Flash Stories

The Last Twenty

hamed Jan. 7, 2024, 12:43 p.m.

He had it all planned out. Work hard until 60, save enough for retirement, enjoy his golden years with his wife and grandchildren, and die peacefully at 75. That was the average life expectancy, after all.

But fate had other plans. His wife died of cancer at 62, leaving him alone and heartbroken. His children moved away to pursue their careers, rarely visiting or calling. His savings dwindled as inflation and medical bills ate away at his pension. He had no friends, no hobbies, no purpose.

He wished he could die, but his body refused to give up. He survived a stroke, a heart attack, and a car accident. He endured chronic pain, depression, and loneliness. He watched the world change around him, becoming more alien and hostile with each passing year.

He lived to 95, but he stopped living long ago. He spent his last twenty years in a …

The Betrayal

dehongi Jan. 6, 2024, 12:25 p.m.

The Betrayal

Tom and Lisa walked home from school, their backpacks heavy with books. Tom had a list of groceries to buy for their mother, who had given him some money in the morning. Lisa, his younger sister, had a different idea.

"Tom, can we buy some ice cream? Please, please, please!" she begged, pointing at the frozen treats in the store window.

"Lisa, we don't have enough money for that. We have to buy the things on the list. Mom will be mad if we don't," Tom said, trying to be responsible.

"But I really want some ice cream. It's so hot today. And you love ice cream too, don't you?" Lisa said, batting her eyelashes.

Tom sighed. He did love ice cream, but he also wanted to do the right thing. He looked at the list and the money in his hand. Maybe he could buy a cheaper …

He never found out

dehongi Jan. 5, 2024, 4:58 p.m.

He had always wanted to be a writer, but life had other plans for him. He worked as an accountant at a large corporation, crunching numbers and filing reports. He hated his job, but he couldn't quit. He had a family to support, a mortgage to pay, and a boss who demanded his loyalty.

He had no time for his own dreams. He barely had time for his own family. He always said yes to every request, every favor, every assignment. He was afraid of disappointing others, of losing his reputation, of being seen as selfish.

He had a drawer full of unfinished manuscripts, a shelf full of unread books, and a heart full of regret. He wondered what his life would have been like if he had followed his passion, if he had said no to the things that didn't matter, if he had put his own interest in …

azriel's opinion.

ziamaiko Jan. 4, 2024, 6:25 p.m.

دنیا کاملا بی‌عدالت است. شعارهایی که می‌گویند همه یکسان هستند، همه دروغ‌هایی مانند گل‌های پژمرده‌اند. روزی زیبا بودند؛ اما حالا دارند از بین می‌روند. زشت شده‌اند و از زیبایی‌شان چیزی نمانده. نماد مرگ هستند.
در میان زندگی سرنوشتت دگرگون می‌شود. تمام بدی‌های دنیا سرت خراب می‌شوند بدون اینکه کار اشتباهی کرده باشی.
بله. تمام بدی‌های زندگی آزمون الهی نیست. نمی‌خواهد ما را قوی کند. اتفاق‌های بد می‌افتند. همین. زندگی‌ات می‌تواند نابود شود بدون اینکه کار اشتباهی کرده باشی.
من تا کنون مرگ آدم‌های زیادی را دیده‌ام. حتی خودم هم بارها و بارها به مرگ نزدیک شده‌ام و می‌دانم که چقدر واقعی‌ست.
گرچه مثل اینکه برای آیکو اینطور نیست. هرگز نبوده است. هر زمان که اتفاق وحشتناکی می‌افتد آیکو فقط جلو می‌رود و خیلی مصمم می‌گوید. «من نمی‌میرم!» نه من و نه آکی هرگز منظورش را متوجه نشده‌ایم. هرگز نفهمیدیم از کجا انقدر مطمئن است که نمی‌میرد. از طرفی، درمورد مردن ما بیش از …

Revolving Life

dehongi Jan. 4, 2024, 9:43 a.m.

She hated the noise. The constant yelling and fighting of her parents, the loud TV and music, the banging of doors and dishes. She wished she could escape to a quieter place, where she could read her books and draw her pictures in peace.

She often wondered why she was born into this family. She felt like she didn't belong here, like she was different from them. She had a vague memory of another life, another time, when she was happy and loved. She dreamed of a man with kind eyes and a gentle smile, who called her his wife and held her in his arms. She didn't know who he was, but she felt a strong connection to him.

One day, she found an old photo album in the attic. She opened it and saw pictures of people she didn't recognize. They looked like they were from a different …

Where did I come from, what was my coming for?

khayam Jan. 4, 2024, 6:55 a.m.

سالها فکر من این است و همه شب سخنم
که چرا غافل از احوال دل خویشتنم

از کجا آمده ام آمدنم بهر چه بود
به کجا می روم آخر، ننمایی وطنم؟

خیام

For years my thought is this and all night my speech
Why am I unaware of the state of my heart?

Where did I come from, what was my coming for?
Where am I going, finally, you don’t show me my homeland?

Khayam

Story:

He woke up in a strange room, with no memory of who he was or where he came from. He looked around and saw a window, a door, a bed, and a table. On the table, there was a book, a pen, and a paper. He picked up the book and opened it. It was a collection of poems by Omar Khayyam, a Persian poet he had never heard of. He read the first poem:

For …

Which is Life, Which is Dream

dehongi Jan. 2, 2024, 7:40 p.m.

He woke up with a start, his heart pounding in his chest. He looked around the dimly lit room, trying to remember where he was. He saw a woman sleeping next to him, her long hair covering her face. He felt a surge of affection for her, but also a pang of guilt. He had a wife and a son, waiting for him in another world.

He got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. He splashed some water on his face and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He had a scar on his left cheek, a souvenir from a car accident that nearly killed him. He wondered if it was still there in his other life, the one he visited every night in his dreams.

He had been dreaming of that life for as long as he could remember. It was a normal, boring life, with …

They loved each other still

dehongi Jan. 2, 2024, 6:53 p.m.

She had lost everything for him. Her family, her friends, her career, her dreams. She followed him across the world, supporting his ambitions, sharing his joys and sorrows, loving him unconditionally.

She thought they would grow old together, happy and content. She thought they had a bond that nothing could break. She thought she was the luckiest woman alive.

She was right.

He never left her, not even when he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, not even when he was in pain and suffering, not even when he had nothing left to give. He loved her with everything he had, everything he was, everything he could. He gave her his all.

She stayed with him, through thick and thin, through good and bad, through life and death. She cared for him, comforted him, cherished him. She gave him her all.

They spent their days in a small, cozy cottage, …

He Loved Her Still

dehongi Jan. 2, 2024, 6:39 p.m.

He had given up everything for her. His family, his friends, his career, his dreams. He followed her across the world, supporting her ambitions, sharing her joys and sorrows, loving her unconditionally.

He thought they would grow old together, happy and content. He thought they had a bond that nothing could break. He thought he was the luckiest man alive.

He was wrong.

She left him one day, without a word of explanation, without a trace of remorse. She took everything he had, everything he was, everything he loved. She left him with nothing but memories and regrets.

He tried to move on, to rebuild his life, to find some meaning. But he couldn't. He was too old, too broken, too alone. He had no one to talk to, no one to care for, no one to love.

He spent his days in a small, dark apartment, staring at the …

the way azriel see the world.

ziamaiko Dec. 31, 2023, 9:44 a.m.

i lost my mother.
i lost my friends.
i lost everything.
i miss the time when life was like a party.
but all these seem to belong to millions of years ago.
"you never really speak." she said as she sat next to me.
i still don't want to speak. i don't even like the ability of speaking. i don't belong to here. and no one wants me.
"to be honest, i.. i often feel like i got nothing interesting to say."
"being honest is always interesting." she said with a smile.
i really want to make her happy. all i want is her happiness. but all i have to do is control my desire to kill her.
"the difference between me and you is that everyone is happy that you exist. but everyone is happy because i don't exist!"
"how can you speak so confidently? you don't know how others feel."
"but i know.. they said if 'he' had a …