X
X

once upon a time...

Postcard-sized flash fiction about the strangeness of life and the beginning of all things and everything in between. And it all starts with an image...

Ollie and Racheal

Ollie had found the truck on the side of the freeway. The ‘For Sale’ sign handwritten in the window. Five hundred or best offer, it said in bright blue marker. He called and made their best offer which wasn’t much.
 
Racheal had groaned and rubbed her large belly when she saw it. “How are we gonna fit a car seat in that?” But two days later, when her pains came on too fast to make it to the hospital, she had given birth to their baby girl in the flatbed of that truck, not far from where Ollie had found it.
 
They lay under a wool blanket and the night sky, holding each other, counting fingers and toes and stars that looked like pinholes in a black canvas. They kept watching until the paramedic shone a flashlight in their eyes.
 
They hadn’t heard the sirens. Not even a little.

4 Replies to “Ollie and Racheal”

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

graphic of the word Courage

Word of the Year-2025

For my 2025 word of the year, I chose COURAGE. I know, it’s not the most original pick—but hear me out. Something about courage stuck with me this time, especially after watching a documentary on The Tragically Hip. For those unfamiliar, they’re kind of a Canadian thing. A band that

Read More »
White barn with stormy background

Hinterland is Real

They say seeing is believing. I didn’t know what that meant until that night. I was coming home late, later than I should, and I knew I was going to catch heck. Momma didn’t even pretend to be patient when me or my sister wasn’t home in time for dinner.

Read More »
Postcard-sized flash fiction about the things we think we know about others, life, death, and everything in between. And it all starts with an image...

Deadly Mist

The mist crept closer, slithering across the boot prints she left behind on the soft, moist ground. She urged her legs to go faster over the uneven path. A leafless tree grabbed at the flying strands of her long silver hair as she ran past. They hung like shiny tinsel

Read More »

Newsletter

Get release updates and your FREE story, just tell me where to send it.

 

Let’s Connect

All written material and images found on this site belong to Carmen Kern and Djinn & Tonic Publications. Ⓒ 2024. Read Privacy Policies and Cookie Policy here.