Have you ever seen something out of the corner of your eye, but when you look, there's nothing there? Was it a ghost? Someone from another dimension? . . . a monster? This week's text prompt was simple:
› The Monster in the Room
On an unrelated note, if you hear something moving around your room tonight, it’s probably nothing. Just your imagination. Probably.
I challenged authors to write 100 word stories this week. It was hard to contain all the monsters in so few words, but they managed.
Which one is your favorite?
Browse the stories in the Flash Fiction Archives, or below.
A big thanks to everyone who participated and took on the challenge this week!
Table of Contents
- Pedro the Terror by John Cox
- Under the Bed by Neviena Dēls
- Right Here by Eolas Pellor
- Absolutely No Manners by Jesse R Traynham - Author
- My Monster by Mary Zuelke Author
by Eolas Pellor
Likes: 4
Words: 100
The skeleton leaned in the corner, dry as dust, and cob-webbed. Its empty eye sockets gazed in my direction, but I’d seen skeletons before.
The creature in the murky tank sloshed about, pressing its face against the glass sides and snapping its teeth; it was past its feeding time and Kurualt tossed the hambone into the water, but i had seen the display of roiling water and flashes of webbed hands and feet more than once.
“So where is it? I asked. “This monster you keep talking about?”
“Right here,” said Kurault, turning on a light and unveiling a mirror.
Likes: 4
Words: 100
I have occupied this cozy, warm space for years now. I'm afraid you'll think less of me if I tell you what happened recently. You'll say I'm imagining things or overreacting.
Something took up residence overhead. It drooled and shrieked without warning. It smelled. Bad. Its tiny hands were sticky and gross. Absolutely no manners.
Last night, it jumped off the bed. Its perfectly round little eyes pierced the darkness as it squatted and looked at me. Its evil smile was unbearable. Worst of all, it was shockingly adorable.
I've never been so horrified. What do I do? Send help.
by Neviena Dēls
Likes: 3
Words: 96
When Mia heard breathing in her bedroom, she blamed the storm outside. Rain rattled the windows, and shadows shifted across the ceiling. Still, the sound continued, slow and steady, from somewhere near her bed.
She grabbed a flashlight and knelt to look underneath. A pale face stared back. Before she could scream, the face whispered, “Be quiet. There’s a monster in your room.”
Mia froze. Then heavy footsteps crossed the floor above her. The thing under the bed trembled. Together they watched a clawed shadow pass the doorway, pause, and finally move away into the night.
Likes: 3
Words: 100
Johnny lay in bed, blankets pulled to his chin, eyes wide.
THUMP came from under the bed.
He squirmed, gaze shooting to the door. Cool blue from television seeped through the crack.
𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵.
THUMP!
The bed rattled.
He clutched the blanket tighter, holding his breath.
𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘯.
Silence.
𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥.
Johnny loosened his grip, letting the blanket fall below his chest. The bed squeaked.
𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.
He slid one foot to the cold floor, then the other. A chill raced up his spine. THUMP!
He bolted—but as he reached the door, it slammed shut.
“Monster—”
by John Cox
Likes: 1
Words: 100
Joshua and Margaret have been married for 43 years. They retired into a cozy red cottage 23 years ago.
Something however, was wrong. Benny, their grandson, kept getting hurt when he came over. Marks appeared on his arms and legs. Benny would cry when asked to be in certain rooms. Rooms where he said the bad thing lived.
Joshua has marks and cuts on his ankles. The only one unaffected was Margaret.
Until that's is, the monster hurt one year old grandbaby June.
When Pedro the Chihuahua was put down, that's when Margaret finally felt the pain of the monster.
When Colton Travers was just four months old, a runaway horse on Bent Oak Road caused a car wreck that left his mother dead. His father survived, then vanished. Raised on family stories and faded photographs, he never questioned the past . . . until a worn shoe box of old clippings surfaced with hints of a darker truth. Now, drawn into a fifty-year-old unsolved case, Colton must chase a trail gone cold, where memory holds the clues, time keeps the truth, and justice demands satisfaction.
Stargazing at the June Bug Ranch
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