A very short story.
BartSimpson @ Mon Feb 10, 2014 1:36 pm
$1:
He found it insulting that he only rated one guard. Just two days before whenever he moved around he could count on at least ten guards to escort him and then another two hundred armed men to be waiting nearby just in case they were needed. Now he only needed one guard.
The guard led him out of the house and they walked to the garden where a phalanx of reporters and photographers were waiting in eerie silence. This was another thing that had changed so much in so short a time. Two days before they’d have all been shouting questions and now they just watched and maintained their quiet.
The spot had been prepared for the occasion with a post made of cedar and brought from a distant island in the Pacific. The post was partly burned and it clearly looked as if it had been through some sort of apocalypse. The guard motioned for him to take his position and he decided to maintain his composure instead of trying to fight back at this moment. Yes, he thought, I need to retain my dignity.
His hands were tied behind his back and the guard asked him if the bindings were too tight. He nodded in the negative and the guard moved off to join the other six such soldiers who were lined up thirty feet away from him. The seven soldiers lifted their weapons and, not needing any orders, simultaneously fired. His last conscious thought was that he’d be missing the National Press Club’s dinner that Friday.
The body slumped over and fell face first to the ground when the guard severed the rope that tied the hands to the post.
The fiftieth and last President of the United States of America was dead.
The guard led him out of the house and they walked to the garden where a phalanx of reporters and photographers were waiting in eerie silence. This was another thing that had changed so much in so short a time. Two days before they’d have all been shouting questions and now they just watched and maintained their quiet.
The spot had been prepared for the occasion with a post made of cedar and brought from a distant island in the Pacific. The post was partly burned and it clearly looked as if it had been through some sort of apocalypse. The guard motioned for him to take his position and he decided to maintain his composure instead of trying to fight back at this moment. Yes, he thought, I need to retain my dignity.
His hands were tied behind his back and the guard asked him if the bindings were too tight. He nodded in the negative and the guard moved off to join the other six such soldiers who were lined up thirty feet away from him. The seven soldiers lifted their weapons and, not needing any orders, simultaneously fired. His last conscious thought was that he’d be missing the National Press Club’s dinner that Friday.
The body slumped over and fell face first to the ground when the guard severed the rope that tied the hands to the post.
The fiftieth and last President of the United States of America was dead.
DrCaleb @ Mon Feb 10, 2014 1:40 pm
Short stories are always the hardest, I hear.
BartSimpson @ Mon Feb 10, 2014 1:43 pm
DrCaleb DrCaleb:
8O
Short stories are always the hardest, I hear.
Short stories are always the hardest, I hear.Indeed they are.
Reportedly, the shortest work of fiction ever is as follows:
$1:
For Sale: Baby shoes. Never used.
bootlegga @ Mon Feb 10, 2014 2:26 pm
DrCaleb DrCaleb:
8O
Short stories are always the hardest, I hear.
Short stories are always the hardest, I hear.I think so, simply because you have to elicit emotion and interest in so few words.
The shortest story (decent one that is) I've been able to write was about 200 words - anything around length that is typically considered flash fiction.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_fiction
bootlegga @ Mon Feb 10, 2014 2:27 pm
BartSimpson BartSimpson:
Reportedly, the shortest work of fiction ever is as follows:
For Sale: Baby shoes. Never used.
For Sale: Baby shoes. Never used.
Six word stories are lots of fun - check out this place;
http://www.sixwordstories.net/
My Dads met at Bible Camp. 2/10/2014 —SkussKing
I’m beside myself; cloning machine works. 2/7/2014 —jdgrafton
Unsound @ Mon Feb 10, 2014 4:18 pm
BartSimpson BartSimpson:
DrCaleb DrCaleb:
8O
Short stories are always the hardest, I hear.
Short stories are always the hardest, I hear.Indeed they are.
Reportedly, the shortest work of fiction ever is as follows:
$1:
For Sale: Baby shoes. Never used.
I've also seen that one quoted as the saddest story ever. I don't know about saddest, but it is pretty evocative for something so short.
DrCaleb @ Tue Feb 11, 2014 7:28 am
BartSimpson BartSimpson:
$1:
The spot had been prepared for the occasion with a post made of cedar and brought from a distant island in the Pacific. The post was partly burned and it clearly looked as if it had been through some sort of apocalypse.
Those two lines had me thinking all the way home; what did this bastard do to a Pacific Island to warrant execution? Which island? Hawaii? . . . or was that just being descriptive, and it was the most convenient post around?
I'd call your story a success.
stratos @ Tue Feb 11, 2014 7:52 am
It had me thinking all night on why was he the LAST president. Was there a revolution? Do we now have a king? Is it total chaos and a mob rule type thing going on?
Thanks a lot Bart 
BartSimpson @ Tue Feb 11, 2014 9:44 am
Dr. C & Stratos,
Thank you and you're welcome! 
BartSimpson @ Wed Aug 27, 2014 4:49 pm
Well, this little short story has spun around in my head and I'm going to start working it into a full-length novel.
But a little help here:
If you had a country that was reserved to people who wanted to live without modern technology - like on par with the Amish - what would you call it? I can't think of anything.
My reward for a 'winning' suggestion will be a character named after your avatar or your real name PLUS you'll get a .pdf of the first draft! ![[B-o]](./images/smilies/drinkup.gif "Drink up")
Hyack @ Wed Aug 27, 2014 4:55 pm
Freedonia....
Jabberwalker @ Wed Aug 27, 2014 5:18 pm
I like short and to-the-point advertising copy:
Bras and Panties - Half Off
raydan @ Wed Aug 27, 2014 5:40 pm
A 6 word dirty story...
Dear Penthouse, I met the twins.
Zipperfish @ Wed Aug 27, 2014 5:47 pm
Great job Bart
Strutz @ Wed Aug 27, 2014 9:51 pm
BartSimpson BartSimpson:
Well, this little short story has spun around in my head and I'm going to start working it into a full-length novel.
But a little help here:
If you had a country that was reserved to people who wanted to live without modern technology - like on par with the Amish - what would you call it? I can't think of anything.
My reward for a 'winning' suggestion will be a character named after your avatar or your real name PLUS you'll get a .pdf of the first draft!
But a little help here:
If you had a country that was reserved to people who wanted to live without modern technology - like on par with the Amish - what would you call it? I can't think of anything.
My reward for a 'winning' suggestion will be a character named after your avatar or your real name PLUS you'll get a .pdf of the first draft!
Suggestions...
Paradise (or Paradiseland)
Nirvana
Peaceland
Eden
Whereabouts on the planet would this country be? The north? Caribbean? Europe? Middle East? (
)A geographical location might inspire other ideas.