Flash fiction project: one dark story per day, all the way through October, each one based on one normal thing gone wrong. More of this year’s stories here. You can find last year’s stories here, or at Amazon as October Nights.
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Normal thing: Having friends over
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DALLOWAY
What he loved best about having friends over was getting ready for them to come over, the preparation, the anticipation—the best part of anything is in the anticipation—the work, yes, there were so many satisfying little things to be done, cleaning and food, yes, obviously, but also the preparation for the preparation, the feeling of staring at his to-do list on the computer and thinking should I order flowers? and what is the proper etiquette for inviting people who are divorced, cheating on each other, lost their jobs, desperately ill, or merely no longer speaking to each other? and should I make a permanent note on the list to set the puff pastry out to thaw, I almost always do something involving puff pastry.
When they arrived he would think to himself, how delightful everyone is, how witty, how charming, and I am so glad that I prepared everything ahead of time, yes, I believe I will add that note about the puff pastry, and, when evening began to stretch, unplanned for, into the small hours, how glad I am of my friends’ successes, how glad, how glad.
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The title refers to Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway.
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Dark, strange, twisted, and wonderful – #paranormal #horror and #mystery stories from Wonderland Press.