Flash Fiction 1: The German Sheppard
I haven't posted anything here in a while, and I figured it was time for something. There will be more of these quick stories up in the near future, probably pretty frequently.
For those who don't know, "Flash Fiction" refers to very short stories, usually less than 400 or so words. Tell me what you think! like I said, there will be more of these shortly, plus I am working on finishing a longer one, which should be up by the end of the month (August 2010, for people who may or may not be reading this in the future). Anyways, ENJOY!
OH! And don't forget to write me a comment explaining in detail why you think that I suck (or why you think I don't suck, either is fine)!
The German Sheppard stands silently in a dark field of dead grass, staring at you. He smokes a cigarette. He is tall, lanky, wearing an army surplus camouflage jacket and a pair of dark jeans. He doesn't smile. Ever. He has the same vacant, pain filled stare constantly on his face. You are intrigued. You advance, try to start a conversation. He tenses, watches you closely, and you notice for the first time the empty cans of gasoline that lie on the ground behind him. He reads your mind, smiles, and says in a jaded monotone, "You are exactly the kind of person I don't want to see right now."
"Wha?", you stammer uselessly in response.
"You. You jump to conclusions. You see empty cans of gasoline and suspect the worst. That I put them there. That I am a serial arsonist. That I am the reason that this world has gone to shit. You see me and think that it is your duty as an American to stop me from my treachery. You have been wrong about everything that you have ever done, and it pisses me off. It pisses me off to think that people like you run this country. It pisses me off to think that people like you think that you can lord it over people like me, and it pisses me off to see you try. So please. Go fuck yourself."
You are shocked. Not by what he said - because he was right on almost all counts - but by how he said it. Complete monotone, no emotion, no feeling in it at all. You respond confidently. "And what, exactly, do you intend to do about it?"
"Do? I don't intend to do anything. I'm just here to watch the world burn." He throws the cigarette at the ground, igniting the gasoline, enveloping the field in flames. "Oops. I guess you were right." He coolly walks away, into the smoke filled night.
That's it. All of it. There will be no more to this.
Also, how do you guys like SECOND PERSON PERSPECTIVE?
If you don't know what that means, then allow me to explain. First person is where the narrator is the main character, for example: "I went shopping." Third person is where the narrator talks about the main character, for example: "He went shopping." Second person is rarely used, but it is when the narrator talks to the main character, for example "You went shopping." To use video games as an example, "Halo" is first person, "Fable" is third person, and the bits of "Siren" and "Siren Blood Curse" where you see through the eyes of enemies is pretty much the only time you ever see second person used in a game.