Flash Fiction: He Looked Up

About three weeks ago, I participated in a fun flash fiction writing contest in my office with a couple of my colleagues. The rules were simple: one hour to write a hundred-word story that begins with the words “The floor tasted like…”

They kept saying, “Lara, you’re a published author, don’t participate with us,” and at the end of the day... I’m proud to announce I didn’t win, so they can eat their words now!

I love the story, and I’m very proud of my work. How do you think I did?

He Looked Up

The floor tasted like salvation, he thought as his heart drummed a raging beat. How had he ended up here? His mind raced as he tried to pinpoint the precise moment fate changed everything.

The instructions had been clear: “Don’t move.” But the floor started to vibrate, and alarmed, he looked up.

Now, he constantly dreams about the many possibilities of what could have been if he had remained still.

His life could have remained unchanged, and he would eventually cross over and be with his family again.

But nothing will ever change the fact that he did look up.