’s Best Hardcore Horror Volumes 4, 5 & 6, and elsewhere. Alicia’s website is https://aliciahilton.com. Follow her on Twitter @aliciahilton01.  

 

 

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“The Message” by Ray Daley

Using the hand laser, it had taken him fifty years to carve his message across the surface of the asteroid. 

Most of the ships passing by only saw one side and envied the inhabitant.

WISH YOU WERE HERE

‘How great it must be to have such a quiet spot in space!’ they thought.

The android’s atomic battery was rated for at least another decade. He had already gone crazy; there wasn’t anywhere else left to go, from there. 

Almost none of the ships saw the rest of the message. Perhaps they might have stopped if they had. 

INSTEAD OF ME

 

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Ray Daley was born in Coventry and still lives there. He served six years in the RAF as a clerk and spent most of his time in a Hobbit hole in High Wycombe. He is a published poet and has been writing stories since he was ten. His current dream is to eventually finish the Hitchhiker’s Guide fanfic novel he’s been writing since 1986. Tweet him @RayDaleyWriter or check out his web site at https://raymondwriteswrongs.wordpress.com/

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