Every month, we select a few standout micro-fiction submissions from our community to showcase on our journal. These pieces represent the essence of flash fiction: stories that evoke strong emotions, build worlds, and leave lasting impressions in fewer than 300 words. Here are three selected pieces for this month.
1. "The Weight of Keys" by Jane Doan
He kept the brass key on his ring long after the lock was changed, long after the house itself was demolished and replaced by a glass-walled office block. It clinked against his car key, a small, metallic reminder of a hallway that no longer existed, of floorboards that once creaked under her bare feet. When friends asked what it opened, he would smile and say, "A memory." In truth, it opened nothing but the dull ache in his chest every time he reached into his pocket.
2. "After the Storm" by Minh Triet
The morning after the gale, the beach was rewritten. Shells lay in neat, silver ridges like miniature mountain ranges, and the old pier had lost three more green-slimed legs to the tide. We walked in the quiet chill, picking through the drift. You found a blue glass bottle, stoppered with wax and empty of messages. "Look," you said, holding it to the pale sun. "A bottle that kept its secrets." We left it on the sand, realizing some things are more beautiful when left unopened.
3. "The Last Conversation" by Linh Tran
The coffee shop was loud, a clatter of porcelain and steam. They sat by the window, the table between them wider than the Atlantic. "So," he said, stirring a sugar packet into black coffee. "This is it." She looked at her phone, at the reflection of her own tired eyes. "Yes," she whispered. The train roared on the tracks outside, drowning out whatever she said next. By the time the noise faded, he was gone, and her coffee was cold.
If you would like to have your micro-fiction showcased in our next monthly review, please visit our submission guidelines on our About page and send us your drafts. To improve your chances of getting published, you can also read our expert tips on how to write flash fiction.